Another Test series, another defeat: Players lacked application

West Indies tour of Bangladesh 2018
By Brandon Corlette

The West Indies Test Team continues its downhill journey with a 2-0 defeat against a team ranked beneath them in the Test rankings. After a 2-0 series defeat against a top ranked Indian Test team recently, Windies were expected to bounce back against a less threatening Bangladesh team. The series was filled with negatives for Windies, but Shimron Hetmyer’s 222 runs in the two Tests were among the few positives.

West Indies lost to India and Bangladesh in the four Test matches played in the sub-continent in 2018, where all the matches were completed inside three days. A team that once dominated Test cricket is now being terrorised by Test nations.
In the modern era, global T20 leagues are dominated by the West Indian players. The legendary Windies fast bowler Michael Holding opposed the shortest format of the game, since it has negatively impacted West Indies cricket.
How much players in the West Indies Test Team have been exposed to county cricket in England?
The standing Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite, who has been Jason Holder’s deputy in Tests, questioned shot selection by his fellow batsmen in a series where they were demolished by spin. In Braithwaite’s post-match interview, he added that the Caribbean team failed mentally throughout the series.
In the first Test match, Bangladesh trounced the West Indies by 64 runs in seven and a half sessions on a spiteful turner in Chittagong. Windies bowlers were sufficiently disciplined in the first innings to restrict Bangladesh to 324, with Gabriel and Warrican picking up four wickets each. The batsmen continued to lack application in different game scenarios when they were bundled out for 246 runs. A young spinner, Nayeem Hasan, announced himself in Test cricket when he wreaked havoc, snatching 5-61 on debut.

In the first Test, the bowlers had a decent outing, restricting Bangladesh to 125 in the second innings; but the batting woes continued when they were bowled out for 139, finishing 64 runs behind. Taijul Islam, another spinner, had magical figures of 6-33.
The second and final Test match was approaching, and the West Indies were without Shannon Gabriel. It was yet another three-day Test match, with Bangladesh winning by an innings and 184 runs. Bangladesh batted once, racking up a mammoth 508 all out, then bowling the West Indies out twice, for 111 and 213.
Mehidy Hasan was the star of the show, grabbing 12 wickets in the match.
Along with Hetmyer’s 222 runs scored in the Test series, Shane Dowrich was the only other batter to amass 100 runs in four innings. Jomel Warrican grabbed the most wickets for Windies, finishing with eight wickets. Devandra Bishoo finished with seven wickets.
The West Indies will play their next Test match on January 23 at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown Barbados against a strong England team that has been playing their best cricket in recent times. Will West Indies continue the struggles in Tests, or will their fortunes improve in the three-match series against England?