Bangladesh hit rock bottom in WTC standings after Antigua defeat
Bangladesh's cricket team has hit a new low, plummeting to the bottom of the 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) points table. This comes after their humiliating 201-run defeat against West Indies in the first of a two-Test series on Tuesday, November 26. The match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua marked another low for Bangladesh after a string of one-sided defeats.
Bangladesh's recent performance in Test cricket
Earlier this year, Bangladesh gave promising signs of improvement in Test cricket by defeating Pakistan 2-0 in a series in Pakistan. However, their performance has since declined with back-to-back defeats to India (0-2) and South Africa (0-2). The recent defeat in Antigua further underscores their struggle to keep up with the international stage.
West Indies's strong start in Antigua Test
In the first innings of the Antigua Test, West Indies posted a mammoth 450/9 declared, thanks to Justin Greaves's solid century. Bangladesh could only post 269/9 declared in reply, leaving them with a huge deficit. Despite a not-so-impressive second innings where they were bowled out for 152, West Indies held a huge lead over their opponents.
Taskin Ahmed's career-best figures and Bangladesh's struggle
Taskin Ahmed returned with his career-best figures of 6/64, breaking the back of West Indies's batting order. However, his efforts weren't enough to turn the tide in Bangladesh's favor. Chasing a daunting target of 334 runs for victory, Bangladesh had an uphill battle from the word go with both openers falling cheaply and their batting line-up crumbling under pressure.
West Indies seal victory against Bangladesh
By the end of day four, Bangladesh were hanging by a thread at 109/7, still requiring an improbable 225 runs to win. West Indies bowlers Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales shared six wickets between them, playing a major role in Bangladesh's collapse. On the final day, West Indies quickly took the remaining three wickets to clinch a comprehensive victory and push Bangladesh further down in the WTC standings.
Bangladesh at last spot
The Tigers now hold the last place with their PCT dropping to 25. They have just three wins across 11 Tests, having lost eight. On the other hand, WI now hold the penultimate place. Their PCT has rose to 26.67. This includes two wins, as many draws, and six defeats. Pakistan, who recently beat England 2-1 at home, are currently at the seventh place as their PCT reads 33.33. England (40.79) hold the sixth place.
India are at top
The recent victory in Perth marked India's ninth win in this cycle, taking them back to the top of the WTC standings. The Indian side also has five losses in this cycle (1 draw). Their PCT has now gone up to 61.11, overtaking Australia's PCT which dropped from 62.5 to 57.69. The Aussies now have eight wins and four defeats (1 draw). Sri Lanka (55.56) and New Zealand (54.54%) hold the third and fourth place, respectively.
