Bangladesh call up Amite Hasan for Sylhet as West Indies chase a rare away series win

Bangladesh have turned to Amite Hasan for the Sylhet Test, where defeat would hand West Indies a series win on the road

Bangladesh named the batter in their squad for the second and final Test against West Indies, which begins on Thursday at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, after Mominul Haque was ruled out by concussion protocol. The hosts trail 1-0 and must win to square the series.

West Indies arrive in Sylhet on the back of an eight-wicket win in Mirpur, built on nine wickets in the match for the left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican. Another win would give them a series victory away from home, something they have not managed in the current World Test Championship cycle.

Bangladesh, by contrast, have not won an international since beating Australia in Darwin. "Since Darwin, yes, we haven't, and particularly we haven't batted well," head coach Phil Simmons said of the run.

Mominul ruled out by concussion protocol

Mominul was struck on the head while fielding in the first Test and was replaced during the match by the concussion substitute Jaker Ali. The Bangladesh Cricket Board said Amite comes in for Mominul, "who is unavailable due to the mandatory seven-day concussion stand-down period."

Amite has played one Test, on debut against Zimbabwe in June, and arrives with a heavy first-class record: 4,040 runs in 54 matches at 50.50.

Mushfiqur Rahim keeps his place in the 15 after missing the Mirpur Test with a finger injury.

Concern over Taijul's wickets

The sharper selection question is the spin attack. Taijul Islam has taken five wickets in his last four Tests, and Simmons did not disguise his unease. "It's hugely concerning because he's one of the major spinners we have in the team. So it has to be concerning," he said, calling the left-armer "a major weapon that we have in this team."

Taijul carried a shoulder problem out of the UAE tour, but Simmons said he "is bowling full bore" and "it doesn't seem to be affecting him."

Because Taijul is the only specialist left-arm spinner in the squad, Bangladesh could field right-arm spin alone in Sylhet. Asked about it, Simmons said only that "it is something that you have to think about," adding that the combination would be settled with the chief selectors after Wednesday's training session.

What Mirpur cost Bangladesh

Bangladesh were 213 for 3 in the first innings of the opening Test and were bowled out for 272, Shadman Islam top-scoring with 105, his third Test century. Warrican took 5-53.

West Indies replied with 245, Nayeem Hasan taking four wickets, so Bangladesh led by 27 and were still in the match. The second innings undid them: 35 for 5 became 142 all out, with Roston Chase taking 5-36 and Warrican 4-63.

The target of 170 was knocked off in 35.1 overs, Brandon King finishing unbeaten on 81 from 115 balls after an opening stand of 112 with John Campbell, who made 49.

"I think we batted badly more than he bowled well," captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said afterwards. "We made the mistake in the first innings." The defeat dropped Bangladesh from fourth to fifth in the World Test Championship standings.

A reshuffled order

Simmons signalled changes to the batting order rather than wholesale ones to the side. "Yeah, most likely there'll be a reshuffle, but most likely the skipper will have to go and bat three," he said.

He was blunt about the work done in training. "It's just not been put in place in the match," he said.

West Indies want more hunger

Daren Sammy's side prepared for the tour at a camp in Chennai, and the coach traced the Mirpur win back to it. "I think our spinners outbowled their spinners and our batsmen responded to playing spin better than theirs," he said.

Sammy noted Bangladesh "were fourth on the table in the Test Championship" before the series and that "we are very aware of what's at stake." His instruction for Sylhet was short: "I want the same mentality, a little bit more hunger."

Bangladesh need a win to level the series; West Indies need only to avoid defeat to take it.

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