Bangladesh will take on India in their first Test in Indore where they are not going to get the service of the star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal. Captain Mominul Haque said on Wednesday the absence of Shakib will be like missing two players, in their two-Test series in India. While Shakib has been banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC), Tamim Iqbal took a break due to family reasons.

“We are missing three players in two players. Shakib bhai (brother) is two players in one, and then you have Tamim bhai,” Mominul Haque told reporters on the eve of the first Test in Indore starting Thursday. “It is challenging, but I also see it as a chance to do well for the rest of the players.”

Mominul Haque, however, will lead the Test team in the absence of Shakib.

“I will probably be playing like I have always played as a batsman,” said the left-hander. “The positive side of captaincy is that your cricket gyan (knowledge) becomes better. It is a huge opportunity for me as one of the junior players. Not everyone becomes Test captain, so I want to take this opportunity to do something more for the country.”

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“Playing a full series against India is a great opportunity for everyone in the team,” said Mominul. “Everyone wants to start well here, and on top of it we are playing the Test championship. Makes it a bigger opportunity for the players.”

The second match of the series will be the first-ever day-night affair with the pink ball between India and Bangladesh at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.

Mominul added, “neither side has played pink-ball cricket”, and that would spur them on to do well in the series.