Bangladesh vs West Indies, BAN vs WI, 1st Test, Live Score

Former Sri Lanka cricketer Russel Arnold said the pitch had a good covering of grass and looked hard, suggesting that batters and fast bowlers could both find opportunities.

"Out here, and it is strange for late October. Generally, the temperatures tend to cool down. Now, we've seen a very different-looking outlook here in Bangladesh when it comes to the pitches. They've made an effort to grow a lot of grass, trying to bring different skills into the game. And that has resulted in more pace and bounce on wickets here in Dhaka. We've seen that increase over the couple of years that we've seen Test cricket being played. The faster bowlers are coming into the game as the game goes on. There's a little bit of spin, and everyone's being challenged."

Assessing the surface for the match, Arnold said the pitch could change as the game progressed, with cracks and wear potentially bringing uneven bounce and turn into play.

"Now, looking at the pitch that we're playing on today, it is Bangladesh's Test pitch. This is the pitch that they always use for Test cricket. And if we look at it closely, good covering of grass, nice and hard. So that tells me it's going to play similarly, with pace and bounce early, a few cracks here and there which will start to widen later on, wear and tear so that unevenness will come into the game. And since it's warm, maybe turn later on. So this is going to be a really good pitch, and it'll test everyone."

Arnold backed the decision to bat first, saying the conditions could allow batters to score freely early in the match.

"If you win the toss, I would say bat first. Get the runs on the board, where there won't be too much sideways deviation, and with the ball coming on, you can hit through the line and score those runs. That's the trend we've seen in the last couple of years. And now Bangladesh, they have a new confidence in handling those conditions and also adjusting to the pitch changing as the days go on."

He also expected West Indies to provide a strong challenge.

"Well, West Indies, they're a confident team as well, and good fast bowlers. So I'll tell you what, we are in for a very good Test match here in good Test conditions."