Saif Hassan ruled out of pink-ball India Test through hand injury

The 21-year-old had sat out the first Test between the sides, which India won convincingly at Indore by an innings and 130 runs

Bangladesh batsman Saif Hassan, who was likely to make his Test debut in the second game of the series against India, has been ruled out after splitting the webbing on his finger.

The 21-year-old had sat out the first Test between the sides, which India won convincingly by an innings and 130 runs.

Hassan, therefore, was set to make his international bow in the historic pink-ball Test at Kolkata – the first of its kind in India.

Imrul Kayes and Shadman Islam had opened the batting during the first Test at Indore, but made just 24 runs between them – both made six in each of their two innings.

However, after Hassan split his finger webbing while performing 12^th man fielding duties at Indore, it seems likely that Kayes and Islam will continue at the top of the order, with the injury not having healed sufficiently.

“Medical Team is of the opinion that he will benefit from being rested to full recovery,” a Bangladesh Cricket Board statement explained. “Taking the state of injury into consideration, Saif has been ruled out of the second Test.”

Hassan came into this series with a fine record at domestic level; he recorded the highest score of his first-class career last month, making an unbeaten 220 for Dhaka Division against Rangpur Division in a high-scoring draw.

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