Dhaka: Bangladesh scripted history on Wednesday, May 20, completing their first-ever Test series whitewash against Pakistan on home soil and in doing so, jumped above India to fifth place in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle.
The Tigers beat Pakistan by 78 runs in the second Test in Sylhet, having won the first Test in Mirpur by 104 runs. It was Bangladesh’s fourth successive Test win over Pakistan. They had defeated Pakistan in a Test on Pakistani soil last year their first win in that format against them in 23 years before completing a 2-0 sweep, and have now repeated the feat at home.
The 2-0 result moved Bangladesh to fifth in the WTC standings with a PCT of 58.33, from two wins, one loss, and one draw in four matches. India dropped one place to sixth, with a PCT of 48.15 from four wins, four losses, and one draw in nine matches.
Pakistan’s away series loss leaves them eighth with a PCT of just 8.33 one win from four matches. Only the West Indies sit below them in ninth, with seven losses and a draw from eight matches and a PCT of 4.17.
Australia lead the table with a PCT of 87.50, followed by New Zealand at 77.78. Defending champions South Africa are third at 75.00, and Sri Lanka fourth at 66.67.
Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood left his future in the hands of the selectors but outlined what he believed was needed to revive Pakistan’s Test cricket. “My intentions are clean. I took on this job to improve our Test cricket. There are things that need to be discussed with the board, and the decision is always the board’s. But my intentions have always been on how to improve this side because you should always take on challenges and accept opportunities,” he said. He added: “There’s many things that we need to build on. You won’t build from wholesale changes; you will build from identifying what we do well, what we do badly. How can we reduce those mistakes because, as I’ve said before, in Tests, mistakes over five days are very costly.”
Pakistan will next host Australia for a six-match white-ball series beginning May 30, before travelling to England for a three-match Test series, with the first Test at Lord’s in August. India’s Test side will next be in action against Afghanistan in a one-off non-WTC match beginning June 6 in New Chandigarh.
-
-
-
-
