As the battle for the final of the ICC World Test Championship is heating up with the ongoing series between Australia and India, Sri Lanka and South Africa, and England and New Zealand, Bangladesh confirmed their highest-ever finish on the table after registering a memorable win against the West Indies in the recently concluded second Test at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica.聽
The Tigers ended the two-match series 1-1 after they beat the hosts by 101 runs on Tuesday after losing the first one in Antigua. This was the last series for Bangladesh in this cycle.聽
With a point percentage of 31.25, Bangladesh are now in eighth position, only above the Caribbean side in the nine-team competition.
Bangladesh can even finish in seventh if Pakistan fail to win a single match against South Africa in their forthcoming series.聽
In the previous two cycles of the WTC, Bangladesh finished at the bottom with one and zero wins, respectively. This time Bangladesh won four matches鈥攖wo against Pakistan and one each against New Zealand and the West Indies.聽
Three of those four wins came away from home, and that makes 2024 Bangladesh鈥檚 most successful calendar year in terms of away wins. Two of those came against Pakistan when Bangladesh cleanswept them.聽
But this cycle will remain as one where Bangladesh suffered some crushing defeats. On top of that list would be the second Test against India in Kanpur when the Tigers lost in a little over five sessions.聽
Bangladesh began the new cycle with a historic win over New Zealand in Sylhet in December last year. They also missed a golden opportunity in the second Test when the Kiwis were 69-6 at one stage in the fourth innings chasing 137.聽
Bangladesh failed to win a single of the four matches that they played against Sri Lanka and South Africa at home.
The Tigers had only themselves to blame for their series loss against the Proteas, as South Africa had been on a 10-year losing streak in the sub-continent with nine straight losses.聽
The South African team that visited Bangladesh was also a weakened one this time, but the batters failed miserably for Bangladesh, as it has been the case for them in this cycle of WTC.聽
The lack of big innings and partnerships from up in the order cost Bangladesh badly. There were only four hundreds for Bangladesh batters in 12 matches, whereas only five partnerships reached the 100-mark.聽
Those were also mostly from below the order鈥攖hree at the seventh wicket and one each at the sixth and ninth wickets.聽
Shadman Islam has been the most consistent opener among the three who batted in the position but didn鈥檛 have any hundred.聽
The dip in form of captain Najmul Hossain Shanto didn鈥檛 help either. He had an excellent 2023 with an average of 55, but this time around he only managed to average 21.13.聽
Shanto even wanted to quit the captaincy, and that created a strong murmur during the South Africa series.聽
But the bowling has been the biggest positive point for Bangladesh with a stable pace attack.聽
The emergence of pace sensation Nahid Rana set a different vibe, and with Shakib Al Hasan鈥檚 career all but over, Taijul Islam started to take more responsibility in the spin attack.