The West Indies Men’s Team (WIMT) ended 2025 disappointingly at the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship (2025-2027) on four points from eight matches.
Australia will lead with a maximum of 72 points from six matches. In three series and eight matches against Australia (three matches at home), India (two matches away), and New Zealand (three matches away), the WIMT lost seven matches and drew one.
The high point came in the first Test against New Zealand at Christchurch, when the WIMT recorded the second-highest fourth-innings Test score, six wickets for 457 runs, chasing 531 runs for victory. Justin Greaves became the fourth West Indian and seventh player overall to score a Test double century in the fourth innings of a Test. The other West Indian batters are George Headley, 223 against England at Kingston in 1930, Gordon Greenidge, 214 not out against England at Lord’s in 1984, and Kyle Mayers, 210 not out against Bangladesh at Chattogram in 2010.
The nadir of 2025 came in the third Test against Australia at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica, when they were skittled out for 27 runs, the second-lowest innings total in Tests. New Zealand holds the unenviable record of being dismissed for 26 runs against England at Auckland in 1955. The West Indies previous lowest innings was 47 runs against England, also at Sabina Park in 2004. The seven batters who failed to trouble the scorers resulted in the West Indies eclipsing Pakistan’s 45-year-old record of most ducks in a Test innings of six, which came against the West Indies at Karachi, Pakistan, in 1980.
In the first Test at the Kensington Oval, Barbados, Australia won by 159 runs. Shamar Joseph (4 for 46) and Jayden Seales (5 for 60) started the series promisingly as Australia were dismissed for a paltry 180 runs. However, the West Indies batters were unable to capitalise on the bowlers’ exploits, as they only salvaged a 10-run lead, being bowled out for 190.
Joseph continued his exploits in the second innings with five wickets for 67 runs as Australia scored 310 all out. Set 300 runs to win, the West Indies batter once capitulated for 141 runs, losing by 151 runs. In addition to match figures of nine wickets for 133 runs, Joseph was also the leading West Indies batter with 52 runs.
In the second Test at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada, the West Indies batters failed to deliver in the fourth innings, being bowled out for 143 runs chasing 276 runs to win. The West Indies conceded 243 runs in the first innings by 33 runs in response to Australia’s 286 runs. Brandon King’s 75 runs in the first innings were the only West Indies batter’s score over 50 runs in the series.
In the day/night third Test at Sabina Park, after being competitive for the first three innings in the Test, the West Indies batters succumbed to Mitchell Starc’s six wickets for nine runs and Scott Boland’s hat-trick (3 for 2 runs) to be bowled out for 27 runs in 14.3 overs.
King 129 runs, Roston Chase 114 runs, Shai Hope 113 runs, Joseph 113 runs, and John Campbell 106 runs were the leading batters. Joseph was the leading bowler with 22 wickets, followed by Alzarri Joseph and Seales with 13 wickets each.
In the away series to India, the West Indies suffered major strategic setbacks in the bowling department as both Shamar and Alzarri were absent due to injuries. Coach Darren Sammy had expressed confidence that the pace attack of the Josephs and Jayden Seales had the ability to take 20 wickets to win in Indian conditions after being impressed by the varied pace attack New Zealand employed the previous year in winning the series 3-0.
The inexperienced bowling attack led by Seales, Chase, and Jomel Warrican failed to dismiss India in three innings, taking only 13 wickets out of a possible 30 wickets. In the first Test, after India piled up 448 runs for five wickets declared, the West Indies batters could only muster 162 runs and 146 runs, losing by 140 runs. In the second Test, the West Indies were asked to follow on after scoring 248 runs in reply to India’s five wickets for 518 runs. Campbell (115), Hope (103), and Greaves (50 not out) ensured a more commendable second innings performance of 390 runs. Set 121 runs to win, India won by seven wickets.
In the two matches, Hope was the lead batter with 166 runs, followed by Campbell with 147 runs and Greaves with 124 runs. Warrican and Chase both finished with five wickets each.
After the historic second innings fight back led by Greaves (202 not out), Hope (140), and Kemar Roach (58 not out) to draw the first Test at Christchurch, the West Indies were easily beaten in the second Test by nine wickets and 323 runs in the third Test. In the third Test, Kavem Hodge (123) registered the fifth West Indies century in eight matches.
Overall, Hope (8 matches) led the batting with 534 runs with two centuries, followed by Greaves (8 matches) 481 runs with one century, Campbell (8 matches) 388 runs with one (1) century, King (6 matches) 332 runs with three 50s and Chase (8 matches) 221 runs. Shamar was the lead bowler with 22 wickets in one series (3 matches), followed by Seales with 20 wickets (3 series and 8 matches), Alzarri with 13 wickets (one series, 3 matches), and Roach with 10 wickets (one series, 3 matches).
If the West Indies have an outside chance of qualifying for the World Test Championship final in 2027, they have to win their next three Test series in 2026. They host Sri Lanka (June-July) and Pakistan (July-August), and travel to Bangladesh (Oct-Nov) for two Test matches each. Once fit, Shamar and Alzarri will shore up the pace attack; however, as in the other formats (T20 and ODI), inconsistent batting remains a major cause for concern not only for the men but also for the women.
