Towhid Hridoy looked slightly surprised, maybe even a touch nervous, when the coin came down in his favour in Chattogram on Wednesday morning. The 23-year-old is captaining Bangladesh for the first time because Litton Das, the regular skipper, has been ruled out of the opening T20I against Australia with a minor calf problem. Hridoy didn’t hesitate – he opted to bat.
Litton’s injury surfaced during the third ODI in Dhaka earlier in the week. After a scan on Tuesday evening, Bangladesh physio Delowar Hossain confirmed the diagnosis. “Following a medical assessment, [Litton] has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain of the left calf muscle,” Hossain said. “The injury is considered minor, and he is progressing well in his recovery. He will be unavailable for the first match. However, depending on his response to treatment and rehabilitation, he may be fit for the subsequent matches. We will continue to monitor his progress closely.”
With Litton watching from the dressing-room balcony, Soumya Sarkar returns to the top order and Parvez Hossain Emon keeps wicket – he is just over the flu that forced him out of the ODI series. Mustafizur Rahman is back after a brief rest, while young quick Abdul Gaffar Saqlain becomes Bangladesh’s 93rd T20I cricketer. Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana sit this one out.
Australia’s XI also has a fresh look. Nikhil Chaudhary – the first India-born male to play for Australia since Rex Sellers in 1964 – is joined by 21-year-old all-rounder Joel Davies for debuts. Spencer Johnson slots in as a third left-arm pacer. Travis Head is at home resting, Cameron Green has been released after the ODI leg, and there’s no Glenn Maxwell or Marcus Stoinis on this tour. Cooper Connolly, buoyed by a maiden ODI hundred on Sunday, keeps his place.
For Chaudhary, born in Chandigarh and raised in Sydney’s western suburbs, the occasion is quietly historic. His leg-spin adds balance to a side led by Mitchell Marsh that already bats deep and boasts Adam Zampa’s experience. Australia last played at this ground in 2017 – a Test they eventually won – so conditions will feel unfamiliar for most of the visitors.
Squads at the toss
Bangladesh: Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Parvez Hossain Emon (wk), Towhid Hridoy (capt), Shamim Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Abdul Gaffar Saqlain, Rishad Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman.
Australia: Mitchell Marsh (capt), Josh Inglis (wk), Cooper Connolly, Matt Renshaw, Tim David, Nikhil Chaudhary, Joel Davies, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson.
First ball is due at 2.00pm local time, a sticky mid-June afternoon that usually encourages spin early and pace under lights. That, at least, is the working theory – the players will soon find out for themselves.
