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Wednesday | October 28, 2026 | Dhaka
Shanto's focus is on Mirpur Test

Tigers-Caribbeans first Test from today

 Sports Reporter
 Published: 12:03 AM, 28 October 2026

The first Test cricket match between Bangladesh and West Indies will start today at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in the capital’s Mirpur. The first day match will start at 9.30am (Bangladesh Standard Time).

Private satellite sports channel T Sports will telecast the match live. Captain of Tigers Najmul Hossain Shanto will lead his side, while Captain of Caribbeans Roston Chase will lead his team.

For Bangladesh, all six remaining Test matches are crucial in the race to reach the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Test Championship final. To qualify, the team needs to secure at least four wins and one draw. This six-Test mission begins today.

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is not interested in calculating the specific requirements for reaching the final just yet. For him, the immediate priority is the first Test against the West Indies.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday at the Media Conference Room in SBNCS , Shanto clarified that the team prefers to take things one match at a time rather than looking too far ahead-he isn’t even thinking about the second Test against the West Indies yet.

Shanto said, “To be honest, I haven’t thought about it at all (what is needed to reach the final).”I am only focused on this current Test. The second match of this series isn’t even on my mind.”

“As a team, we always focus on how we approach a specific match or series. Winning these matches or series naturally helps us achieve our broader goals.

That is why we prefer to set smaller, manageable targets-an approach we have followed for the past few years.”

Shanto does not view the calculations regarding qualification or reaching the final as a source of pressure.

The Bangladesh captain said, “For me, this isn’t pressure-it’s an inspiration. The emergence of such scenarios in Test cricket is encouraging for us.

However, we don’t want to do anything extraordinary. We simply want to follow the same process we’ve employed in Test cricket over the last few series and the past few years.

We want to give our absolute best in the areas we can control; we aren’t expecting anything extra from anyone else.”