Bangladesh and West Indies drew the second Test in Sylhet on November 9, leaving the West Indies with a 1-0 series win after their eight-wicket victory in Mirpur. The draw kept both sides in their existing WTC 2025-27 positions, but it changed their points percentages and left the race for the top two spots open.
Match Summary: How the Sylhet Test Unfolded
West Indies chose to bat first and scored 356 in their first innings. Amir Jangoo made 133, while Hasan Mahmud returned figures of 6 for 90 for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh replied with 386 and took a first-innings lead of 30 runs. The home side's innings was built around an unbeaten 242 from Towhid Hridoy.
| Innings | Team | Score | Key Contributors |
|---|
| 1st | West Indies | 356 | Amir Jangoo 133 |
| 1st | Bangladesh | 386 | Towhid Hridoy 242* |
| 2nd | West Indies | 398/6 dec | Kavem Hodge 142, Kevin Wickham 78 |
| 2nd | Bangladesh | 184/4 | Towhid Hridoy 82 |
Hasan Mahmud's Six-Wicket Haul
Hasan Mahmud's 6 for 90 limited West Indies to 356 after they had chosen to bat. It was the most effective bowling return of the match by wickets taken.
His output meant Bangladesh needed only a modest total to move ahead. Hridoy's innings then turned that opportunity into a lead.
Second Innings: West Indies Set 369
West Indies recovered strongly in their second innings. Kavem Hodge made a career-best 142, and Kevin Wickham added 78.
The visitors declared at 398/6, setting Bangladesh a target of 369. That target was the 30-run first-innings deficit plus 339 further runs, a demanding chase on a pitch that was still holding up.
Bangladesh's Chase and the Final Day
Bangladesh were reduced to 40/2 in the 12th over. Hridoy then scored 82 off 140 balls, a strike rate of roughly 58.6, to stabilise the innings.
Bangladesh reached 184/4 before bad light interrupted play on the final day. The match finished as a draw, with 185 runs still needed.
Across both innings, Hridoy scored 324 runs for the match. That accounted for a large share of Bangladesh's output, as the table below shows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|
| Hridoy first-innings score | 242* |
| Hridoy second-innings score | 82 (140 balls) |
| Hridoy match aggregate | 324 |
| Bangladesh first-innings lead | 30 runs |
| Target set by West Indies | 369 |
| Bangladesh final score | 184/4 |
Updated WTC 2025-27 Points Table
The draw did not change the positions of Bangladesh or West Indies. Bangladesh remain fifth and West Indies remain eighth.
New Zealand lead with a points percentage (PCT) of 72.22, followed by South Africa at 71.43 and Australia at 69.23. Australia slipped out of the top two after losing their recent series 1-2 to South Africa.
| Pos | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Draw | PCT |
|---|
| 1 | New Zealand | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 72.22 |
| 2 | South Africa | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 71.43 |
| 3 | Australia | 13 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 69.23 |
| 4 | India | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 51.52 |
| 5 | Bangladesh | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 45.83 |
| 6 | England | 16 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 38.54 |
| 7 | Sri Lanka | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 33.33 |
| 8 | West Indies | 14 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 27.38 |
| 9 | Pakistan | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 4.63 |
PCT Movement for Bangladesh and West Indies
Bangladesh had 40 points from seven matches before the Test, with a PCT of 47.62. They earned four points for the draw, taking them to 44 points from eight matches. Their PCT fell to 45.83 because the draw yielded fewer points than their existing average.
West Indies moved in the opposite direction. Their PCT improved from 26.92 to 27.38, although they stay eighth. The report notes a two-point deduction for a slow over-rate in their record.
| Team | PCT Before | PCT After | Change |
|---|
| Bangladesh | 47.62 | 45.83 | -1.79 |
| West Indies | 26.92 | 27.38 | +0.46 |
What Comes Next in the WTC Race
The top-two race could shift again before the end of the year. Pakistan face Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series starting November 9.
Attention will also turn to India and New Zealand, who play a two-Test series starting November 19 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. India have 68 points from 11 Tests, with five wins, four defeats and two draws.
India have seven matches remaining in this cycle: two Tests in New Zealand and five home Tests against Australia. With only 1.7 PCT points separating New Zealand and South Africa, results in that series could change the top-two order.