RAWALPINDI:  Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl in the first Test at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Friday.

Pakistan opted for the same team that won the second Test against Sri Lanka in Karachi in December last year, playing with three fast bowlers and a lone spinner in Yasir Shah.

Bangladesh handed a Test debut to 21-year-old opener Saif Hassan and also included three pacers as well as a spinner in Taijul Islam

Bangladesh was originally scheduled to play three Twenty20 Internationals and two Test matches, but agreed to split the tour into three phases because it did not want to stay in Pakistan for a longer duration due to security concerns.

After this Test, the side will return to Pakistan in April for a one-off One-Day International (April 3) and the second and final Test (April 5-9) at the National Stadium in Karachi.

Pakistan won the T20 series 2-0 last month at Lahore, with the third game abandoned because of rain.

Ahead of today's match, Skipper Azhar Ali hoped that Pakistan would strengthen their credentials — both as a team and as hosts.

"Credit to the two cricket boards for making this series possible," Ali said on Thursday. "Would have been good if the series was not split but we are focused as this is a World Test Championship match."
Line ups:

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque (capt), Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah, Liton Das (wk), Taijul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Abu Jayed, Ebadot Hossain

Pakistan: Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali (capt) , Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Yasir Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi.