Afghanistan bat first as Tigers go with all-spin attack
Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan won the toss and elected to bat against Bangladesh in one-off Test at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Thursday.
Bangladesh are going with an all-spin attack in this match. But Afghanistan kept pacer Yamin Ahmadzai who has taken nine wickets in two Tests.
Skipper Shakib Al Hasan will lead the bowling attack with Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam and Nayeem Hasan. Bangladesh have Mahmudullah Riyad and Mosaddek Hossain in the XI to add more spin. Soumya Sarkar is the only pace-bowling option for the Tigers.
On the other hand, Afghanistan kept Mohammad Nabi, Qais Ahmed, Zahir Khan, Rahmat Shah and the captain Rashid Khan as spin options while Ahmadzai is their only pace-bowling option.
This is the first time the two sides are facing each other in Test.
With this match, Rashid became the youngest Test captain at 20 years and 350 days, surpassing Zimbabwe’s Tatenda Taibu who led his country at the age of 20 years 358 days.
Bangladesh XI: Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mahmudullah, Liton Das, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan
Afghanistan XI: Ihsanullah, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Afsar Zazai (wk), Rashid Khan (capt), Yamin Ahmadzai, Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan
