Tigers' final WTC push

Bangladesh begin their mission to reach the World Test Championship (WTC) final against the West Indies in Mirpur on Wednesday, with at least four wins and a draw from their remaining six Tests needed to keep their hopes alive.

After finishing at the bottom of the standings in the previous three WTC cycles, Bangladesh have emerged as contenders this time, climbing to fourth place with three wins and a draw from six Tests. A home series whitewash of Pakistan and a historic victory in Darwin against Australia have fuelled their hopes of reaching the final.

However, the equation remains challenging. Bangladesh have three series and six Tests left, against the West Indies, South Africa and England. Even if they secure the required results, their final hopes will depend on other teams’ performances.

Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto sees the challenge as motivation rather than pressure, particularly with eighth-placed West Indies having won only two of their 12 Tests in the current cycle.

“It is not pressure for me, but motivation. Having such an equation in Test cricket is motivating,” Shanto told reporters at the SBNCS on Tuesday.

For now, the skipper wants his players to focus on the opening Test rather than the bigger picture.

“At this moment, I am thinking only about this Test match, not even the whole series. If we can win these kinds of matches, our goals will be achieved naturally,” he said.

Shanto also expressed confidence in Bangladesh’s experienced batters, saying their understanding of their roles would benefit the team.

“As captain, it is reassuring to have experienced batters who have played for many years. They know their game and can fulfil their roles better,” he said.

Bangladesh’s pace attack has played a major role in their progress, and Shanto welcomed the competition for places, saying every member of the squad was ready to play according to the conditions.

The left-hander admitted, however, that Bangladesh had lost some of their earlier consistency, particularly over their last two or three Tests.

“We need consistency. We have not played as well in the last two or three Tests as we did before. We are discussing how to improve and making plans. Hopefully, this team can improve by another 20 to 30 per cent from where we are now,” he said.

There were concerns over Litton Das’s recurring hip injury and Mushfiqur Rahim’s finger injury in training on Tuesday, but Tigers were relieved to have both experienced players available.

Bangladesh have had limited time to prepare since returning from the drawn Test against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi. Several players were involved in the ODI tri-series in the UAE, leaving the full Test squad with only two days of practice together.

West Indies, by contrast, held a 10-day camp at the Chennai Super Kings Academy to adapt to conditions similar to those in Bangladesh before playing a two-day warm-up match in Dhaka.

Shanto, however, was satisfied with his side’s preparation and did not believe they needed to do anything extra.

“I think we have prepared well. Those who returned home early began training, and the conditions are familiar to us. I am happy with our preparation. We do not want to do anything extra; we just want to follow our process and give 100 per cent,” he said.

Bangladesh’s recent Test record against the West Indies offers little comfort. Since beating the Caribbean side 2-0 at home in 2018, Bangladesh have been whitewashed in two of their three series, with the other ending 1-1. Their 101-run victory in Kingston ended a run of five consecutive Test defeats against the West Indies.

The series will conclude West Indies’ campaign in the current WTC cycle. A 2-0 victory could help them finish as high as fifth in the standings.