Mortaza likely to sit out second Test

Bangladesh need only to draw to fulfill a long-held dream of their first Test series victory after they took a 1-0 lead with a 95-run victory in the opening Test at St Vincent.

But celebrations have been tempered following a knee injury to their new captain Mashrafe Mortaza which appears likely to sideline him for the match.

Mortaza fell clumsily on his right knee when bowling during the first Test, and spent the last two and a half days off the field.

He underwent a medical scan on Tuesday, and though the results of the test are not as bad as initially feared, the visitors do not want to risk long-term injury to their main fast bowler.

The Tigers have flown out Nazmul Hossain as back-up for Mortaza, but the way things unfolded in the first Test, the captain may not be missed.

Winning the series will be very important to Bangladesh, after they arrived in the Caribbean as rank outsiders.

The home team will again field a weakened line-up for the Test. The batting has been boosted with the addition of Ryan Hinds, one of the leading batsmen in last season’s first-class competition. Kraigg Brathwaite and Andre Creary, two under-19 players who had been included in the squad for the first Test, have been released.