Bangladesh’s red-ball revival has rattled the World Test Championship standings, with their dominant 2-0 sweep of Pakistan lifting them above India and pushing the two-time finalists down to sixth in the latest table.
Bangladesh sealed the jump after following up their crushing 104-run win in Mirpur with another emphatic victory on Wednesday, continuing a remarkable rise in red-ball cricket. The side now sits on 58.33 percentage points, built on two wins, one defeat and a draw from four Tests.
Also read: Bangladesh beat Pakistan by 78 runs to complete a 2-0 test series sweep
India, meanwhile, slipped behind with 48.15 percentage points despite having more overall points in the cycle. The WTC standings are decided by percentage points rather than total points accumulated.
The slide marks a sharp contrast for a side that reached the finals of the first two editions of the World Test Championship. The Shubman Gill-led Indian team has not played a Test this year, and among Asian teams now ranks only above Pakistan in the current standings.
India’s campaign has been dented by a 0-2 home series defeat against South Africa national cricket team, along with two losses in England where the visitors eventually drew the five-Test series 2-2.
A one-off Test against Afghanistan national cricket team begins on June 6, though it does not count towards the WTC cycle. India’s next WTC assignments will come later this year with two-Test tours of Sri Lanka national cricket team and New Zealand national cricket team before a home showdown against Australia national cricket team in 2027.
Pakistan’s campaign, meanwhile, continues to unravel. After being bowled out for 358 while chasing 437 in the second Test against Bangladesh, they remained rooted to eighth with just one win and three defeats from four matches.
At the top of the table, Australia continue to dominate the early phase of the cycle with 87.50 percentage points from seven wins in eight Tests. New Zealand are second with 77.78 points after two wins and a draw in three matches, while South Africa and Sri Lanka occupy the next two spots behind them.
(With inputs from PTI)
