WTC points table: India rise to fourth, West Indies close in on Sri Lanka

Dhaka: India gained a crucial place in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table after the West Indies defeated Bangladesh in the first Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium near Dhaka on Saturday.

The Windies chased down a modest target of 170 on Day 4 of the Test, with Brandon King scoring an unbeaten 81 and No. 4 batter Kavem Hodge remaining not out on 31. They helped the visitors reach the target in just 35.1 overs, with eight wickets in hand.

Following the result, Bangladesh slipped to fifth in the WTC standings, while India moved up from fifth to fourth. The West Indies remain eighth but have moved closer to seventh-placed Sri Lanka.

Before the match, Bangladesh were fourth with a points percentage (PCT) of 55.56, having won three of their six matches and drawn one. India were fifth with a PCT of 51.52, having registered five wins and two draws in 11 matches in the current WTC cycle. The West Indies were eighth with a PCT of 20.83.

However, the West Indies’ victory changed the standings. Bangladesh’s PCT dropped to 47.62, pushing them below India. The West Indies now have a PCT of 26.92, moving closer to Sri Lanka’s 33.33.

Following the win, West Indies captain Roston Chase said the team wanted to finish the WTC cycle in fifth or sixth place.

“Yeah, well, we came here with a goal to win these two Test matches to go up in the rankings. We want to finish at least sixth or fifth in the table. And to do that, we need to win these two matches,” Chase said after the win.

In the match, left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican and Roston Chase dominated with the ball in both innings. Bangladesh batted first and scored 272, with opener Shadman Islam making 105. Warrican picked up a five-wicket haul to put the Bangladesh batters under pressure.

In reply, the West Indies scored 245, with half-centuries from John Campbell and Tagenarine Chanderpaul, while Justin Greaves (46) and Chase (43) made valuable contributions. Off-spinner Nayeem Hasan picked up four wickets for 33 runs.

Bangladesh were bowled out for 142 in the second innings, with Chase claiming five wickets for 36 runs and Warrican taking four for 63 before the visitors chased down the target comfortably.