Bangladesh Win Toss, Elect to Bat First Against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi Test

I’ll turn the supplied preview, team news and live updates into a fully attributed English report, using only those chunks and avoiding any unverified match outcome or score.# Bangladesh vs Afghanistan Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first against Afghanistan in the one-off Test in Abu Dhabi, with captain Najmul Hossain Shanto saying the dry surface influenced the decision. The confirmed Bangladesh XI includes three spinners and two fast bowlers, while Afghanistan has handed Rahmat Shah the Test captaincy for the first time. Bangladesh choose to bat on a dry surface Shanto said Bangladesh had been playing good cricket but needed to show greater consistency in another opportunity against Afghanistan’s strong spin attack. He said the pitch looked dry and was expected to become slower, with more assistance for spin from the second or third day. Bangladesh’s decision to bat first also reflected the conditions described before play, with the surface expected to be more favourable to batting during the early part of the match before turning later. Farveez Maharoof said the pitch was hard underneath and covered with dry, brown grass, and described it as suitable for batting during the first two days. Maharoof also highlighted the extreme heat in Abu Dhabi, saying temperatures could become very high and test both players and umpires. Mehidy Hasan Miraz said Bangladesh would make no excuses about the hot weather and expected the conditions to favour spinners. Bangladesh’s confirmed XI is Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Hasan Mahmud, Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain and Nayeem Hasan. Shanto is the captain, while Litton Das is the wicketkeeper. The side’s selection gives Bangladesh three recognised spin options in Mehidy, Taijul and Nayeem, alongside Hasan Mahmud and Ebadot Hossain as the two fast-bowling choices listed in the playing XI. The team had also been considering Nayeem Hasan for the Abu Dhabi pitch because of the likelihood of a slow surface. The match is Bangladesh’s first Test at a neutral venue and its first in the United Arab Emirates. It follows Bangladesh’s drawn series in Australia in August, including a Test victory in Darwin that remained the highest point of Shanto’s captaincy career. A strong recent run, but concerns remain Bangladesh start the match as favourites after their performance in Australia. Shanto led the side effectively in that series, while Tanzid Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Hasan Mahmud produced important performances in the victory in Darwin. Hasan Mahmud carried his form into county cricket with Kent after the Australia series. Mehidy was also consistent during his short replacement stint at the Caribbean Premier League. Those performances were identified as positive signs for Bangladesh’s one-off Test in Abu Dhabi. Towhid Hridoy was another Bangladesh batter in form before the match. Just over a month earlier, he scored an unbeaten 352 for Bangladesh A against South Africa A in Potchefstroom. That innings was not only a Bangladesh record but also the highest score by a visiting batter in first-class cricket in South Africa. Hridoy’s form therefore presented Bangladesh with a selection question, because including him would have required a reshuffle of the middle order. Bangladesh also arrived with several batters short of runs. Tanzid had struggled for runs since his Test century in Darwin. Litton had scored exactly two runs in his previous five innings across international formats, including three ducks in as many Test innings in Australia. Mominul Haque and Shadman Islam were also described as being short of runs before the Test. The confirmed XI includes both players, with Shadman opening alongside Tanzid and Mominul listed at number three. That combination leaves Bangladesh balancing the confidence created by the Darwin victory with the need for contributions from batters who had not recently produced consistently. The team’s wider schedule also gives the match added importance, as Bangladesh have important World Test Championship matches ahead. A victory would be significant for Shanto personally as well. He has already been described as Bangladesh’s most successful Test captain, and a win in Abu Dhabi would be his tenth as Test captain. The match therefore gives Shanto an opportunity to extend the strong start to his captaincy while keeping Bangladesh focused on the longer Test cycle ahead. The preview said he could not afford to take his foot off the gas against Afghanistan because of those upcoming World Test Championship commitments. Afghanistan begin a new Test leadership phase Afghanistan enter the match after a heavy defeat by India in their most recent Test. Their head coach, Richard Pybus, described that performance as “incredibly rusty”. Afghanistan are a Test-playing nation seeking more matches in the format, according to the preview. Rahmat Shah is expected to lead the team in a new direction in collaboration with Pybus. Rahmat replaced Hashmatullah Shahidi as Afghanistan’s Test and ODI captain after the defeat in India. He is Afghanistan’s fourth Test captain after Asghar Afghan, Rashid Khan and Shahidi. Before the toss, Rahmat said he felt proud to captain Afghanistan in Test cricket for the first time. He acknowledged that Bangladesh were a strong side but said Afghanistan respected them and believed in their own abilities. “Yeah, I'm feeling very proud and also try to play good cricket,” Rahmat said. He said Afghanistan would focus on discipline and consistency and try to play their normal game. Rahmat also stressed the importance of bowling consistently and targeting the right areas by keeping the ball stump to stump. His comments placed discipline at the centre of Afghanistan’s approach against a Bangladesh side that expected the surface to become increasingly helpful to spin. Rahmat is Afghanistan’s most experienced Test batter in the squad. He is the only Afghanistan batter to have scored 1,000 Test runs and has three Test centuries. He has provided middle-order stability for the past 13 years, a quality described as important for a side better known for explosive batting and canny spin bowling. His role will be central as Afghanistan try to improve a batting unit identified before the match as their main concern. Hashmatullah Shahidi remains another principal source of batting strength. Shahidullah Kamal was also expected to carry his domestic form into the Test after finishing as the leading run-scorer in the recently completed Ahmad Shah Abdali first-class tournament. Shahidullah scored 538 runs from eight innings in that tournament. He is included in Afghanistan’s confirmed XI. Afghanistan strengthen their spin options Afghanistan dropped both left-arm spinners Sharafuddin Ashraf and Nangeyalia Kharote before the match. The selection was based on the belief that Bangladesh could be vulnerable against wristspin. Qais Ahmad was retained and Khalil Gurbaz was added, while left-arm spinner Zia-ur-Rehman returned after more than a year. The preview expected Afghanistan to go spin-heavy, with the legspinners Qais and Khalil likely to play. The confirmed XI differs from that earlier probable combination in several places. Afghanistan’s confirmed team is Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ikram Alikhil, Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar, Shahidullah Kamal, Yamin Ahmadzai, Qais Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi, and Ismat Alam. A separate live update listed the team as Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ikram Alikhil, Zia-ur-Rehman, Shahidullah Kamal, Yamin Ahmadzai, Qais Ahmad, Ismat Alam and Mohammad Saleem. Rahmat is marked as captain and Ikram Alikhil as wicketkeeper in the playing-XI listing. The earlier probable XI had included Khalil Gurbaz and Afsar Zazai, while Ziaur Rahman or Mohammad Saleem had been under consideration. The confirmed team instead lists Yamin Ahmadzai, Mohammad Saleem Safi and Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar among the players selected. Afghanistan’s batting order begins with Abdul Malik and Sediqullah Atal, followed by the aggressive Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the probable combination. Gurbaz does not appear in the confirmed playing XI listed in the live update, which names Ikram Alikhil at number five. The team’s selection reflects the emphasis placed on spin and the need to improve after the India Test. It also gives Afghanistan a chance to test its new leadership structure against a Bangladesh side that has recently produced one of the strongest results in its Test history. Conditions could change during the match The Abu Dhabi pitch has previously been described by Sean Williams as “a carpet on one side and a dustbowl on the other”. The surface has generally been slow, including during Afghanistan’s ODI victory over Bangladesh last year. Shanto expected the pitch to be dry at the start and to become slower before beginning to turn from the second or third day. Maharoof also expected the surface to favour batting during the opening two days before it began to turn around the third day. The contrasting descriptions point to a match in which the timing of the toss could matter, although the sources only confirm that Bangladesh chose to bat first after winning it. Maharoof called batting first an obvious choice and advised Bangladesh to bat freely through the first five sessions. He set Bangladesh a target of more than 450 runs in that assessment. For Afghanistan, he stressed the need to use the new ball effectively and take early wickets. Bangladesh’s three-spinner combination is designed for the expected shift in conditions. Mehidy said his all-round role at number seven was vital and that he wanted to contribute runs consistently. Mehidy also said Bangladesh’s previous historic win against Australia in Darwin was now in the past, even though the team carried confidence and strong preparation into the Afghanistan Test. He described this as Bangladesh’s first Test in Abu Dhabi. The heat adds another test to the contest. Maharoof said the temperature could challenge players and umpires, while Mehidy said Bangladesh would not use the weather as an excuse. Afghanistan’s bowlers will therefore have to combine their spin resources with the new-ball opportunity identified by Maharoof. Bangladesh’s batters, meanwhile, will have to negotiate the seamers before the surface is expected to become more spin-friendly. Bangladesh’s confirmed XI and the opening combination The live playing-XI update confirmed Shadman and Tanzid as Bangladesh’s opening pair. Mominul followed them in the listed batting order, with Shanto at number four and Mushfiqur Rahim at number five. Litton was listed as wicketkeeper, followed by Mehidy, Hasan Mahmud, Taijul, Ebadot and Nayeem. The inclusion of Nayeem gives Bangladesh the additional offspin option that had been under consideration for the Abu Dhabi pitch. Afghanistan’s confirmed team also includes Qais Ahmad, whose wristspin was retained after the selectors assessed Bangladesh’s possible vulnerability against that style. Ismat Alam provides the like-for-like replacement for pace-bowling allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai in the earlier team assessment. The earlier probable Bangladesh XI had included Soumya Sarkar or Shadman Islam at number two, while the confirmed team selected Shadman to open with Tanzid. The probable list also placed Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam as the two fast-bowling choices, whereas the confirmed XI includes Ebadot Hossain alongside Hasan Mahmud. The confirmed Afghanistan team similarly differs from the preliminary combination published before the match. The final selection, rather than the probable XI, is the basis for the live match line-up. Live commentary: Bangladesh open the innings The live coverage recorded Bangladesh’s national anthem first, followed by Afghanistan’s, before the players moved out for the start of play. Afghanistan then formed a huddle before taking their field positions. Yamin Ahmadzai took the new ball, with two slips and a gully placed for the opening over. Tanzid Hasan and Shadman Islam opened the innings for Bangladesh. The first deliveries to Tanzid from Mohammad Saleem were kept full outside off, and Tanzid pushed one towards cover. He then blocked another delivery angled towards off stump into the cover area. Ahmadzai also began with a full delivery outside off, which Tanzid drove through the covers for three runs after a fielder stopped the ball just before the boundary. Tanzid then drove another full ball through the covers for two runs. He followed that with a boundary over backward point after moving forward to a full delivery outside off and slicing it over the leaping fielder. Tanzid then knocked another delivery through mid-off for two runs. He struck another four through backward point by opening the face of the bat and guiding a fullish ball outside off through the gap. The live commentary also recorded a full delivery on off stump that Tanzid blocked to cover. When Mohammad Saleem bowled to Shadman, the batter left a short delivery outside off. A much fuller ball on off stump was defended back towards the bowler. That delivery produced four byes after the ball narrowly missed the off stump, passed the keeper and ran away towards fine leg. The commentary described Shadman as looking to drive but being beaten on the inside edge. Tanzid then drove a delivery shaping in on off stump through the covers for a single. He left a full and wide ball outside off and tapped another fullish delivery outside off towards mid-off. The same passage of commentary recorded a no-ball for overstepping. Shadman then pushed a slightly overfull delivery on off stump to extra cover for a single. Ahmadzai bowled another full delivery on off stump to Tanzid, who blocked it back to the bowler. Tanzid covered the line of a fuller ball aimed at the stumps and defended it back to Ahmadzai. Shadman collected a single after miscuing a fullish delivery on off stump towards extra cover. He then left another ball outside off. A slower delivery outside off was also left alone by Shadman, who shouldered arms. He left a further delivery shaping away outside off. Mohammad Saleem then hit the deck hard on off stump, and Tanzid punched the ball towards cover. Tanzid registered the first boundary of the game by using the pace of a delivery that went slightly down the leg side and tickling it through fine leg. He defended a good-length delivery shaping in off the front foot. A fuller ball on middle stump was also blocked as Tanzid covered his line. Another ball angled in on off stump was defended back to the bowler. Tanzid then dug a full delivery on off stump back towards Mohammad Saleem. Ahmadzai produced another fullish delivery outside off, which Tanzid tapped towards mid-off for a single. Shadman then took a single from a ball that was too full on off stump and was dug out towards mid-off. Shadman drove another delivery to cover before defending a much fuller ball on off stump towards mid-on. He swayed away from a short delivery in the next sequence. The commentary described that passage as a good start from Shadman. He then drove a full delivery through the covers for two runs. The opening exchanges showed Tanzid combining positive strokes through the off-side and fine leg with several firm defensive responses. [S21-S30] Shadman’s early approach included leaving deliveries outside off, defending balls on the stumps and driving when the bowlers overpitched. [S24, S26-S30] The available live updates do not provide a completed score, wicket, over count or result for the match. [S21-S40] They do establish that Bangladesh began the innings after winning the toss and that the opening pair faced the first deliveries from Ahmadzai and Mohammad Saleem. Naveen-ul-Haq’s commentary role Naveen-ul-Haq’s inclusion in the commentary panel became a separate talking point around the Test. Afghanistan Cricket Board officials said his commentary role should not be interpreted as a decision about his playing career. Naveen was part of Afghanistan’s squad for the recently concluded T20I series against India. He was not selected in the playing XI during that series. He last played for Afghanistan in December 2024 and has since experienced a prolonged pause in his career because of injury. His inclusion in the six-member commentary panel for the one-off Test led to questions about whether he was considering moving away from playing cricket. Naseeb Khan, the Afghanistan Cricket Board chief executive, said he did not believe Naveen’s playing career was coming to an end. He said Naveen was recovering from an injury and that his rehabilitation process was continuing. “Naveen is currently recovering from an injury and his rehabilitation process is ongoing,” Naseeb said. “His priority at this stage is to complete his rehabilitation and return to cricket fully fit.” “His involvement in the commentary panel should not be interpreted as a decision regarding his playing career,” Naseeb said. “Naveen remains part of our plans as a player, and once he completes his rehabilitation, he will be available for the team.” Naseeb said the board also saw value in giving potential individuals opportunities in different areas of the game, including commentary. “At the same time, we see value in giving opportunities to potential individuals in different areas of the game, including commentary,” he said. “There is a need to develop more people in this field, and providing such opportunities helps build capacity and prepare talented individuals for the next phase of Afghan cricket,” Naseeb said. He described Naveen’s commentary role as an additional opportunity during rehabilitation rather than an indication that the player was moving away from cricket. “Therefore, his commentary involvement is simply an additional opportunity during his rehabilitation period and does not indicate any decision to move away from his playing career,” he concluded. The other members of the commentary panel are Ramiz Raja, Farveez Maharoof, Andrew Leonard, Ahmad Farhad Fidai and Mazhar Uddin Omi. The panel was announced by the Afghanistan Cricket Board for the Test against Bangladesh in the UAE. What is at stake For Bangladesh, the match combines the momentum of the Darwin victory with the need to address recent batting concerns. Tanzid, Litton, Mominul and Shadman were all identified before the Test as players who had not recently produced enough runs. For Afghanistan, the match is an opportunity to respond after the defeat by India and to begin Rahmat’s Test captaincy with a more disciplined performance. The team’s selection shows a clear focus on wristspin and on improving its options for a slow Abu Dhabi pitch. Rahmat brings the experience of 1,000 Test runs and three centuries, while Shahidi remains one of the side’s principal batting figures. Shahidullah also arrives after leading the run-scoring charts in the Ahmad Shah Abdali first-class tournament with 538 runs from eight innings. Shanto, meanwhile, is seeking his tenth Test victory as captain and leading Bangladesh into a match that precedes important World Test Championship fixtures. His side has chosen to bat first after reading the surface as dry and expecting it to slow and turn later. The confirmed information so far establishes the toss decision, the two playing XIs, the expected role of the surface and the opening exchanges involving Tanzid and Shadman. [S30-S40] The supplied live updates do not establish the final score, wickets, result or duration of the match. [S21-S40]

Latest update

Bangladesh have confirmed Ebadot Hossain in place of Shoriful Islam, while Nayeem Hasan has also been included in the XI for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi. Captains Najmul Hossain Shanto and Rahmat Shah were at the toss, according to the BCB.

Shoriful took career-best figures of 7 for 49 in Bangladesh's last Test, against Australia in Mackay, in August. However, he has not been selected for this match, with Ebadot taking his place. Bangladesh have also retained Hasan Mahmud in the XI. Taskin Ahmed was already rested from the one-off Test.

Nayeem was not part of the originally announced Test squad, but he travelled with the team to play in the practice match against UAE last week. His inclusion gives Bangladesh another offspin option for the Abu Dhabi pitch.

Bangladesh's confirmed XI is 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Shadman Islam, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Litton Das (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Nayeem Hasan, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Hasan Mahmud and 11 Ebadot Hossain.

Afghanistan have gone in with a batting-heavy line-up. The in-form Shahidullah is set to bat at No. 7, while allrounders Ismat Alam and Yamin Ahmadzai are also part of the XI. Afghanistan have kept faith in the Sediqullah Atal-Abdul Malik opening combination.

The more experienced Rahmat Shah, Afghanistan's new captain, will strengthen the middle order alongside his predecessor Hashmatullah Shahidi. Afghanistan have also selected left-arm spinner Ziaur Rahman Akbar and Qais Ahmed's wristspin, while Ismat and Ahmadzai are part of the pace attack.

Afghanistan's XI is listed as 1 Sediqullah Atal, 2 Abdul Malik, 3 Rahmat Shah (capt), 4 Hasmatullah Shahidi, 5 Ikram Alikhil, 6 Zia Akbar, 7 Shahidullah, 8 Yamin Ahmadzai, 8 Ismat Alam, 9 Qais Ahmed and 11 Mohammad Saleem.

Bangladesh will start as favourites against Afghanistan, the home side, in their first Test since their drawn series in Australia in August. Najmul Hossain Shanto led Bangladesh effectively in Australia, where stunning performances from Tanzid Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Hasan Mahmud helped the team win the Test in Darwin.

Hasan Mahmud then continued his form in county cricket with Kent. Mehidy was also consistent during his short replacement stint at the CPL. Those performances have been described as good portents for Bangladesh ahead of the one-off game in Abu Dhabi.

Bangladesh also have an in-form Towhid Hridoy in their line-up. Just over a month ago, he scored an unbeaten 352 for Bangladesh A against South Africa A in Potchefstroom. It was not only a Bangladesh record, but also the highest score by a visiting batter in first-class cricket in South Africa.

There are, however, several Bangladesh batters short of runs. Tanzid has struggled since scoring a Test century in Darwin. Litton Das has scored exactly two runs in his last five innings across international formats, including three ducks in as many Test innings in Australia. Mominul Haque and Shadman Islam are also short of runs.

Afghanistan have considerable room for improvement, particularly after they were beaten soundly by India in their last Test match. Their head coach, Richard Pybus, called that performance "incredibly rusty". Afghanistan, a Test-playing nation in search of Test matches to play, were found out by India's class in that match.

Rahmat Shah will now look to take Afghanistan in a new direction in collaboration with Pybus. He replaced Hashmatullah Shahidi as the Test and ODI captain after the Test defeat in India.

Afghanistan have dropped both left-arm spinners Sharafuddin Ashraf and Nangeyalia Kharote. The team believes Bangladesh could be vulnerable against wristspin, and has retained Qais Ahmad while adding Khalil Gurbaz. Left-arm spinner Zia-ur-Rehman returns after more than a year.

Afghanistan's main concern is their batting. Sediqullah Atal and Abdul Malik were expected to open the innings, with the aggressive Rahmanullah Gurbaz taking up the No. 3 position in the probable combination. The main source of strength was expected to be captain Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi.

Shahidullah Kamal was also expected to bring his domestic form into the Test arena. He was the top run-getter with 538 from eight innings in the just-concluded Ahmad Shah Abdali first-class tournament back home.

Afghanistan's last five completed matches are listed as LLWDL, with the most recent match first. Bangladesh's record is listed as LWLWW.

Afghanistan will bank on the experience of Rahmat Shah, who is a heavy scorer and the only batter from Afghanistan to have scored 1000 Test runs and hit three centuries. He has provided middle-order stability for the last 13 years, a quality that has not always been present in a side more known for explosive batting and canny spin-bowling.

Rahmat's counterpart, Najmul Hossain Shanto, is at a different crossroads as Bangladesh captain. He has already established himself as the most successful Test captain in the country's history. He now has the chance to shape the team's future in a way that no Bangladesh captain ever got the chance to.

Bangladesh have important WTC matches ahead, which means Shanto cannot afford to take the foot off the gas against Afghanistan. A win in Abu Dhabi will place him in rarefied territory, as it will be his tenth as the Test captain.

Afghanistan have a like-for-like replacement for pace-bowling allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai in Ismat Alam. Legspinners Qais and Khalil Gurbaz were likely to get in, with Afghanistan expected to go spin-heavy. Ziaur Rahman, the seamer who played the Test against India in June, looked likelier to get a game than Zia-ur-Rehman, the left-arm spinner.

The earlier Afghanistan probable XI was 1 Sediqullah Atal, 2 Abdul Malik, 3 Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 4 Rahmat Shah (capt), 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi, 6 Shahidullah, 7 Afsar Zazai (wk), 8 Ismat Alam, 9 Qais Ahmed, 10 Ziaur Rahman/Mohammad Saleem and 11 Khalil Gurbaz.

Including Hridoy would have been a big call for Bangladesh because it would have meant shuffling the middle order. Bangladesh were also likely to consider offspinner Nayeem Hasan on the Abu Dhabi pitch.

The earlier Bangladesh probable XI was 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Soumya Sarkar/Shadman Islam, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Litton Das (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Nayeem Hasan, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Hasan Mahmud and 11 Shoriful Islam.

Five years ago, Sean Williams described the Abu Dhabi pitch as a "carpet on one side and a dustbowl on the other". The surface has generally been slow, as it was when Afghanistan beat Bangladesh in the ODIs last year. The temperature could climb to nearly 40 degrees during the day.

This is Bangladesh's first Test at a neutral venue and their first in the UAE. Afghanistan won their last Test at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, beating Zimbabwe by six wickets in 2021.

Rahmat Shah has become Afghanistan's fourth Test captain after Asghar Afghan, Rashid Khan and Hashmatullah Shahidi.

Bangladesh coach Phil Simmons said, "I am looking at the wicket and the wicket looks good. It looks like it can be a little bit slow but it looks to be a good wicket. So we are preparing for a good wicket and we know that we're going to have to come up against a number of spinners and so we're preparing for all that."