Bangladesh Squad For 1st Test Vs Australia Announced; Nahid Rana's Replacement Revealed

Bangladesh Test squad for 1st match vs Australia revealed [Source: AFP]In a significant development, the BCB announced the Bangladesh squad for the first Test against Australia on Sunday, July 26. The board revealed Nahid Rana's replacement for the series opener, which will be played from August 13 to 17 at the Marrara Cricket Ground. Bangladesh's in-form speedster Nahid Rana has been ruled out of the first Test against Australia due to a grade-2 left side strain injury. Apart from the young pacer, Litton Das and Shoriful Islam have also been sidelined from the series opener. Captain Najmul Shanto to spearhead Bangladesh's batting unitNajmul Hossain Shanto will continue to lead Bangladesh in Tests as they gear up for the first match against Australia at the Marrara Cricket Ground. Experienced allrounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz will play as his deputy, with Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim spearheading the Bangladesh batting unit in Australia. Rahim, in particular, will play a significant role for the Tigers, considering he is their most successful batter among the active players against Australia. While Tanzid can provide the team with quick-fire starts, the likes of Rahim, Mominul and Shanto will be tasked to dodge the Australian bowling attack with grit and determination. Also Read: List Of Bangladesh Players Who Might Miss Australia TestsNahid Rana replaced; Litton, Shoriful to miss 1st Test vs AustraliaNahid Rana has been a proven match-winner for Bangladesh, scalping 38 wickets in 12 Tests at a superb strike rate of 48.2. His ability to generate substantial movement and extra bounce at a searing pace makes Nahid Rana Bangladesh's most potent bowling option in Australian conditions. However, as Nahid sustained a grade-2 left side strain, the BCB had to exclude him from the Bangladesh squad for 1st Test vs Australia. Taskin Ahmed returns as the leader of the Tigers' pace battery, while young pacer Musfik Hasan gets his maiden Test call-up as Nahid Rana's replacement. On the other hand, Litton Das has failed to enter the Bangladesh squad for 1st Test vs Australia due to a grade-1 left calf muscle injury. Experienced pacer Shoriful Islam won't also feature in the series opener in Darwin for being unable to recover from a grade-1 hamstring injury. Other Notable changes that Bangladesh made for Australia seriesMahmudul Hasan Joy and Towhid Hridoy, who managed 36 runs across both innings combined against Zimbabwe, have been dropped from the Bangladesh squad for 1st Test vs Australia. Meanwhile, Jaker Ali makes a comeback to the Test squad, with Litton Das getting sidelined from the Australia series opener due to an injury. Mehidy Hasan Miraz comes back for the highly anticipated match after being rested for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe. Bangladesh squad for 1st Test vs Australia, 2026Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Amite Hasan, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Musfik HasanAlso Read: Brad Evans Abuses Vaibhav Sooryavanshi After Spoiling His 1st T20I Hundred