Zakir Hasan, 24, has been rewarded for his exceptional performance in the longer form of cricket. He will join the Bangladesh Test squad for the first time in the Tigers' first match against India starting on December 14 in Chattogram. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the 17-member squad on Thursday evening. Tamim Iqbal will not be a part of the squad due to a groin injury that sidelined him prior to the ODI series. In his absence, Liton Das will lead the Tigers. Last week, Zakir put on a remarkable display by scoring 173 runs that saved an unofficial Test for the Bangladesh A team against India A in Cox's Bazar. Read more: Career, Performance of Miraz: An Emerging Star of Bangladeshi Cricket The left-handed batter had an outstanding performance in the last edition of the National Cricket League. He scored 442 runs at an average of over 56, a remarkable feat in Bangladesh's biggest first-class cricket event. Zakir could be an asset for Bangladesh in the longer format of cricket. He scored over 4,000 runs from 68 first-class matches at an average of 41.52, with 13 centuries and 14 fifties. His List-A record is also impressive, with two centuries and 16 half-centuries from just 94 matches and an average of 28.86. However, the 24-year-old has not been as successful in the T20s as in other formats, scoring 708 runs from 62 matches at an average of 17.70. While Zakir got his maiden call-up, Mushfiqur Rahim, Taskin Ahmed and Yasir Ali made a return to the Test team. Mushfiqur missed the last series as he performed hajj; Taskin and Yasir were injured. Read more: More confident as a batter now, says Mehidy after heroics against India Before the Test series, Bangladesh and India will play the last match of the ODI series on December 10. Bangladesh already won the series with wins in the first in the second match in Dhaka, riding on the heroics of Mehidy Hasna Miraz. Bangladesh Test squad Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque, Yasir Ali, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Liton Das, Nurul Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Zakir Hasan, Rejaur Rahman Raja, and Anamul Haque

Shahadat Hossain and Jaker Ali both scored fifties, averting a batting collapse for Bangladesh A against India A in the second unofficial Test in Sylhet. India won the toss and asked Bangladesh to bat first. The hosts had lost five wickets inside 100 runs, with Zakir Hasan the only one of the top-five batters to score more than 20 runs. Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, and Mohammad Mithun all only managed 4, 12, and 15 runs respectively. Read more: Tigers eye to seal the series vs India In a vital sixth-wicket partnership, Shahadat and Jaker combined for 139 runs to help the team avert an embarrassing collapse and post a competitive total. Bangladesh A ended on 252 for all wickets, with Shahadat scoring the highest of 80, and Jaker making 62. For India A, Mukesh Kumar scalped six while Umesh Yadav and Jayant Yadav took two wickets each. Read more: Bangladesh vs India: Taskin uncertain for 2nd ODI In reply, India A scored 11 without losing any wickets at the end of day one.