Windies in crucial series
Published:Tuesday | July 3, 2018 | 12:00 AM
ST JOHN'S, Antigua, (CMC):
A low profile two-Test series against once minnows Bangladesh will carry much weight for struggling West Indies, when it bowls off at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium here today.
Having slumped to a historic low of ninth in the ICC Test rankings last May, the rubber against the dangerous Bangladeshis in familiar home conditions represents the ideal chance to climb back to eighth and begin their long trek back up the rankings.
The Caribbean side gained five ratings points following their 1-1 draw in the recent three-Test series against Sri Lanka, and now lie within striking distance of eighth in the rankings on 72 points - three adrift of the Bangladeshis.
A 1-0 series win will see the Windies move to 75 points and Bangladesh drop to 69 while a series sweep will result in the hosts rising to 77 and their opponents slipping to 67.
The permutations, therefore, highlight the importance of a series win for the Jason Holder-led unit.
Conversely, West Indies will also need to avoid a series defeat, as such an outcome will see the gains made against the Sri Lankans erased.
They stand to lose four points with a 1-0 defeat and will concede a further point if they are swept by Bangladesh, who will then strengthen their hold on eighth spot.
West Indies, however, will be heartened by some of their performances during the recent series but will enter the Test here concerned by their misfiring batting group.
The top five - Kieran Powell (166), Roston Chase (123), Shai Hope (114), Kraigg Brathwaite (104) and Devon Smith (91) - all struggled for runs and managed only four half-centuries among them.
Wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich, adjudged Man-of-the-Series, led the batting with 288 runs at an average of 57 and was the only West Indies batsman to score a hundred.
WEST INDIES (from) Jason Holder (captain), Devendra Bishoo, Kraigg Brathwaite, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Keemo Paul, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Devon Smith.