West Indies will take on Bangladesh later this week in the first Test of a two-match series. Here's Wisden's pick of the betting odds for the opening game.
WI v BAN first Test: Who will win?
Bangladesh come into the series off the back of two heavy defeats in the format to South Africa. They lost by an innings and 273 runs in the first Test of that series, after being made to follow on and being bowled out for under 200 twice in the match. They lost the second match by seven wickets after they were bowled out for 106 in their first innings.
The West Indies' last Test matches was also against South Africa, back in August in the Caribbean. That series was a closer encounter, with the first match drawn as West Indies couldn't pull off a chase of 298 on the final day. South Africa won the second Test by 40 runs in a thrilling, low-scoring contest.
Both of the sides sit at the bottom of the World Test Championship table. West Indies have only won one of their nine Test matches so far in the cycle, and sit dead last with a PCT of 18.52. Bangladesh have had slightly better returns, winning three out of their 10 Tests and a PCT of 27.50. Nevertheless, on home turf West Indies are heavily favoured to win the opening Tests according to the odds. Batery is offering a 1.33 return on every pound bet on a West Indies win, with a 3.35 return on a Bangladesh win.
WI v BAN first Test: Which side's batters are most like to score 100?
West Indies also take the odds on which side is the most likely to have a batter score a century. Kraigg Brathwaite is the only West Indies' batter inside the top 50 of the ICC Men's Test batting rankings, while Kavem Hodge, who scored his maiden Test hundred against England earlier in the year, is also likely to be in the XI.
While Bangladesh have an exciting pack of pacers, it was their batting which failed them against South Africa. The core batting contingent of Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Haque and Litton Das are all now well into the latter half of their careers, while it's likely Shakib Al Hasan has played his last Test. Najmul Hossain Shanto also still has yet to kick on from the success he found in the early part of his career and is injured out of this tour. With the potential for big runs looking sparse in Bangladesh's XI, the odds heavily favour the West Indies to field a batter who scores a century in the game, backed at a 1.25 pound return on every pound bet with Batery.
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