Bangladesh

The hosts were well on their way to victory at the start of play on day four, with three Ashwin wickets helping them drop the tourists to 158-4 on Saturday, chasing a daunting target of 515.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto kept India waiting for their fifth wicket on Sunday, his resistance defining a wicketless first hour of play.

However, after drinks, Chennai local Ashwin and Chennai Super Kings star Ravindra Jadeja combined to brilliant effect to rip through the visitors. 

Ashwin made the breakthrough by having Shakib Al Hasan caught for 25 from just his fourth delivery of the day, then Jadeja's full ball was helped straight to Rohit Sharma at first slip by Litton Das (1).

Ashwin brought up his five-for soon afterwards by dismissing Mehidy Hasan Miraz (8), then Shanto's courageous knock of 82 was finally brought to an end by Jadeja, the Bangladesh skipper's top edge being well held by Jasprit Bumrah.

Jadeja finished 58-3 by bowling Hasan Mahmud (7) for the final wicket, but not before Ashwin had brought up his sixth dismissal, having Taskin Ahmed caught for five runs.

India will now look to clinch the two-match series when the second Test gets underway in Kanpur on Friday.

Data Debrief: Ashwin closing on Botham 

Ashwin's first-innings knock of 113 helped India build a commanding lead before Bangladesh took up the bat for the second time on Friday, and he was equally brilliant with the ball.

Having dismissed three before stumps on Friday, he did likewise in an enjoyable second session on Saturday, bringing up his 37th five-for in red-ball cricket.

It is the fourth time he has hit a hundred and scalped five wickets in a single Test, and he has also done so in successive Tests in Chennai. Only England great Ian Botham (five times) has ever achieved both feats in the same Test more often.

The 27-year-old Vincentian native was appointed second in command of the One Day International (ODI) squad, with Jason Mohammed named as captain, after several regular players pulled out of the tour.

With regulars like captain Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, Darren Bravo, and Nicholas Pooran missing, Ambris, who has so far played 13 ODIs, will rank among the senior members of the squad.  In fact, eight players will be first-time call-ups for the format.

“It is obvious that we have a very inexperienced team travelling to Bangladesh, but having said that, I think it is a talented bunch of guys,” Ambris told Searchlight.

 “Once we stay positive and do what we know we can do, we should be okay … Once we play some good cricket, we can win the series,” he added.  Ambris, who made his debut in 2017, has scored 448 runs at an average of 44.7. He has two fifties and one hundred to his name.

So far, the general consensus is that the regional team has, at times, been fairly impressive in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka.  They battled to a 2-1 win in the T20 series, but then swept the visitors aside in a confident display during the One Day International series.

Lloyd believes some of that confidence stems from the performance of the Kraigg Brathwaite unit, which was understrength and underestimated heading to last month’s tour of Bangladesh but battled to a surprise 2-0 Test series win.

“I believe it is because of the way our players played in Bangladesh, that it trickled down.  They put their head down and batted intelligently and won,” Lloyd told the Mason and Guest radio program.

“It galvanized those other guys to do the same.  We had 274, 270-odd and we looked good.  We batted well. (Things were tighter) in the T20s but we won out because we are getting that professional attitude back and that I think it is because of the guys winning in Bangladesh.”

The team will look to take the momentum into the two-match Test series, which will get underway on Sunday.

After setting a new first-innings run-rate record on day four, having lost two days to rain, India followed it up with another strong performance on Tuesday.

Bangladesh started the day on 26-2, but with India's bowlers in fine form, they struggled to really get going, even with Shadman Islam bringing up a half-century.

Ravindra Jadeja (3-34) and Jasprit Bumrah (3-17) stunted any momentum as Bangladesh suffered a collapse of 7 for 55 and were bowled out for 146.

That left India with a target of 95, which they cruised to in just over an hour, despite losing three wickets in the chase.

Jaiswal set them on their way with a 45-ball 51, but it was Rishabh Pant (4) who hit the winning runs to get India over the line. 

Data Debrief: Clean sweep

While day five did not quite hit the record-breaking heights of day four for India, it was still a success as they earned an 18th consecutive Test series win at home. 

The 312 balls India batted for in this Test is just the second-fewest they have faced to win a Test match, behind the 281 against South Africa in Cape Town earlier this year.

Ravichandran Ashwin, who finished the series with 114 runs and 11 wickets and was named Player of the Series, has now received the award 11 times in men's Tests, the joint-most by anyone in the format alongside Muttiah Muralitharan.

Ashwin has won more Player of the Series awards than Player of the Match awards (10) in Tests.

Seales has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee after being found to have breached article 2.20 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which relates to “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game.”

In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to Seales’ disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period.

The incident occurred in the first over of Bangladesh’s second batting innings when Seales made an inappropriate and overly aggressive gesture towards the opposition’s dressing room after taking a wicket.

Sinclair has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee after he was found to have breached Article 2.4 of the Code of Conduct, which relates to "disobeying an Umpire’s instruction during an International Match.”

In addition to his fine, one demerit point has been added to Sinclair’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period.

The incident took place when Sinclair ignored the instructions of the on-field umpires to stop using language deemed aggressive and harsh towards the Bangladesh batters.

Seales and Sinclair admitted their respective offences and accepted the sanctions proposed by Jeff Crowe of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, and, as such, there was no need for a formal hearing.

On-field umpires Asif Yaqoob and Kumar Dharmasena, third umpire Nitin Menon, and fourth umpire Zahid Bassarath levelled the charges.

Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.

NB: When a player reaches four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points, and a player is banned.

In addition to that, two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whatever comes first for the player.

Finally, demerit points to remain on a player or player support personnel’s disciplinary record for a period of twenty-four (24) months from their imposition, following which they will be expunged.

The day began with Bangladesh at 69 for 2, but a spectacular collapse triggered by Shamar Joseph and capped by Seales’ precision left the visitors reeling. Shamar's fiery spell tore through the middle order, claiming 3 for 49 in a 34-ball blitz that reduced Bangladesh to 98 for 6.

Shamar first broke a patient 73-run stand between Shadman Islam (64) and Shahadat Hossain (22), clean-bowling Shahadat. He then removed Jaker Ali with a well-directed short ball, inducing a top edge that was safely caught by Joshua Da Silva behind the stumps. Shamar followed that by finding the edge of Shadman’s bat, giving Da Silva his fourth catch of the innings.

Brathwaite is unbeaten on 33 at stumps

Seales struck immediately after, dismissing Litton Das (1) at first slip to keep the pressure on. However, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (36) and Taijul Islam (10) briefly resisted with a stubborn partnership of 41, frustrating the West Indies bowlers with their defiance over 116 balls.

After the stand was broken by Alzarri Joseph, Seales cleaned up the tail clinically. He removed Taskin Ahmed, whose attempted pull lobbed to Alick Athanaze at second slip via a deflection off Da Silva. Mehidy then top-edged a hook to fine leg, and Seales wrapped up the innings by uprooting Nahid Rana's leg stump.

The West Indies’ reply began cautiously, with the Bangladeshi seamers maintaining tight lines. Mikyle Louis fell early to Nahid Rana for 12, but Brathwaite and Keacy Carty (21)* steadied the innings. Taijul Islam bowled seven maidens in his ten overs, extracting turn and bounce from the surface, but the West Indies openers remained resolute until bad light forced early stumps for the second day in a row.

Seales’ brilliant display has given the West Indies the upper hand as they aim to build a significant first-innings lead on day three. With Brathwaite and Carty well-set, the hosts will look to press home their advantage and secure a commanding position in the match.

Charles, a two-time T20 World Cup champion, brings a wealth of experience and firepower to the squad. His return adds depth to a team looking to end the year on a high note. Joining him in the lineup is Keacy Carty, who has earned his first T20 International call-up following an impressive Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season. Carty’s inclusion strengthens the middle-order options for the West Indies.

Rovman Powell will captain the squad, with Brandon King serving as vice-captain. Head Coach Daren Sammy expressed confidence in the team’s readiness, emphasizing the importance of depth and experience for this competitive series. “The squad was carefully selected with the players available to us, and I believe this is our most settled squad with the experience needed to win championships,” Sammy said.

Sammy also highlighted the significance of the series for fans in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. “We all would love to give the Caribbean people a good pre-Christmas gift by winning the series to close off the year, especially for the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines who didn’t get to see the West Indies team during the World Cup,” he added.

Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford will miss the series due to commitments in the Big Bash League, while Akeal Hosein will be unavailable for the final match for similar reasons. Jayden Seales will replace Hosein after the first two games of the series.

The series will serve as a stepping stone towards the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, with the squad’s composition reflecting a focus on continuity and long-term preparation.

West Indies CG United T20I Squad

Rovman Powell (Captain)

Brandon King (Vice-Captain)

Keacy Carty

Johnson Charles

Roston Chase

Justin Greaves

Terrance Hinds

Akeal Hosein

Alzarri Joseph

Evin Lewis

Obed McCoy

Gudakesh Motie

Nicholas Pooran

Romario Shepherd

Shamar Springer

Jayden Seales replaces Akeal Hosein after the first two games of the series.

West Indies vs Bangladesh CG United T20I Home Series Schedule

1st T20I: December 15, 2024, Arnos Vale Stadium, St. Vincent

2nd T20I: December 17, 2024, Arnos Vale Stadium, St. Vincent

3rd T20I: December 19, 2024, Arnos Vale Stadium, St. Vincent

The squad and management are eager to close out 2024 on a high note, with fans looking forward to an exciting and competitive series against Bangladesh.

Beaumont blitzed the first century in the women’s edition of the Hundred on Monday, smashing 118 off 61 balls for Welsh Fire, but she was only included in England’s ODI squad for the upcoming series with Sri Lanka on Friday.

England left Beaumont out of the T20 squad for the series with Sri Lanka, which begins on August 31, despite resting opener Sophia Dunkley.

Sophie Ecclestone will also sit out both series, while Danni Wyatt is only part of the T20 group and Nat Sciver-Brunt will only be involved in the ODIs but Lewis has preferred to give Maia Bouchier an opportunity in Dunkley’s absence.

He explained: “Obviously Tammy is playing fantastically well and I am really pleased with how she is playing.

“We had to make a choice around who would open the batting with Danni Wyatt.

“Maia Bouchier has been our travelling reserve for that whole time, so my view on that was Maia deserves that opportunity.

“I suppose on Tammy, and I said this to her, we have a year now until we pick a World Cup XV and I want her to keep doing what she is doing.

“The door is definitely not shut on her to play T20 cricket for England.

“I know she is desperate to play and how hard she is working, but I just want to try to develop the rest of the team to give us as many options as we can to put pressure on everyone who would be normally selected in the XI.

“I think Tammy is OK with the decision; I don’t think she is particularly happy but she understands if she continues to push her case, then she may well get the opportunity down the line but Sophia and Danni have done a fantastic job for us.

“I know what Tammy will do against Sri Lanka and I don’t know what Maia will do, so I am really interested to see how she goes because we’ve been carrying her around the world.”

England’s decision to manage the workload of Dunkley, Wyatt, Sciver-Brunt and Ecclestone has resulted in maiden call-ups for Mahika Gaur and Bess Heath.

Fast bowler Gaur has committed her international future to England after being selected in both white-ball squads.

The 17-year-old has represented United Arab Emirates in 19 IT20s but is set to make her debut for England after a fine summer where she helped North West Thunder make the Charlotte Edwards Cup Finals Day.

Heath hit 41 for England A against Australia A earlier this summer and is selected in both groups following a consistent run of form.

“I wouldn’t call it experimental. I would say it is exciting, young and fresh,” Lewis insisted.

“We have a year now until the World Cup and I am trying to work out which players we need to take to Bangladesh and it will be interesting to see how these young players do.

“Obviously Mahika is an exciting young talent. Six foot tall, left-arm swing bowler, that is very, very rare in the women’s game and unique.

“We have looked at all our options with the new ball around the country and we like what she offers.

“Will she play all the games? Probably not but we’d like to see what she can do and she is very much one for the future.

“Getting her playing cricket for England sooner rather than later is something we want to do to show her we like what she does and can help her develop.”

The HPCA Stadium is one of the most visually stunning grounds in the world, set against the Himalayan mountain range of Dhauladhar, but the field of play is causing serious concerns due to its loose, sandy make-up and uneven grass coverage.

Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman came close to a nasty injury on Saturday when his knee lodged in the surface as he slid to stop a boundary, with debris spraying up from the soil as he landed.

The International Cricket Council have stressed that the outfield was rated ‘average’ by the officials at that game, while match referee Javagal Srinath has declared himself satisfied after a fresh inspection.

But England have had two training days at the venue and are unimpressed by conditions, which appear to fall short of international norms.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Buttler said: “I think it’s poor, in my own opinion. It’s not as good as it could be or should be.

“Certainly if you feel like you’re having to hold yourself back, it’s not a place you want to be as a team, or as a player, or in a World Cup match.”

He subsequently took his misgivings even further, telling the BBC: “The powers that be are comfortable… the only thing I would question is, if you are telling players not to dive and stuff does that question the integrity of the game?

“Worse case scenario is something bad happens, but fingers crossed that doesn’t happen for both teams.”

Buttler appeared particularly frustrated at the idea of asking his side to hold back – particularly as they look to provide a rousing response to their hefty nine-wicket defeat against New Zealand in the tournament opener.

“Any time you’re talking about being careful diving, or maybe being careful when you’re fielding, it goes against everything you want to be as a team,” Buttler said.

“You want to dive through a row houses to save a run. so it’s obviously not ideal, the way the surface is.

“I think it’s definitely one where you’re going to have to be a little bit careful, which isn’t what you want to be doing when you’re playing for your country.

“You want to put your body on the line and be trying to save every single run and have confidence in the field.

“We won’t be using it as an excuse, we’ll just have to be a bit smart.”

The 24-year-old racked up an impressive 82 from 108 balls, as part of staunch mid-lower order resistance, en route to the Windies posting a satisfactory first innings score of 409.  In the end, Joseph’s aggressive innings was ended when he was caught by Liton Das as he attempted to pull away Abu Jayed.

His total proved a handy one for the team, who will count any runs from the bowler as a huge bonus.  For Joseph, however, a player who prides himself on his batting, it was the second time he was coming close to making his first Test century.

Against New Zealand, in December, Joseph put together a commendable 86, which remains his highest score to date.

“It’s disappointing not to get 100 but I’ve been working hard on my batting, so there will be other opportunities to get that total,” he added.

“When I came to the crease it was just to spend some time and support Josh (Joshua Da Silva) at the crease."

Together Joseph and Da Silva put together an important 7^th wicket partnership.

With 13 Test match appearances and 29 One Day International (ODI) games under his belt, the 29-year-old fast bowler has done most of his damage with the ball.  Joseph has taken 32 Test wickets and 48 ODI wickets, on occasion, however, he has shown plenty of ability with the bat.

In the recent series against New Zealand, the bowler’s 85 in the first Test was one of the batting highlights in an overall poor showing at the crease for the West Indies.  Despite showing flashes of ability, the player is yet to display any type of strong consistency with the bat, but he admits he is working towards it.

“Personally, I’m aiming to be an all-rounder, but, as of now, I’m just taking everything step by step,” Joseph told members of the media from Bangladesh on Thursday.

“I’m looking to first do my main attribute, which is to contribute with the ball, and then when it comes to batting, I will give my best, whatever performance I can put in with the bat I will put it in,” he added.

The 24-year-old, right-arm fast-medium bowler will replace Romario Shepherd who has been withdrawn after he tested positive for the Covid-19 virus, according to sports broadcaster Andrew Mason.

Harding has played 17 First-Class matches during which he has taken 54 wickets at an average of 25.11. His best bowling performance came against Trinidad and Tobago in February 2020 when he took 10 wickets in the match with a best of 5 for 19 in TT’s second innings.

The loss of Shepherd, though, will be a major blow to the West Indies, who were already without a number of stars including Captain Jason Holder, Shimron Hetmyer, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Kieron Pollard, Shai Hope, Sheldon Cottrell and Nicholas Pooran for the tour set to take place between late January and February this year.

Shepherd scored a century and a 50 during the recent West Indies ‘A’ tour of New Zealand and was one of the shining lights in an otherwise disastrous tour. He also took two wickets in the unofficial two-Test series.

The hosts began Tuesday’s game looking to secure consecutive ODI series wins for the first time since all the way back in 2007 when they defeated England 2-1 in England, won a Quadrangular series against Ireland, Netherlands and Scotland in Ireland then beat Zimbabwe 3-1 in Zimbabwe.

Captain Shai Hope won the toss and chose to field first, hoping to see an improved showing from his bowlers.

Three overs and one ball into the innings, Jayden Seales provided the breakthrough, removing Soumya Sarkar for two with the score on 26.

The wickets of Litton Das (4), captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz (1) and Tanzid Hasan (46) followed not long after, leaving the tourists struggling at 64-4 with one ball to go in the eleventh over.

Afif Hossain and Mahmudullah then tried to restore order, putting on 36 before Hossain went off the bowling of Gudakesh Motie for 24 in the 19^th over.

Motie then removed Jaker Ali for three at the end of the 21^st over before Marquino Mindley removed Rishad Hossain for a duck, his first wicket in ODIs, halfway through over number 26 to leave Bangladesh reeling at 115-7, staring down the barrel of a score below 200.

Mahmudullah and Tanzim Hasan Sakib had other ideas, however, frustrating the West Indian bowlers on the way to a 92-run eighth-wicket stand.

Their stand ended when Sakib fell caught and bowled by Roston Chase for 45 in the 44^th over.

Mahmudullah was next to fall for a top score of 62 off 92 balls, his second fifty of the series.

His wicket left Bangladesh 209-9 in the 45^th over. Some enterprising lower-order hitting from Shoriful Islam and Nahid Rana helped Bangladesh reach 227 in the 46^th over before being bowled out, Romario Shepherd removing Islam for 15 off eight balls.

Jayden Seales finished with a career best 4-22 from his nine overs while Gudakesh Motie took 2-36 from his full 10.

The hosts then made simple work of the chase, needing only 36.5 overs to reach 230-3 and secure the series win.

Brandon King led the way with 82 off 76 balls, his seventh ODI fifty, including eight fours and three sixes.

He shared in a 109-run opening stand with Evin Lewis who hit two fours and four sixes on his way to a 62-ball 49.

King also had a 69-run second wicket partnership with Keacy Carty who made a well-compiled 45 off 47 balls including seven fours.

Captain Shai Hope and first ODI centurion Sherfane Rutherford were the not out batsmen at the crease in the end on 17 and 24, respectively, with Rutherford fittingly bringing up victory with a pair of sixes off Shoriful Islam.

The teams now turn their attention to the third ODI on Thursday at the same venue.

Full Scores:

Bangladesh 227 from 45.5 overs (Mahmudullah 62, Tanzid Hasan 46, Jayden Seales 4-22, Gudakesh Motie 2-36)

West Indies 230-3 from 36.5 overs (Brandon King 82, Evin Lewis 49, Keacy Carty 45).

Bangladesh had already secured series victory by winning the first two ODIs, but Kishan's 210 off 131 deliveries helped India to save some face ahead of the teams' Test series later in December.

Kishan reached his double century off just 126 balls, beating Chris Gayle's previous record of a double ton off 138 balls against Zimbabwe during the 2015 World Cup.

Kishan and Virat Kohli combined for a huge second-wicket partnership of 290 as India set Bangladesh 410 to win, a target they fell well short of as they were bowled out for 182, mustering 28 runs fewer than Kishan did on his own.

Kishan was understandably delighted after the match, saying in the post-match presentations: "It was a perfect wicket and situation to bat on.

"I was just looking to watch the ball properly, and go with the flow. At this level, whenever you get the chance, you need to make the most out of it. I was just picking the ball and the bowlers, and things were going my way!"

India captain Rohit Sharma missed the third ODI after injuring his thumb during the second match, as KL Rahul stepped in to skipper the team.

Rahul praised Kishan's attacking mentality, and acknowledged the significance of the consolation victory as the teams look ahead to the Test series starting on December 14.

"It was brilliant to see how Virat and Ishan batted," Rahul declared. "The way Kishan started, he was looking aggressive from ball one.

"He got an opportunity and grabbed it with both hands. Getting a double hundred in ODIs isn't done often.

"There are a few injury concerns, but that gives opportunity to guys. We'll try and carry this confidence and momentum into the Tests."

Bangladesh captain Litton Das commended the innings of Kishan and Kohli, adding: "Ishan and Virat batted really well. Hats off to Ishan.

"We tried our best, but we didn't find any solution. If the score would have been 330, 340, it would have been a different ball game.

"They are a good side, and we played good cricket for two games."

Bangladesh had already secured series victory by winning the first two ODIs, but India demolished them in the third meeting to restore some pride ahead of the teams' Test series later this month.

Kishan was the star man for India with his record innings, taking just 126 balls to hit 200 runs as he ultimately finished with 210 off 131 deliveries, smashing 10 sixes in an astonishing knock.

He formed a huge second-wicket partnership of 290 with Virat Kohli, who made his first ODI century since 2019 as he ended with an impressive 113 off 91 balls.

Washington Sundar (37) and Axar Patel (20) also made cameos as India finished on a massive total of 409-8.

Bangladesh's chase of their monster 410 target got off to a steady start, but the dismissals of openers Anamul Haque and Litton Das soon killed any momentum and the innings quickly derailed.

Mushfiqur Rahim and Yasir Ali both fell to leave Bangladesh 107-4, before the wickets started tumbling more rapidly as they lost five more batters to sit at nine down in the 30th over, with Shardul Thakur taking 3-30.

When Mustafizur Rahman (13) was bowled by Umran Malik, it meant India had ended the series with a thumping win.

Kishan's historic double century 

Kishan, replacing the injured captain Rohit Sharma, came into the match with a career-high ODI score of 93.

But he has now become just the ninth man to hit an ODI double ton, and in emphatic fashion too as he beat Chris Gayle's previous men's record of a double century off 138 balls against Zimbabwe in 2015.

At 24-years-old, he is also the youngest man to hit 200 in an ODI as his 24 fours in addition to the 10 maximums to help India set Bangladesh an insurmountable target.

Kishan finished with 28 more runs individually than India's opponents could muster in their disappointing chase.

Kohli an important sidekick to Kishan

The second-wicket partnership of Kohli and Kishan was the seventh-highest in men's ODI history and played an important part, considering Sundar was India's third-highest run scorer with just 37.

It was Kohli's 44th ton in the format and 72nd across all internationals, moving him above Ricky Ponting into second overall. Only compatriot Sachin Tendulkar has more with 100.

The tourists put on 111 for the last three wickets to post 404 all out in Chattogram and Bangladesh were in trouble on 133-8 at stumps in reply after losing six wickets in the final session on Thursday, trailing by 271 runs.

India were 293-7 when Shreyas Iyer was bowled by Ebadot Hossain for 86, but Ravichandran Ashwin made 58 and Kuldeep 40 to get them up to an imposing total.

Taijul Islam (4-133) and Mehidy Hasan (4-112) took four wickets apiece For the Tigers, with Iyer dropped three times and getting another life on day one when an Ebadot delivery struck his off stump, but the bails stayed on.

Siraj had Najmul Hossain Shanto caught behind with the first ball of Bangladesh's innings and Umesh Yadav got in on the act by bowling Yasir Ali, reducing Bangladesh to 5-2.

The wickets continued to tumble as Kuldeep and Siraj tore through the Tigers, with Zakir Hasan, Litton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim getting starts but falling to go on.

Kuldeep took 4-33 and Siraj was superb with the new ball, claiming 3-14 as India took command. Mehidy and Ebadot prevented further damage being done by combining for an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 31.

Kuldeep delivers late birthday presents

Tweaker Kuldeep celebrated his 28th birthday on Wednesday and celebrated a day later by making an impact with bat and ball.

Playing his first Test since February 2021, he struck four boundaries in a 114-ball knock, proving excellent support for Ashwin in an eighth-wicket stand of 92.

Kuldeep was also on the money with ball in hand, captain Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur among his victims.

Siraj the spearhead

The Bangladesh batters had no answer to seamer Siraj, who set the tone by striking with his first delivery.

He also had Zakir Hasan caught behind by Rishabh Pant and got one to nip in and clean up Das.

The fast bowler took eight wickets as the tourists sealed the first Test in Chittagong in style and was expected to keep his place for the second and final game in Mirpur.

But Kuldeep was excluded to make way for an additional pace option in Jaydev Unadkat, who played his first red-ball match for India in over a decade in his place.

The call from coach Rahul Dravid caught many by surprise, but Umesh was unmoved in his post-stumps assessment, simply indicating his omission was nothing out of the ordinary.

"It's part of your journey," he said. "It happened to me. Sometimes you are out of the team because of performance.

"Sometimes it's a management call. You have to go with the team's requirements. It's good for him."

Unadkat, playing in his second Test match a dozen years after he debuted as a teenager at Centurion against South Africa, repaid the faith with two wickets, including that of first-Test centurion Zakir Hasan.

Umesh was delighted to see him earn a second chance, adding: "When he made his debut, I was with him in South Africa. I'm very happy that he finally got his chance.

"When he came in to bowl with the new ball, [it] was doing a bit. We know [he] can swing it both ways, so he just had to keep bowling in the right areas."

India will resume on day two in Mirpur trailing by 208 runs.

Langer's Australia enjoyed a flawless summer Down Under after completing a 3-0 series sweep of trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand on Monday, having previously dispatched Pakistan 2-0.

Australia's batsmen and bowlers flexed their muscles in local conditions and Langer flagged few changes for the team's next Test assignment – away to Bangladesh in June.

"In the spirit of that continuity, it'd be hard to break up that squad," Langer told reporters on Tuesday, a day after Australia wrapped up a thumping 279-run win over New Zealand in the third and final Test at the SCG.

"We might add an all-rounder and another spinner because we're going to get spinning conditions."

Australia's last trip to Bangladesh resulted in a remarkable series draw against the Tigers in 2017.

Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, James Pattinson and Josh Hazlewood – who missed the final two Tests against the Black Caps due to injury – are set to be at the forefront for Australia.

Whether all four quicks will face Bangladesh in June is yet to be decided but Langer said: "I remember when Australia won after many, many years in India – in 2004 – it was on the back of some very, very disciplined fast bowling.

"Adam Gilchrist was the captain, we had very clear plans and we talked about that during the Ashes series. We had very clear plans on that [tour]. So it could happen, it'd be so hard to leave out one of those three or four [fast] bowlers.

"We'll look at that when it comes to Bangladesh, but there's a good combination at the moment. It also helps with Marnus [Labuschagne] bowling leg-spin and also helps with Travis Head being able to bowl a few overs [of off-spin] as well."

In the meantime, Australia's attention will turn to the white ball for a three-game ODI series away to India, starting January 14.

Andrew McDonald will lead Australia in India as coach Langer takes a break.

"I said to him this morning, 'we're not reinventing the wheel'. He's got a really good opportunity," Langer said. "I'm so confident in our coaching staff now with the cricket side of things. A lot of the time now I think about the cricket 30 per cent of the time, the rest of the time all the other stuff that goes with it: the bigger picture, the cultural stuff.

"He's an excellent coach, we've got other excellent coaches to back him up. I said to him I won't ring him, I'll let him go. He said 'I might ring you', that's the difference. He'll do a really good job."

The reigning champions had a stuttering start to their title defence, thrashed by nine wickets after a timid performance in the curtain-raiser against New Zealand, and will be eyeing a much-improved performance against Bangladesh on Tuesday.

The game takes place at the picturesque HPCA Stadium, framed against the backdrop of the Dhauladhar mountain range and sitting 1,500 metres above sea level.

The altitude provides a boost for big-hitting batters, with the ball travelling further in the thinner air, and Livingstone had a chance to test the theory in the IPL earlier this year. He smashed 94 in just 48 balls for Punjab Kings, launching nine sixes along the way.

And, after labouring to an under-par 282 against the Black Caps in their opener, there could not be a better venue for England to rediscover their power-hitting mojo.

“It’s an incredible ground and an incredible place to bat if it’s anything like it was that day,” said Livingstone.

“Conditions here should suit us and the boys are really excited. We want to get over what happened the other day and almost go twice as hard. We want to put on a really good show and get things kickstarted in this tournament.

“Because of the altitude the ball just flies really well here. You can feel it, it makes you more confident to take on the boundaries.

“They aren’t that big anyway and the altitude just makes it better with the power we’ve got in our line-up. It certainly helps as a batter, standing there knowing you can take the fielders on.

“It’s the kind of place you can really set up the back end of the innings and score highly. Personally, I’ve got good memories here and hopefully I can repeat it.”

Despite the remote nature of Dharamshala, an area better known for its proximity to the Dalai Lama’s residence just 10km away in McLeod Ganj, Livingstone is not the only squad member to have played here.

Sam Curran and Jos Buttler have also passed through on IPL duty, while Buttler, Joe Root and Chris Woakes all played in England’s first ever international at the venue in 2013.

England beat India on that occasion, taking seven wickets with fast bowlers, and they are likely to be tempted by an extra seamer this time.

Left-armer Reece Topley was unlucky to miss out against New Zealand and heads the queue to come in, while Gus Atkinson and David Willey also stand by with Moeen Ali’s spot vulnerable.

“It’s a good pitch, with good pace and carry and it can nip around,” Livingstone said.

“It’s probably as English a pitch as there is out here and will probably suit us more than many grounds around the country. Hopefully that can play in our favour.”

The one change England would most like to make, bringing Ben Stokes back in to bolster their middle order, is unlikely to happen as he continues to struggle with a hip problem.

Without him the onus will fall on others to fashion a fitting response to their loss in Ahmedabad and Livingstone insists they are ready to oblige.

He was part of the team that lost to Ireland in the group stages of last year’s T20 World Cup and went on to lift the trophy and is unfazed a single setback.

“There’s no point looking back and regretting. We could have lost by one run or the way we did, either way, we move on,” he said.

“One game doesn’t define a tournament and if you’re going to lose a game like that you’d probably rather it was the first one.

“You can lose games and win a World Cup, we’ve shown that before. The one thing this group does well when we’ve lost a game of cricket is double down on our aggressive approach and we’ve got a chance to do that on Tuesday.”

Das' unbeaten 126 was the pinnacle of a ruthless batting performance from the hosts, whose top seven all scored 19 or above.

Opening with Tamim Iqbal (24), Das smashed 13 fours and two sixes off 105 balls as he recorded his second career ODI century before retiring from his innings, apparently having succumbed to the heat and humidity.

A half-century from Mohammad Mithun put paid to any hopes of a Bangladesh collapse, though, as Zimbabwe were set a target of 322.

Mohammad Saifuddin (2-33) found the stumps of Tinashe Kamunhukamwe with the fourth ball of the second over, and when Zimbabwe stumbled to 79-5, victory appeared unlikely.

Debutant Wesley Madhevere (35) made the chase somewhat respectable, but Tinotenda Mutombodzi edged Mashrafe Mortaza (2-35) to Saifuddin to hand Bangladesh victory by 169 runs, eclipsing their previous biggest winning margin in the format of 163, set against Sri Lanka in January 2018.

Mortaza also became only the fifth bowler to take 100 ODI wickets as a captain, a feat previously achieved by Wasim Akram, Shaun Pollock, Imran Khan and Jason Holder.