The first Test match of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh ended in a draw on Saturday, June 21 at Galle’s Galle International Stadium. The ongoing ICC World Test Championship is the fourth cycle of the Red-Ball tournament.
However, the first match of the new cycle ended in a draw, but it certainly had an impact in the points table and was packed with action and milestones. After the WTC final 2025, all the test teams have started a new journey, and for now, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have found themselves on top 2 in standing.
WTC 2025-27 begins with a draw in the form of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh share points
Speaking about the first ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 game, Bangladesh posted a total of 495 runs after batting first in Galle, thanks to the captain for the brilliant centuries, Najmul Hussain Shanto (148), and experienced batsman Mushfiqur Rahim (163).
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Shanti and Rahin added 264 runs for the third wicket, giving Bangladesh a concrete start. Asitha Fernando (4/86) and Milan Ratnayake (3/39) shone with balls for Sri Lanka in the first innings. In response, Sri Lanka fought well. Patham Nisanka knocked a brilliant 187 off 256 balls.
Nisanka showed why she is currently one of the best test batsmen in the world. Apart from Patam Nisanka, Kamindu Mendis also knocked on a brilliant 87 -run knock, as Sri Lanka ended their innings in 485, leading Bangladesh to lead only 10 runs in the first Test in Galle.
Najmul Hussain shines with the bat in Shanto Galle
In the second innings, Bangladesh took a slow and stable approach and batted for 87 overs using most of the last day. Najmul Hussain Shanto has broken another 125, one unbeaten 125, and has become the first Bangladeshi captain to score for centuries in both innings of a Test match and is only 18th in the history of Test cricket.
After Shadman Islam’s 76 -run knock, Bangladesh announced their innings at 285/6 and set a target of 296 runs with 39 overs in Sri Lanka in Galle. Tharindu Rathnayake was a standout bowler for Sri Lanka, taking three wickets in the third innings.
Chasing the target, Sri Lanka was in trouble at 48 for 4 in the 24th over. However, Kamindu Mendis and Captain Dhananjay D. Silva grabbed their nerve and batted safely to ensure this to end in a draw against Bangladesh on Saturday in Galle.
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Updated ICC World Test Championship Points Table (WTC Table) SL vs. Bain 1 Test revealed after Test
With the first test ending in a draw, both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh opened their accounts in WTC 2025-27. Each team earned 4 points and now has a percentage of 33.33 percent (PCT).
In the last WTC cycle, Sri Lanka came close to the final, but missed after losing a series for South Africa and Australia. They ended with PCT of 38.46 in sixth position. On the other hand, Bangladesh ended behind him with PCT of 31.25.
Here is the updated ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 points table:
| Situation | Team | Played | won | Lost | Drag | NR | score | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bangladesh | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 33.33 |
| 2 | Sri Lanka | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 33.33 |
| 3 | India | , | , | , | , | , | , | , |
| 4 | England | , | , | , | , | , | , | , |
| 5 | Australia | , | , | , | , | , | , | , |
| 6 | West indies | , | , | , | , | , | , | , |
| 7 | South Africa | , | , | , | , | , | , | , |
| 8 | New Zealand | , | , | , | , | , | , | , |
| 9 | Pakistan | , | , | , | , | , | , | , |
Meanwhile, the ICC World Test Championships are nine teams participating in 2025-27 bicycle, including India, Australia, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and West Indies. Recently, South Africa crushed Australia by five wickets to become the WTC Champion at Lord’s.
In WTC 2025-2027, a total of 27 series and 71 matches will be played among the nine-run teams. Each team will play six series – three and three distance at home. Each series may have two to five Test matches based on the individual team’s schedule.
The number system is similar to the final WTC version. A team will earn 12 points for a win, and a tie will give each team 6 points, while the teams will get 4-4 points for the draw, and one disadvantage will earn them zero points. If a team falls behind at the required rate in a match, they lose one point for every over in WTC Standing.
Since each team plays a different number of matches, the ranking is based on the percentage of digits they earn, called PCT (digit percentage). At the end of the league stage, two teams with the highest PCT will face each other in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s in 2027.
