Bangladesh and the West Indies have taken to the field in Mirpur for the first match of their two-Test series. Tigers' captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and elected to bat first.

Senior batter Mushfiqur Rahim was ruled out after suffering an injury when he was struck by a ball during net practice yesterday. In his absence, Towhid Hridoy has been named in the playing XI.

To capitalize on the familiar Mirpur conditions, Bangladesh have fielded a three-pronged spin attack. Alongside experienced spinner Taijul Islam, the spin unit features Nayeem Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. The pace attack is led by Hasan Mahmud, partnered by left-arm seamer Shoriful Islam.

Bangladesh currently sit fourth in the ICC World Test Championship standings. To remain in contention for the final, the Tigers need to win at least four of their remaining six Tests in the current cycle.

However, speaking at a pre-series press conference, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto stated that rather than worrying about long-term permutations or the pressure of qualifying for the final, their immediate focus is solely on winning this Mirpur Test.

Meanwhile, the West Indies, currently eighth in the points table, are out of the running for the final, but aim to finish the cycle inside the top five.

Bangladesh XI: Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Tanjid Hasan Tamim, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Litton Das, Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Taijul Islam, Shoriful Islam.