Taskin returns for first Bangladesh vs West Indies Test

Taskin Ahmed has been recalled to the Bangladesh Test squad for the first game against West Indies, starting in Dhaka on October 28. Taskin, who was rested for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, which ended in a draw, has replaced Khaled Ahmed in the line-up.

Soumya Sarkar was also excluded from the 15-man squad. Soumya didn't feature in the XI against Afghanistan and hasn't played a Test match since February 2021 (his 16th), but was in the squads for the Tests in Australia in August and against Afghanistan.

The selectors have included Litton Das, who missed the ODI tri-series in the UAE, where Bangladesh failed to make the title round, because of a hip injury. Mehidy Hasan Miraz is also in the side after recovering sufficiently from a viral fever. He missed Bangladesh's first match of the UAE tri-series but played in the next game.

The side captained by Najmul Hossain Shanto has three specialist spinners: Mehidy, Taijul Islam and Nayeem Hasan. Apart from Taskin, the pace attack has Shoriful Islam, Ebadot Hossain and Hasan Mahmud. Nahid Rana continues to miss out as he recovers from a side strain.

Whether the curators prepare a pitch to assist fast bowlers or spinners will be interesting to watch. The last Test match at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, against Pakistan in May, was played on a sporting pitch and went to the fifth day, Bangladesh winning by 104 runs after Mehidy and Rana picked up five-fors.

The batting line-up looks familiar, and continues to have room for Towhid Hridoy, who recently made a first-class triple hundred in South Africa, and Jaker Ali. Hridoy was in the squad for the Afghanistan Test but didn't get in the XI. Jaker, meanwhile, last played a Test in June 2025.

The second Test will be played in Sylhet from November 5.