Litton Kumar Das and Taskin Ahmed have returned to Bangladesh’s Test squad for the opening match against West Indies, while Soumya Sarkar and Syed Khaled Ahmed have been left out.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed the 15 player group on Friday, October 23.

The first Test begins on Wednesday, October 28, at the Sher e Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, with play at 9:30am. Both sides then travel to Sylhet for the second Test from November 5 to 9. Both matches count towards the ICC World Test Championship.

Litton was ruled out of the recent tri nation series with a hip injury, and Bangladesh bowed out early after defeats to Zimbabwe and Afghanistan. His recovery is timely, given how well he performed in the one off Test against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi.

In that match the wicketkeeper batter made 53 and 102 and took nine dismissals behind the stumps. No other Test player has combined 50 plus scores in both innings with that many dismissals in one game, which shows how much he offers the side.

Taskin, 31, was rested for the Afghanistan Test and returns having played four Tests this year, the latest against Australia in August. The seamer owns 59 Test wickets at an average of 39.18, and he joins Hasan Mahmud, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury and Shoriful Islam.

Soumya Sarkar, 33, misses out without playing a match in the Afghanistan squad, his last Test coming in 2021 against West Indies in Mirpur. Syed Khaled Ahmed is in the same position, having last played for Bangladesh in the Harare Test against Zimbabwe in June.

Off spinner Naeem Hasan keeps his place after travelling with the squad to the United Arab Emirates for Test preparation, where he played in a two day practice match. Taijul Islam and vice captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz complete the spin options.

West Indies are in Bangladesh and playing a practice match against a BCB XI. Bangladesh, led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, must win both Tests to sustain their strong run in the World Test Championship after a poor tri nation series.

Bangladesh squad for the first Test: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mohammad Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Kumar Das, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vice captain), Taijul Islam, Naeem Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Shoriful Islam.