Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, with regular captain Najmul Hossain Shanto returning to lead the side after recovering from a fever.

The match is being played at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Explaining his decision to bat first, Shanto said the pitch looked quite dry and suggested that batting could become more difficult in the second innings.

The heat in Abu Dhabi could also pose a challenge for both teams. According to ESPNcricinfo, the temperature was around 33 degrees Celsius at the time, with the mercury expected to rise to as high as 40 degrees in the afternoon. The conditions could test not only the players but also the on-field umpires.

Although the one-off Test is not part of the World Test Championship, it remains an important assignment for Bangladesh ahead of their upcoming series against West Indies and South Africa.

Bangladesh XI
Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Kumar Das (wicketkeeper), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Taijul Islam and Ebadot Hossain.

Afghanistan XI
Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah (captain), Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ikram Alikhil (wicketkeeper), Zia-ur-Rehman, Shahidullah Kamal, Yamin Ahmadzai, Qais Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi and Ismat Alam.