Test cricket ka asli maza ab subcontinent mein laut raha hai. After a long wait of five years, the Calypso flavor is coming back to the Bengali soil. West Indies cricket team is all set to tour Bangladesh for a two-match Test series starting this October. Yeh sirf ek series nahi hai, balki WTC points table par kabza jamane ki ek badi jung hai. Jahan ek taraf Bangladesh apne home conditions ka faida uthakar final ki race mein bane rehna chahega, wahi Caribbean boys apni purani yaadon ko taza karne utrenge.
The Guru Story
The schedule is fixed and the battle lines are drawn. West Indies Dhaka mein October 18 ko land karenge. Series ka pehla Test match October 28 se Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka mein khela jayega. Iske baad caravan move karega Sylhet ki taraf, jahan November 5 se dusra aur aakhri Test shuru hoga. Lekin real action se pehle, visitors ko ek three-day practice match bhi khelna hai against a local XI at the Basundhara Sports Complex from October 22 to 24.
Ab baat karte hain form ki. Bangladesh filhal satve aasman par hai. Unhone haal hi mein Pakistan ko unhi ke ghar mein ghuskar 2-0 se clean sweep kiya hai. Batting ho ya bowling, Pakistan ki team Bangladesh ke samne bacho ki tarah roti hui nazar aayi. Jab Pakistan apne hi 'flat tracks' par zaleel ho rahi thi, tab Bangladesh ne dikhaya ki Test cricket kaise kheli jati hai. Points table par Bangladesh number 4 par baithi hai aur unke paas WTC Final tak pahunchne ka ek Masterclass chance hai.
Doosri taraf, West Indies ki halat thodi khasta hai. Woh table par 8th position par hain. Unhe purani yaadein sahara de rahi hain jab 2021 mein Kyle Mayers ne unbeaten 210 runs banakar ek historic chase ki thi. Lekin kya woh purana magic phir se chal payega? Specially jab Bangladesh ne Australia ke khilaaf bhi series draw karke apni Dominance prove ki hai.
Analysis & Numbers
- Bangladesh currently holds the 4th spot in the WTC table with 55.56 percentage points.
- West Indies has managed only 2 wins out of 12 matches, languishing at 8th with 20.83 points.
- The last time these two met in Bangladesh, West Indies won the series 2-0, including a nail-biting 17-run win in Dhaka.
- While West Indies tour, Bangladesh white-ball squad will be busy in the UAE for an ODI tri-series against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.
The Guru Gyan Verdict:
Seedhi baat no bakwas: Bangladesh is the favorite here. Jis tarah se unhone Pakistan ko trolled status mein dala hai aur unki bowling attack ne discipline dikhaya hai, West Indies ke liye spin-friendly tracks par survive karna mushkil hoga. Bangladesh ke liye yeh series WTC Final ka ticket ho sakti hai, jabki Pakistan shayad abhi bhi yeh soch raha hoga ki unse kahan galti hui. West Indies can surprise, but Shanto's army knows how to defend their fortress.
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