Babar Azam and Kraigg Brathwaite (Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com, @ICC/X.com)
Amid all the T20 leagues going on in the world, Pakistan is bracing themselves to host West Indies in a two-match Test series beginning on 17th January at the Multan Cricket Stadium. This series is a part of the World Test Championship and will be the last for these two sides in this cycle.
Pakistan
The Pakistan side, following their topsy-turvy campaign in the ongoing WTC, are placed 8th on the table with just 40 points and a percentage of 27.78. They are here after a series loss against South Africa, where the Shan Masood-led side were thrashed in both the Tests, ending in a whitewash for them.
The first match of their previous series was very closely contested, where the home side ran away with two wickets to spare, while in the second game, Pakistan fought hard to save themselves from the embarrassment of following on but couldn't save the game.
West Indies
In comparison, the West Indies have been even worse, with just two wins from 11 of their matches while occupying the last spot. Having lost seven games so far, they only have 32 points to show in their kitty and a point percentage of 24.24.
Kraigg Brathwaite and his men are here after a levelled series against Bangladesh, which ended 1-1 following their resurgence in the second game. During this entire WTC cycle, their most memorable and significant win came against Australia in the Second Test, which happened at the Gabba. However, the hero of the Gabba Test, Shamar Joseph, won't be available for this series due to an injury.
PAK vs WI 1st Test: Head-to-Head Record In Tests
In the history of their Test cricket, these two nations have featured in a total of 54 Test matches, with Pakistan having a slight edge over their opponents while 15 of the games have ended in a stalemate.
Matches Played | Pakistan Won | West Indies Won | Drawn |
---|---|---|---|
54 | 21 | 18 | 15 |
PAK vs WI 1st Test: Head-to-Head Record In Tests In Pakistan
On the contrary, the difference between the two sides widens when they play in Pakistan as the home side are way ahead with nine wins as compared to four by the West Indies.
Matches Played | Pakistan Won | West Indies Won | Drawn |
---|---|---|---|
21 | 9 | 4 | 8 |
PAK vs WI 1st Test: What happened when they last played?
These two sides last collided in 2021 during the second cycle of the WTC in a two-match series which took place in Jamaica, where they fought tooth and nail against each other and ended the series with a win each. The first Test of that series was classic, where the Caribbean side stole the win by just one wicket. However, the visitors comfortably won the second match by a margin of 109 runs.