Hridoy’s Heroics Not Enough as Bangladesh and West Indies Draw in Sylhet

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Bangladesh survived, West Indies celebrated, and the weather had the final say. The second Test in Sylhet ended in a draw on November 9, handing the Windies a 1-0 series win. Towhid Hridoy produced a huge performance, but it was not enough to level the series.

Sylhet Test Ends in a Draw as West Indies Seal the Series

West Indies had already won the first Test in Mirpur by eight wickets. That meant Bangladesh needed a win in Sylhet to square the series, and they never quite got there.

The draw avoided another defeat for the hosts. It also left both teams where they were in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 standings, though their points percentages shifted.

Jangoo and Hasan Mahmud Set the Tone

West Indies chose to bat first and posted 356. Amir Jangoo kept his strong form going with a brilliant 133.

Bangladesh fast bowler Hasan Mahmud was the pick of the attack with 6 wickets for 90 runs. His spell kept the hosts in the contest.

Towhid Hridoy Takes Over

Bangladesh replied with 386 and a first-innings lead. The innings belonged to Towhid Hridoy, who finished unbeaten on 242.

It was a marathon knock that dragged the hosts past the visitors’ total. Few expected the story to end without a Bangladesh win after that.

Hodge and Wickham Fight Back

West Indies responded strongly in the second innings. Kavem Hodge hit a career-best 142, and Kevin Wickham added 78.

They reached 398/6 before declaring. That left Bangladesh a target of 369 to win.

Final-Day Chase Halted by Bad Light

The chase began badly, with Bangladesh reduced to 40/2 in the 12th over. Pressure was on early.

Hridoy stepped up again with 82 off 140 balls. Bangladesh reached 184/4 before bad light stopped play, and the match was drawn.

Innings	Team	Score	Key Performer
1st	West Indies	356	Amir Jangoo 133
1st	Bangladesh	386	Towhid Hridoy 242*
2nd	West Indies	398/6 dec	Kavem Hodge 142
2nd	Bangladesh	184/4	Towhid Hridoy 82

Across both innings, Hridoy scored 324 runs in the match, a historic effort that ended up on the losing side of the series.

Updated WTC Points Table After Bangladesh vs West Indies

Neither side moved in the standings. Bangladesh remain fifth and West Indies stay eighth, but the numbers behind those positions changed.

Pos	Team	Matches	Won	Lost	Draw	Points	PCT
1	New Zealand	6	4	1	1	52	72.22
2	South Africa	7	5	2	0	60	71.43
3	Australia	13	9	4	0	108	69.23
4	India	11	5	4	2	68	51.52
5	Bangladesh	8	3	3	2	44	45.83
6	England	16	7	8	1	74	38.54
7	Sri Lanka	6	1	2	3	24	33.33
8	West Indies	14	3	8	3	46	27.38
9	Pakistan	9	2	7	0	5	4.63

Bangladesh Slip in Percentage, West Indies Edge Up

Before Sylhet, Bangladesh had 40 points from seven matches and a percentage of 47.62. The draw added four points, taking them to 44 from eight Tests, but their percentage dropped to 45.83.

West Indies improved from 26.92 to 27.38 and stay eighth. Pakistan remain at the bottom on 4.63.

Top Two Race Wide Open

New Zealand lead on 72.22, followed by South Africa on 71.43 and Australia on 69.23. Australia dropped out of the top two after losing their recent series 1-2 to South Africa.

Gaps at the top are small, so a couple of results could reshuffle the order quickly.

India vs New Zealand Could Shake Things Up

Pakistan face Sri Lanka in a two-match series starting November 9. The bigger focus is India against New Zealand, which begins at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on November 19.

India sit fourth with 68 points from 11 Tests, with five wins, four defeats and two draws. They have seven matches left in this cycle: two in New Zealand and five at home against Australia.

For Bangladesh, the lesson from Sylhet is clear. Hridoy gave them a platform, but they need more support around him if they want to climb the table.

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