Bangladesh began their new World Test Championship cycle (2025-27) with high expectations but stumbled in a familiar fashion, as they suffered a 1-0 series defeat to Sri Lanka, continuing their long struggle in the longest format of the game.
Despite securing a draw in the first Test at Galle, thanks to twin centuries from Najmul Hossain Shanto (148 and 125) and a resilient 163 from veteran Mushfiqur Rahim, the team crumbled in the second Test, suffering an innings and 78-run defeat in Colombo.
In the second Test, Bangladesh managed only 247 and 133 in their two innings, with none of the batters reaching fifty runs in either innings 鈥� marking the 12th such incidence since 2018.
Bangladesh鈥檚 top order once again failed, except opener Shadman Islam, who scored 148 runs across four innings.
Fellow opener Anamul Haque, selected on the back of his domestic form, managed just 23 runs, including two ducks. Test specialist Mominul Haque was also ineffective, scoring only 79 runs in the series.
The series loss adds to Bangladesh鈥檚 underwhelming Test record, despite completing nearly 25 years in the format. Since 2000, Bangladesh have won just 23 of their 154 Tests, with 112 defeats and 47 of them by an innings 鈥� the fourth highest in Test history.
In their previous WTC 2023鈥�25 campaign, Bangladesh secured four wins from 12 matches 鈥� including three overseas wins (two in Pakistan and one in the West Indies) and one at home against New Zealand.
The clean sweep over Pakistan was their biggest achievement in the previous cycle, but they have only won two of their last 10 Tests since then.
The Tigers particularly performed well in the away series in their previous WTC cycle but suffered their first setback in their first series in the current cycle. However, former captain Shanto remained optimistic.
鈥極f course, if you look at our Test team over the last couple of years, we鈥檝e been winning or drawing overseas. So, compared to before, it鈥檚 better. But there鈥檚 still a lack of consistency,鈥� he said after the second Test on Saturday.
鈥榃ins and losses will always be there, but I think the way we dominated the first Test, we should have played better cricket in this one. There will always be wins and losses, but if we could have dominated a bit more here too, we might have seen clearer signs of improvement,鈥� he added.
In the ongoing cycle, Bangladesh will play the same number of matches, including home series against Pakistan and England and tough away tours to Australia and South Africa, whom they have never beaten, and the West Indies. The visit to Australia will be their first since 2003.
They are also scheduled to host Ireland for a two-match Test series before the Pakistan series in March 2026, although that series will not be part of the WTC.
In a further setback, Shanto resigned as Test captain following the series defeat, describing the three-captain system across formats as 鈥榥ot sensible鈥� and stating that his decision was made for the 鈥榖etterment of the team鈥�.
The resignation leaves the Bangladesh Cricket Board with a leadership void to fill as they aim to revive their WTC campaign after a disappointing start.
