Bangladesh win toss and elect to bat in one-off Test against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi

Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on October 9, 2026. Play began with Yamin Ahmadzai taking the new ball while Shadman Islam and Tanzid Hasan opened the Bangladesh innings.

Both sides completed pre-match formalities, including the national anthems — Bangladesh first, then Afghanistan — and the Afghanistan players were seen in a huddle before taking the field. Afghanistan named Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah (c), Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Zia-ur-Rehman, Shahidullah Kamal, Yamin Ahmadzai, Qais Ahmad, Ismat Alam and Mohammad Saleem in their XI; Bangladesh’s XI was Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Hasan Mahmud, Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain and Nayeem Hasan. Bangladesh are playing their first Test in Abu Dhabi.

Farveez Maharoof’s pitch report warned of extreme heat, noting temperatures could reach 40°C and test both players and umpires, and described the surface as hard underneath with dry, brown grass. He said the wicket should favour batting across the first two days before it begins to turn around day three, advised Bangladesh to bat freely for the first five sessions and to aim for over 450 runs, and urged Afghanistan to use the new ball to take early wickets.

Rahmat Shah, captaining Afghanistan in Test cricket for the first time, said: "Yeah, I'm feeling very proud and also try to play good cricket." He added: "To be honest, they are very strong. We respect them and we believe in our own abilities. We perform, play with discipline, consistency and play normal game." The Afghanistan captain also stressed bowlers must maintain consistency and bowl in the right areas.

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto said the side had prepared for Afghanistan’s spin threat and emphasised consistency, saying: "Yeah, obviously, I think we have been playing some great cricket. But as a team we need to be consistent enough and this is another opportunity to show our skill." On the surface he said: "Looks dry and I think day two, day three it will start spinning and then the pitch will be little bit slower than normal here." Bangladesh opted for three spinners and two fast bowlers in their attack.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz spoke briefly about his role at number seven, describing it as vital and saying he will focus on contributing runs consistently. He acknowledged the heat but made no excuses, expected conditions to favour spinners, and said he carries confidence and strong preparation into the match following Bangladesh’s win in Darwin.

In the opening exchanges Yamin Ahmadzai bowled a dot to Shadman Islam, followed by a short delivery that Shadman left alone, before conceding two when Shadman drove through the covers. With the toss complete, Bangladesh begin their innings with Shadman Islam and Tanzid Hasan at the crease.