West Indies begin preparations for Bangladesh Test series

West Indies began their on-ground preparations for the two-Test series against Bangladesh on Tuesday, with head coach Daren Sammy taking a close look at the Mirpur pitch as the visitors familiarised themselves with local conditions.

The Caribbean side trained at the outer ground of the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, working on fitness, fielding and batting after arriving in Dhaka on Sunday.

The session marked the start of the visitors' preparations for a series that will form part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship cycle. Sammy was seen inspecting the central pitch, an early indication of the attention the West Indies management is giving to conditions ahead of the opening Test.

Fielding also featured prominently, with the players taking part in catching drills. The team's preparations will be tested further in a three-day warm-up match scheduled for October 22-24 at Anvir Cricket Stadium in ABG Sports City.

West Indies will be looking to make the most of their time in Bangladesh before the first Test begins at Mirpur on October 28. The second Test is scheduled to start in Sylhet on November 5.

The visitors have made a late change to their squad, with all-rounder Shamar Springer replacing fast bowler Keemo Paul, who withdrew for personal and family reasons.

Captain Roston Chase will lead the side, with Jomel Warrican serving as vice-captain. The squad also includes experienced fast bowlers Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales, along with spinner Joshua Bishop.

Bangladesh will have home conditions in their favour and will seek to build on their recent Test performances as they pursue valuable World Test Championship points. The opening match in Mirpur is expected to provide an early test of both teams' ability to adapt to the conditions.

The visitors' initial training session has now given way to a short preparation window, with the warm-up fixture offering their management a further opportunity to assess players and finalise plans before the first Test.