West Indies 356 & 398 for 6 dec. (Hodge 142, Wickham 78; Nayeem 2-72) drew against Bangladesh 386 & 184 for 4 (Hridoy 82, Mushfiqur 49; Warrican 3-44)
West Indies’ draw against Bangladesh in the second Sylhet Test gave them a 1-0 series win, courtesy of their eight-wicket victory in Mirpur. Their win over Sri Lanka, along with the draw against Pakistan, means this is the first time since 1994 the Caribbean side will end the year unbeaten in Test series.
Roston Chase’s men began the World Test Championship cycle with an eight-game winless streak, losing seven matches. Their opponents during that period were Australia, India, and New Zealand.
“Yeah, well, we had a tough year in the first year of the cycle. And we sat down, and we spoke about coming to dominate the second year in the cycle. Playing against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and also Bangladesh, we thought that these were teams that were closer to our skill level and obviously closer to us in the rankings. So we wanted to challenge ourselves in terms of winning all three series. We won two out of three,” Chase began explaining.
“So we thought that it was a good year, and also we went unbeaten in any series. So this is something that hasn't been done for a number of years. So it just goes to show that when you sit down and plan, and you put in the hard work, anything is achievable. So I think that we are going in the right direction as a unit and as a team,” he added.
West Indies 356 and 345 for 3 (Hodge 140*, Wickham 78, Taijul 2-118) lead Bangladesh 386 (Hridoy 242*, Mushfiqur 34, Warrican 4-104) by 315 runs
Windies scored 338 runs and lost three wickets on Day 4
Kavem Hodge’s magnificent unbeaten 140 has put the West Indies back in the driver’s seat heading into the final day of the Sylhet Test. The Caribbean side got to stumps on 345 for three, an already significant lead of 315 runs.
Towhid Hridoy’s 242 not out on Day 3 had demoralising potential for the West Indies. Instead, the visitors batted in brilliant partnerships, scoring 338 runs on a day they lost just the three wickets, ensuring they regained the upper hand at close of play on Day 4.
The fightback was led by a timely 165-run stand between Hodge and Kevin Wickham for the third wicket. The pair came together just before Lunch and batted through the entirety of a second session, taking the sting out of the Bangladeshi attack.
They added 131 runs post-lunch, getting to the break at 259 for two. After a nervous start against Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam, Hodge found his rhythm via a mini counter-attack late in the morning session before settling down upon the resumption.
Matthew Forde, Amir Jangoo, and Mandy Mangru headline Cricket West Indies’ international contracts list for the 2026–27 season, with all three earning their first retainers.
John Campbell returns to the list, as Alick Athanaze, Brandon King, Romario Shepherd, and Qiana Joseph miss out.
Fifteen men have once again been contracted, with the women’s list increasing from thirteen to match that number. All contracts, including the three development men's contracts, will run from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027.
“Every one of these contracts is tied to a job in front of us,” said CWI Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe. “For the men, the first job is the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in February, and we go there with every intention of making it through. For the women, it is the Pakistan ODIs in December, which give us the chance to earn automatic qualification for the next ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. Matthew, Amir, and Mandy have earned their places in that work, and John has earned his way back.”
Stumps, Day 1: West Indies 235 for 4 (Jangoo 111*, Wickham 61, Mahmud 2-58) vs Bangladesh
Amir Jangoo’s second Test century has given the West Indies the upper hand against Bangladesh on the opening day of the second Test in Sylhet. The Caribbean side lost three early wickets before Jangoo partnered with debutant Kevin Wickham to lift them to 235 for four at stumps.
The West Indies XI featured a makeshift top-order after resident opener John Campbell and last game’s No. 3, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, were forced out of the Test with a viral fever. This meant wicketkeeper by trade Joshua Da Silva was thrown at the top of the order while Wickham was handed a first Test cap.
“The coach actually told me to stay ready because a few guys weren't feeling well last night, so basically it was just about getting the right frame of mind, just in case the opportunity presents itself. This morning, when I came to the ground, I was sitting in the dressing room, and coach came to me and told me, 'Congratulations, you'll be making your debut,” Wickham recounted.
The visitors lost Da Silva (12), Brandon King (9) and Kavem Hodge (1) inside the first hour of play to be left staggering at 27 for three. This brought Jangoo and Wickham together. They shared in a day-altering 131-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has confirmed that West Indies Women’s head coach Shane Deitz stepped down from his position to pursue a new opportunity. After three years with Deitz in the post, CWI says the “transition has been mutually agreed.”
Former West Indies Men’s Test Head Coach Andre Coley will lead the women’s team on an interim basis for the upcoming series against Pakistan, the schedule for which has yet to be confirmed.
Deitz led the side to semi-finals of consecutive ICC Women’s T20 World Cups in 2024 and 2026, losing out to the eventual champions on both occasions.
