West Indies clinch series after Sylhet draw, complicating Bangladesh’s WTC final bid

West Indies clinched the Dutch-Bangla Bank Bangladesh vs West Indies Test Series 2026 1-0 after the second Test in Sylhet finished in a draw on Monday. The match ended with West Indies (356, 398/6 d) drawing with Bangladesh (386, 184/4).

Towhid Hridoy produced an unbeaten 242 off 359 balls in Bangladesh’s first innings, striking 22 fours and 11 sixes, and followed it with 82 off 140 in the chase. Despite his contributions, Bangladesh could not prevent West Indies from securing the series; the visitors had earlier won the opening Test in Mirpur by eight wickets.

West Indies posted 356 in their first innings with Amir Jangoo top-scoring on 133, while Hasan Mahmud finished the innings with six wickets. Bangladesh replied with 386, leaving the hosts a 30-run first-innings lead courtesy largely of Hridoy’s double-century.

In their second innings West Indies declared on 398 for six after Kavem Hodge scored 142 off 194 and Kevin Wickham added 78, setting Bangladesh a target of 369. Jomel Warrican finished with seven wickets in the match and reached the 100-wicket mark in Test cricket during the contest.

Chasing 369, Bangladesh were 40 for two before Hridoy and veteran Mushfiqur Rahim compiled a 135-run partnership for the third wicket; Hridoy made 82 off 140 balls and Mushfiqur scored 49 off 123. Play was ended by bad light with Bangladesh 184 for four in their second innings.

Warrican’s seven wickets across the match and Hodge’s second-innings century were central to West Indies leaving Sylhet with the series victory. The result meant Bangladesh had to settle for a draw and could not overturn the deficit created by the first-Test loss in Mirpur.

Bangladesh remained fifth in the 2025-27 World Test Championship standings after the draw, their points percentage falling from 47.62 to 45.83; they have 44 points from eight Tests, with three wins, three losses and two draws. West Indies sit eighth with a points percentage of 27.38; New Zealand lead on 72.22, followed by South Africa on 71.43, Australia on 69.23 and India fourth on 51.52. Bangladesh still have four Tests remaining in the WTC cycle, including an away series against South Africa and a home assignment against England, leaving them little room for further slip-ups if they are to remain in contention for a place in the final.