Soumya Sarkar to replace Shakib Al Hasan for the second Test against West Indies

Bangladesh has retrieved batsman Soumya Sarkar as a replacement of injured all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan for the final Test against West Indies. The last match will start at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday. Sarkar, who has played 15 Tests, will join the training session on Wednesday. The 27-year-old has scored 818 runs which include one hundred and four half-centuries. Sarkar's last appearance in a Test was in 2019 against Afghanistan.

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was ruled out of the forthcoming match after sustaining an injury during the first Test. The southpaw could not bat and bowl in the second innings of the game. His absence made a significant impact as the hosts were unable to defend a massive 394-run lead. Kyle Mayers hit an unbeaten 210 and helped West Indies win the game by three wickets. His outstanding knock helped the visitors chase a considerable total which is now the fifth most successive in the history of Test cricket. 

Mayers also became the second player to score a double hundred in a successful chase. The 28-year-old was part of the West Indies squad for the Under-19 World Cup in 2012. Mayers played alongside Kraigg Brathwaite in the series.

West Indies leading the series by 1-0 with one match to go

The ongoing West Indies tour of Bangladesh allowed Shakib Al Hasan to return to cricket after a 12-month ban. The all-rounder was suspended for a year after he was found guilty of three charges under the ICC's Anti-Corruption Code.

The all-rounder was in great form and performed superbly in the previous 3-match ODI series against West Indies. The hosts won the ODI series 3-0, and Shakib played a vital role with both bat and ball. The left-arm spinner scalped six wickets and bowled at an economy of 2.26. Shakib scored 113 runs, at an average of 56.5. The second Test kicks off on February 11 in Mirpur.

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