DHAKA: Bangladesh on Thursday called up uncapped top-order batsman Zakir Hasan for the first Test against India on the back of his strong domestic performances.

Zakir, who has played just one T20 for Bangladesh, was the highest scorer in this autumn’s National Cricket Lea­gue and maintained that form for Bangladesh ‘A’ in the ongoing home series against India ‘A’.

He scored a dogged 173 in the second innings to salvage a draw in the A-teams’ first four-day match last week and made 46 in the first innings of the ongoing second four-day match in Sylhet.

Officials had been watching him for “quite some time”, said chief selector Minhajul Abedin.

“We believe he is now ready for Test cricket.” Zakir is expected to take the place of opener Tamim Iqbal for the first Test, which begins at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stad­i­um in Chittagong on Dec 14.

Tamim, who missed the ongoing ODI series against India due to a groin injury, failed to recover sufficiently for the first Test.

“We will wait for the report from the physio before considering him for the second Test,” Minhajul said.

Bangladesh have already clinched the three-match ODI series with two wins in two. The third will be played in Chittagong on Saturday.

Rain forced a draw in the only Test during India’s last visit to Bangladesh in 2015.

Squad for first Test: Mahmudul Hasan, Najmul Hossain, Mominul Haque, Yasir Ali, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Liton Das, Nurul Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Zakir Hasan, Rejaur Rahman Raja, Anamul Haque.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2022