Mushfiqur Rahim misses Mirpur Test with a finger injury, with hope of a return before the Sylhet Test

Bangladesh’s experienced batter Mushfiqur Rahim cannot play in the first Test of the series against the West Indies. He injured a finger in practice the day before the match, which began in Mirpur on Wednesday.

Yesterday in Mirpur, during the final preparations, a ball from a thrower in the nets hit Mushfiq on the finger. The wicketkeeper-batter, in pain, taped his index finger and returned to the dressing room. He did not practise batting again afterwards.

The team management then waited for Mushfiq until last night. But the decision was taken this morning that he would not play.

A reliable source told Dhaka Post that Mushfiq has pain in his finger and that they had been waiting for him. Nothing significant was found in the X-ray. Mushfiq also had a lot of finger pain before.

The same source said Mushfiq will return to the field as soon as the pain eases. If the pain does not ease, he will be scanned again. There is a chance he will recover before the Sylhet Test.

The team management hopes to have Mushfiq available for the second Test of the series, to be held in Sylhet.

Mushfiq’s injury has opened a place in the XI for Tawhid Hridoy. Hridoy made his Test debut against Zimbabwe last June.

Mushfiq also could not play the most recent Test against the Caribbean side in 2024 because of injury.

This series, under the World Test Championship, is important for Bangladesh. Bangladesh is dreaming of playing the final for the first time. The report noted that Najmul Hossain Shanto’s team needs the experienced Mushfiq.

In the Mirpur Test, home captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and decided to bat first. Bangladesh picked three spinners, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam and Nayeem Hasan, and two pacers, Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam.