DHAKA, Sept 12, 2024 (BSS)-The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) today announced the 16-member squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against India, leaving out pacer Shoriful Islam.

Shoriful is yet to recover from the groin injury he sustained after Bangladesh's first Test against Pakistan.

"Shoriful is yet to recover from his groin injury sufficiently and so we didn't take any risk with him," the BCB selection panel chairman Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu said here today.

The selection panel, however, replaced Shoriful with the batter Jaker Ali Anik in a bid to bolster their batting strength.

Jaker's performance over the last two years with different aged level team has played a key role in his selection for the first time in Test squad.

Jaker is the only change from the squad which played against Pakistan.

The venues of the two Tests--Chennai and Kanpur--are traditionally spin favourable, something which prompted the selectors to add a batter instead of a pacer in the squad.

Bangladesh have already four spinners in the squad Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam and Nayeem Hasan. Mominul Haque is also efficient as a spinner in a pitch, suitable for spin bowling.

The Tigers will head to the series, oozing with confidence following their historical series sweep against Pakistan just a few days ago.

Bangladesh have never beaten India in Test format as they lost 11 out of 13 matches between the two sides. The rest of the two Tests were drawn, largely due to the inclement weather.

But this time they are upbeat to turn the tide like they did against Pakistan even though India have been invincible at home, not losing any Test series for more than 4000 days.

The last time the Tigers toured India for a full series was in 2019, when they lost the three-match T20I series 2-1 and suffered a 2-0 defeat in the Test series as both of the Tests ended inside three days.

Bangladesh will leave the country for India on September 15 to play two Tests, followed by three T20 Internationals. The tour will start with the first Test, beginning on September 19 in Chennai.

The selectors will name T20 squad later.

Bangladesh squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Liton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Jaker Ali Anik, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed and Syed Khaled Ahmed.