Topley claimed four for 43 as England coasted to victory against the Tigers, making a big impression after being recalled to the side following defeat to New Zealand.
It was a welcome day in the sun for a 29-year-old who has had to endure more than his fair share of dark times due to a litany of injury problems that could easily have ended his career.
Five different stress fractures in his back left him sidelined for long periods and denied him the chance to push for a place in the triumphant 2019 campaign, while his luck got even worse on the eve of last year’s T20 tournament in Australia.
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The 6ft 7in left-armer had been lined up to play a key role with the ball, only to trip on a boundary sponge during a fielding drill and rupture ligaments in his left ankle. When England went on to lift the trophy at a packed MCG, it was hard for him not to imagine his own hands on the silverware.
Now he has a real chance to control his own story. With his body holding up well and his game in good order, things are finally falling into place.
“When I came out here I certainly felt like there was some sort of unfinished business with World Cups,” he said.
“Last year it was certainly an opportunity missed, I was bowling really well in the lead-up and then sort of had the rug pulled out from under my feet.
“The last-minute injury was very disappointing, but I’ve been wrapped up in cotton wool this time and it’s nice to be here. Hopefully there are more contributions because I don’t feel like I’ve sort of scratched the surface with World Cups.
“Obviously being injured and not being able to do what you are good at, what you love, is awful. Watching others take your wickets or score your runs is another horrible thing.
“But you have to ask yourself what are the choices? Do you sit around and feel sorry for yourself or do you just have to crack on and get yourself back to full fitness?”
England’s circuitous route around India sees them playing in eight different cities across nine group games – with Ahmedabad and Dharamashala already in the rearview and Delhi up next for Sunday’s game against Afghanistan.
The constant cycle of internal flights and coach transfers means rotation has been discussed, especially among the fast bowling department, but Topley has already missed enough games for a lifetime and has no desire to sit out.
He described his omission in favour of spinner Moeen Ali against New Zealand as a “take your medicine” situation, but is willing to be a workhorse if required as the competition unfolds.
“There’s a lot of chat about the schedule. To be honest, it’s one game every five days, it seems,” he said.
“I mean, county cricketers do much worse. If we play for Surrey, we’d be more tired. It’s not really an excuse for us. Sevens games is 70 overs maximum.
“In our changing room, we’ve all played county cricket, which can be quite a torrid time. You have to play a lot more regularly than this seven weeks, so I think everyone in our team can handle it pretty well.”
Ervine, standing in as skipper for Sean Williams, played a captain's innings at Shere Bangla National Stadium with a 227-ball 107 before falling to Hasan late on day one in the 100th international meeting between the teams.
Prince Masvaure (64), who also fell to Hasan, rode his luck at times but made a valuable knock in a century stand with Ervine as Zimbabwe closed on 228-6.
Hasan was chief protagonist with the ball, bowling 40 per cent of his team's overs and also accounting for Brendan Taylor (10) and Sikandar Raza (18) in a superb showing.
Ervine was a steady hand for Zimbabwe on what appeared a difficult pitch for batting and the tourists were only one down for 80 runs at lunch with Kevin Kasuza (2) lasting just eight overs.
Bangladesh were frustrated by Ervine and Masvaure, who added 111 runs for the second wicket, before the latter drove one straight back to Hasan for a sharp catch down to his left.
Taylor played on with a poor shot before lunch and Raza and Timycen Maruma (7) also departed as Bangladesh made more inroads.
Ervine whipped one away off the pads for two to celebrate his century but Bangladesh had their man in the penultimate over of the day when Hasan got one to straighten up, hitting the skipper's back leg before rattling the stumps.
Cricket has not been played at the Olympic Games since 1900, where Britain and France were the only two teams that participated. There have, however, been numerous discussions geared towards reviving the sport at the Games in recent years, with T20 cricket identified as the best format. Narine, however, believes that T10 could also be a consideration.
“The T10 format is more exciting than the T20 format. In T20s, the batters take a few overs before starting their attacking skills, however, in T10 the batters probably look for only one or two balls,” Narine told the Daily Times.
“There’s always a possibility to attract new fans through a shorter format of cricket and more exciting cricket. It will be an exciting thing if cricket is included in the Olympics as well and hopefully, maybe T10 could be a part of the Olympics,” he added.
The 10 over-format of the sport was introduced in the United Arab Emirates in 2017, it is, however, yet to be widely adopted.
Narine will be among a number of West Indies players taking part in this season’s edition. The spinner will represent the Deccan Gladiators, alongside West Indies T20 captain Kieron Pollard.
The regional team arrived in Bangladesh on January 10 and was required to quarantine for 7 days based on the country’s COVID-19 protocols. Since clearing that hurdle, however, the Test team has been free to train and will not start the series until February 1.
The Asian team is known for being particularly difficult to beat on their home turf and easily dispatched the West Indies 2-0 on their last visit in 2018. One of those advantages is said to be the team’s pitches.
“It has helped (extra time) you have to adapt to these conditions. These conditions are difficult to play in, so the more time we get to understand the conditions is the better it is for us,” Cornwall said.
“It spins a bit more here. It is always going to be drier than the Caribbean. So, we just have to adapt to it and play to the best of our ability,” he added.
The inexperienced West Indies team will be hoping for a better showing than in the recently concluded One Day International (ODI) series where the team was summarily swept aside 3-0. The ODI batting line-up found the top class Bangladesh spinners on the surfaces a difficult task to cope with.
The 29-year-old scored his first century against England in 2015, a plucky 112 unbeaten in a draw in Antigua. Following that impressive achievement, however, Blackwood seemed unable to cross the double-digit threshold. In fact, before finally breaking the streak with 104 against New Zealand, in December, Blackwood had managed to score 10 half-centuries in-between but always fell short of a triple-digit score.
Included in that number were some figures frustratingly well clear of the 50 mark, but falling just short of the 100 mark, when for all intents and purposed the batsman seemed well set to do so. The tally includes three scores in the 90s. He scored 92 against Sri Lanka, in Galle, in 2015; 95 against Pakistan, in Abu Dhabi, in 2016, and 95 against England, in Southampton, in July of last year. Prior to that, Blackwood also registered 85 against England, in Bridgetown, in May 2015. During India’s tour of the West Indies, Blackwood took the opportunity to seek the advice of run-machine Kohli when the two briefly interacted off the pitch.
“I just asked him how come all the time I score so many half-centuries and just one century, and he just replied, ‘What did you do when you scored the century? How many deliveries did you face?’ I said I faced 212, and he said that’s it, once you can bat some balls you will score runs,” Blackwood recalled.
“I took a lot from that and I’ve always told myself, after that conversation, once I can bat over 200 balls or 300, I’m going to score runs. Once I’m there, the way I bat, I’m going to score runs regardless of who I’m playing against or where I’m playing.”
The tourists currently find themselves 320-6 off 82 overs after winning the toss and batting first.
Chanderpaul led the way with 83 off 160 balls, hitting nine fours and a six in the process. The 26-year-old also made 83 in the first game.
Da Silva, the Captain, was much more proactive for his 82. His knock came off 94 balls and included 12 fours and a pair of sixes.
Alick Athanaze also chipped in with a well-compiled 59 off 66 balls including seven fours and two sixes while Reifer ended the day 56* off 90 balls including six fours and a six. Kevin Sinclair (22*) is currently partnering Reifer in the middle.
Nasum Ahmed has, so far, taken 3-92 off 26 overs for the hosts while Musfik Hasan has taken 2-50 in 13 overs.
West Indies “A” lead the series 1-0.
With the matches—scheduled for November 22-26 in Antigua and November 30 to December 4 in Kingston—marking the final home series in the current World Test Championship cycle, Coley is determined to see the Caribbean side end the year on a high note after recent setbacks.
The West Indies are coming off a disappointing tour of South Africa, where they failed to capitalize on key moments and eventually lost that two-match series 1-0 after the first game ended in a draw. Reflecting on those matches, Coley stressed the importance of learning from the past and seizing the opportunity to close out this series on a strong note.
“Coming off the disappointment of the South Africa series, we put ourselves in a position to close out that series, and we didn’t. So the opportunity is there for us to do so against Bangladesh now, and it is very important for us to come up with a winning result on home soil,” Coley said in a pre-series interview.
“We’ve always had exciting and challenging series against Bangladesh, and this series offers a chance to create momentum as we head into tougher assignments in Australia and Pakistan,” he added.
Coley and his team, which includes players from the regional 50-over tournament and recent white-ball series, are currently in Antigua fine-tuning preparations ahead of Friday’s first day.
Despite initial weather disruptions, Coley pointed out that the team has had productive sessions, with all players fit and ready for action.
While West Indies boast a strong home record against Bangladesh, Coley is keen to keep his squad grounded. He recognizes the challenges posed by Bangladesh and the added intrigue of familiar faces on the opposition side, including Bangladesh Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, a figure Coley knows well.
“Each match brings a different opportunity. We have players who’ve been successful against Bangladesh, both home and away, but we also have some new players who wouldn’t have played in any of those series. So it’s an opportunity for senior players and emerging players to show what they are capable of and what we are capable of as a team,” Coley noted.
The series against Bangladesh serves as a vital stepping stone beyond the larger context of the World Test Championship, as West Indies sit at the foot of the standings in ninth on 20 points.
Still, with four matches left in the cycle, Coley is focused on building a cohesive unit capable of competing at the highest level.
“This series is about putting everything together from the last year and a half and ending the year in good form,” he declared.
That said, the Jamaican highlighted the importance of fan support, especially during the festive season. Cricket remains a unifying force in the Caribbean, and Coley hopes that fans will rally behind the team.
“I know that the West Indian fans really want us to do well and have been supportive in their own way because cricket means a lot to the region and the fans are very passionate about the game. Despite the nature of our squad, emerging and experienced players, everyone in the squad wants to do well, so I want to encourage the fans to come out and support us and give us that extra boost of encouragement at home,” Coley ended.
At stumps, the West Indies needed another 285 to overhaul the home team for victory. Although it is the West Indies that holds the record for the highest fourth innings, which was 418 against Australia in 2002, few would bet on the current inexperienced campaigners going anywhere close.
With the team scoring below 250 in seven of its last 12 innings, the team could be forgiven to ensure that it simply did not lose the first test. In order to secure a result, however, Cornwall believes the first hour of the final day will be crucial and looks to the batsmen continuing to stymie the Bangladesh bowling attack.
“Two guys are crease, set. They just have to come out again tomorrow and start over again,” Cornwall said at the end of the day’s play.
“The first hour is going to be crucial and we can just take it from there.”
For his part, Cornwall has had a tidy bowling effort, claiming 3 for 81 in the second innings and 2 for 114 in the first.
Miraz, who took five wickets during the opening Test, again starred with the ball for Bangladesh, crucially dismissing Saim Ayub (58) and Shan Masood (57).
Taskin Ahmed (3-57), who was brought in for the injured Shoriful Islam, got Bangladesh off to a flying start with the wicket of Abdullah Shafique (0) in the very first over.
Ayub and Masood steadied the ship to have the hosts 99-1 at lunch, only for the latter to fall soon after, which resulted in the wickets beginning to tumble.
Babar Azam again struggled with the bat, scoring 31 from 77 deliveries, with Khurram Shahzad (12), Mohammad Ali (two) and Abrar Ahmed (nine) all falling victim to Miraz's impressive bowling display.
Bangladesh openers Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan ended the day at the crease with the visitors 10 without loss as they look to confirm the series triumph on Sunday.
Data Debrief: Miraz the man
Miraz's impressive bowling display proved to be the difference on the second day, putting Bangladesh in a strong position in the series.
It was also the 10th five-wicket haul of his career, three of which have come away from home.
On a day when 16 wickets fell in Mirpur, unbeaten knocks from Kyle Verreynne (18) and Wiaan Mulder (17) had the tourists 140-6 before bad light stopped play six overs short.
Earlier, South Africa ripped through Bangladesh, with Shadman Islam (0), Mominul Haque (four) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (seven) falling inside the first six overs.
Mahmudul Hasan Joy top-scored for Bangladesh with 30 runs, but Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada and Mulder starred for the Proteas, with each taking three wickets.
Handed a meagre target of 106, South Africa were rocked by the loss of Aiden Markram (six) after he was bowled out by Hasan Mahmud (1-31) before Taijul entered the fray.
Taijul took the next five wickets, ending the day with figures of 5-49, bringing up his 200th Test wicket with the dismissal of Ryan Rickelton (27) in the 31st over, but South Africa at least have a lead heading into day two.
Data Debrief: Records tumble
Islam's five-wicket haul saw him become only the second Bangladesh bowler to pick up 200 Test wickets after Shakib Al Hasan, who took 246 during his time with the Tigers.
It was also Islam's 13th five-for in Test cricket, with the milestone coming in 48 matches.
Meanwhile, this Test will go into the history books, with 16 the highest number of wickets to have a fallen on day one of a Test held in Bangladesh.
The 52-year-old completed his two-year contract with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) this month and is set to join Pakistan Super League side Multan Sultans for the start of their campaign on January 27.
BCB’s cricket operations committee chairman, Jalal Yunus, spoke about the situation in an interview with ESPNcricinfo.
“Ottis Gibson didn’t want to renew his contract which we accepted. Local coaches will look after the fast-bowling department temporarily. We hope to replace Gibson with another foreign coach shortly,” Yunus said.
Gibson, who played two tests and 15 ODIs for the West Indies between 1995 and 1999, joined Bangladesh in January 2020, replacing former South African fast-bowler Charl Langeveldt.
Gibson was the head coach of the West Indies Men’s senior team from 2010 to 2014.
Gibson’s best time with the Bangladesh team came earlier this month, in New Zealand, where Bangladesh’s pacers took 13 wickets on the way to a historic victory in the first Test against New Zealand at Mount Manganui.
The 31-year-old batsman struggled to make an impact in the opener, dismissed for 11 in the first innings before being one of three batsmen dislodged in a brutal spell from Khaled Ahmed, this time without scoring.
Reifer cobbled together a strong season for the eventual champions Barbados Pride scoring 345 runs at an average of 49.28 in five matches. Typically, however, the batsman was deployed to the middle order.
“Where he is batting is not where he batted throughout the season, which was at number 5, number six and you could understand that,” Joseph told the Mason and Guest radio show.
“To be honest when I just saw his name, I thought he might have been there to replace Kemar Roach who had some injury issues…it was really surprising to me that they had him as the number three batter,” he added.
“It was a bit of a shock…the selection of batting Reifer there was kind of baffling and it’s still baffling now because we are looking to see what the next move is, if they will carry on with him.”
After winning the toss and electing to field first, Fortune Barishal thought they held the Victorians to a manageable target when they restricted them to 158-7 off their 20 overs.
Bangladesh test opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy was the main scorer for the Victorians with 48, while Afghanistan all-rounder Karim Janat supported well with 29.
Bravo was the pick of the Barishal bowlers with 3-30 off his four overs, while captain Shakib Al Hasan took 2-25 off his four.
Barishal’s reply never truly got out of first gear with only three batsmen reaching double figures on their way to being bowled out for just 95 in 17.3 overs, losing by 63 runs.
Najmul Hosain Shanto (36), Towhid Hridoy (19), and Nurul Hasan (17) were the only batsmen to pass 10.
Gayle, who batted at number five, could only manage seven before he was dismissed by man-of-the-match, Nahidul Islam.
Islam was the pick of the bowlers for Comilla with a miserly 3-5 off four overs, while Tanvir Islam, Janat, and Shohidul Islam all took two wickets each.
Comilla Victorians now have two wins from two games to sit at the top of the table while Fortune Barishal sits third with one win and two losses.
Barishal posted 143-8 off their 20 overs after Comilla captain Imrul Kayes called right at the toss and put them in to bat.
Barishal can attribute their total to opener Munim Shariar who top-scored with a 30-ball 44 that included two fours and four sixes.
Gayle played another uncharacteristically reserved innings to be the second highest scorer for Barishal with 22 off 19 balls with four fours while Bravo added some crucial late runs with 17 off 21 balls with only one six.
Shohidul Islam was the pick of the Comilla bowlers with 3-25 off three overs while Moeen Ali supported well with 4-23 from his four.
A 62-run opening partnership between Liton Das and Mahmudul Hasan Joy had the Victorians thinking they had one foot in the final before it all went downhill.
The partnership ended in the 11th over when Joy was dismissed for 20 before Imrul Kayes was also walking back just one over later for just five.
That 12th over, bowled by Shafiqul Islam, proved to be the most important of the innings as he also dismissed Das for 38 to leave the Victorians 68-3 and in a spot of bother.
None of the other batsmen seemed to find any rhythm at the crease with Faf Du Plessis (21), Moeen Ali (22), and Sunil Narine (17) the only remaining batsmen to reach double figures.
The Victorians were eventually restricted to 133-7 off their 20 overs thanks to Shafiqul’s crucial 2-16 off four overs.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2-33 from four overs) and Mehedi Hasan Rana (2-15 from three overs) bowled well in support while Dwayne Bravo also had 1-26 from his four overs.
Fortune Barishal will now advance to the final which will be played on Friday while Comilla will have another opportunity to get there when they play the Chattogram Challengers in the second qualifier on Wednesday.
Ravichandran Ashwin then claimed three wickets to stem the visitors' chase, leaving them 357 runs adrift at 158-4.
India resumed at 81-3 at the start of day three, and Gill and Pant led their charge on the way to setting a target of 515.
Gill notched up an impressive unbeaten 119, while Pant scored 109 from 128 balls before the hosts declared at 287-4.
The visitors made a steady start, but Jasprit Bumrah's claiming of Zakir Hasan (33) for the opening wicket stalled their momentum.
Ashwin then took centre stage as he dismissed Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim before bad light brought play to a premature conclusion.
Data Debrief: India close in on personal best
Pant marked his Test cricket comeback in fitting fashion, hitting 13 fours and four sixes on the way to his sixth Test century. Meanwhile, Gill notched up his fifth Test ton during their 167-run unbroken fourth wicket.
India have now hit 85 sixes in 2024, leaving them just five short of breaking the record for most sixes by a team in a calendar year.
Greaves resumed alongside Joshua Da Silva with West Indies 250-5 after day one in Antigua, eventually slamming 115 runs off 206 balls faced as the hosts established a dominant position.
His steady knock ensured the Windies recovered nicely after slipping to 261-7 early on, while Kemar Roach hit a career-best 47 through four defiant hours at the crease.
Hasan Mahmud took three day-two wickets for Bangladesh, including that of Roach, as his short delivery angled in to clip the top of middle stump.
Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite declared to put Bangladesh at the crease late on, and there was no respite for the tourists against the hosts' four-man pace attack.
Zakir Hasan fell to Jayden Seales for 15, while Mahmudul Hasan Joy edged Alzarri Joseph for five shortly after being dropped, leaving Bangladesh 40-2 at stumps.
Data Debrief: Career-best for Greaves
Greaves' unbeaten 115 marked his first century in Test cricket, surpassing his previous best knock – a score of 33 versus Australia in January – by some distance.
His strike rate of 55.83 on Saturday, while steady, also bettered his effort of 55.00 during that match in Brisbane. Thanks to his efforts, Bangladesh have a real mountain to climb on day three.
The hosts then restricted Bangladesh to 40-2 at the close of day two, leaving the visitors with a steep challenge ahead as they look to recover from a poor start.
Mominul Haque, not out on 7, and Shahadat Hossain, unbeaten on 10, will resume on Sunday with Bangladesh at 40-2, still trailing by 410 runs.
Greaves, who enjoyed sublime form in the Super50 Cup with three consecutive centuries, continued that rich vein of form with an unbeaten 115 that anchored West Indies’ innings and ensured a daunting total on the board.
The 30-year-old’s knock, which lasted just over six hours, had only four boundaries and was crucial in reviving the innings after a mid-session slump.
Scores: West Indies 450-9 dec; Bangladesh 40-2
West Indies resumed the day at 250-5 with Greaves on 11, and Joshua da Silva, 14, looking to consolidate their position. However, early breakthroughs from Bangladesh’s Hasan Mahmud threatened to derail the West Indies’ momentum.
Mahmud struck in the first session, removing da Silva without addition to his overnight score, and Alzarri Joseph (four), who also fell cheaply to leave West Indies at a precarious 261-7.
At that point, the Bangladesh bowlers seemed poised to bowl the Caribbean side down for a score under 300, but Greaves and veteran pacer Kemar Roach had other ideas.
The two Barbadians countered the pressure with patience, building a partnership of 140 runs for the eighth wicket that pushed West Indies past the 400-run mark.
Roach, who had previously struggled with the bat in Tests, made 47—his highest Test score in his 15-year career. He batted for over four hours, frustrating the Bangladesh bowlers with steady defence and timely strokes.
Together, Roach and Greaves weathered the storm, forcing Bangladesh to toil longer and harder than expected. Greaves, in particular, looked in complete control, while Roach’s composed knock provided vital support.
West Indies then made quick inroads in Bangladesh’s reply and reduced the visitors to 2-21, with both openers back in the pavilion cheaply. Alzarri Joseph was the first to strike, removing Mahmudul Hasan Joy for just five runs before Jayden Seales cleaned up Zakir Hasan for 15.
With Bangladesh struggling at 2-21, it seemed as though West Indies were on the brink of another quick domination as they sought to dismiss the Bangladesh top-order cheaply. However, Mominul Haque and Shahadat Hossain managed to negotiate the remainder of the day without further loss.
South Africa ended day one on 233-4 with Temba Bavuma on 53.
Bavuma added 40 to his overnight score, falling seven runs shy of a century, but Harmer led South Africa's lower-order resistance with an unbeaten 38.
After the hosts were bowled out for 367, Harmer - returning after over six years away from the longest format - did significant damage with the ball, claiming all four wickets, including the scalp of captain Mominul Haque for a duck as the tourists reached stumps on 98-4.
Khaled Ahmed got Bangladesh into the lower order by removing Kyle Verreynne and Wiaan Mulder with successive deliveries, only for the tourists to then be frustrated by a partnership of 53 between Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj (19).
That stand was broken when Bavuma was undone by some sharp turn from Mehidy Hasan, who struck leg stump before Ebadot Hossain snuck the next delivery through the gap to dislodge Maharaj.
Harmer counter-attacked in style, hitting four fours and a six, and then continued to torment Bangladesh with ball in hand.
Shadman Islam went for nine as Harmer got one to keep low and clatter into middle stump and then exploited the turn to bowl Najmul Hossain Shanto for 38 with a ball that beat the outside edge.
Keegan Petersen's one-handed diving catch gave Harmer his third and the crucial wicket of Mominul and he then had Mushifqur Rahim caught behind for seven. Mahmudul Hasan Joy represents Bangladesh's best hope of a fightback, having reached stumps unbeaten on 44.
Harmer makes belated Test impact
Making his first Test appearance since 2015, Harmer, who curtailed his international career to sign a Kolpak deal with Essex in 2017, produced an high-quality demonstration of his quality. Thirty-eight represented a highest score with the bat in this his sixth Test, while he is on course to easily surpass his previous best innings figures of 4-61.
Harmer had claimed 4-42 at the close of play, bowling seven maidens in his 20 overs.
More misery for Mominul
Mominul's exit, though the product of a superb piece of fielding, meant he went for a duck in a second successive Test, having done so in the first innings against New Zealand in Christchurch in January.
The Bangladesh skipper has now produced a single-figure score in six of his nine innings in the longest format.
The tourists resumed on the penultimate day staring down the barrel of a crushing defeat in the one-off Test and they were put out of their misery in the afternoon session.
Hasan (5-82) claimed his second five-wicket haul in only his fifth Test and recorded outstanding match figures of 9-152 as Zimbabwe were dismissed for only 189 in their second innings on Tuesday.
Taijul Islam also had Craig Ervine's side in a spin, taking 4-78 in what was the Tigers' first victory in the longest format for 450 days, when they also beat Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe were on the ropes when they resumed on 9-2 and lost Kevin Kasuza in the sixth over of the day, the opening edging Islam to Mohammad Mithun at second slip.
Brendan Taylor soon followed and captain Craig Ervine, a centurion in the first innings, was superbly run out for 43 by his opposite number Mominul Haque before lunch.
Sikandar Raza (37) was going along nicely when he slapped a long hop from Islam to Mushfiqur Rahim, who made a magnificent unbeaten double-century in Bangladesh's 560-6 declared, and Regis Chakabva was the next to go.
The brilliant Hasan had another five-wicket haul after accounting for Ainsley Ndlovu and Timycen Maruma in quick succession and Islam ended a one-sided match by trapping Charlton Tshuma lbw.
The Leeward Islands and West Indies leg-spinner, who is asymptomatic, first returned a negative test result on arrival into Bangladesh on the weekend, and then had a positive return on his test in Dhaka yesterday. This result was verified by a second positive test today.
The West Indies touring squad has been in individual isolation since arriving in Bangladesh and so there has been no contact between squad members since arrival. In accordance with the established medical protocols, Walsh remained isolated from the West Indies squad and is now under the care and supervision of the Team Physician, Dr Praimanand Singh.
Walsh will remain in isolation until he returns two negative PCR test results and therefore is unavailable to play in the upcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh.
All other members of the West Indies touring squad returned second negative COVID-19 tests, after undergoing four tests within the last 11 days.
The three-match ODI Series starts on Wednesday, January 20.
Full Tour Schedule:
- January 18: One-day warm-up match, BKSP, Savar
- January 20 1st ODI, SBNCS, Dhaka
- January 22: 2nd ODI, SBNCS, Dhaka
- January 25: 3rd ODI, ZACS, Chattogram
- January 28-31: Four-day warm-up, M.A. Aziz Stadium, Chattogram
- February 3-7: 1st Test Match, ZACS, Chattogram
- February 11-15: 2nd Test Match, SBNCS, Dhaka
