Galle, June 17 (UNI) The new cycle of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) gets underway on Tuesday with hosts Sri Lanka taking on Bangladesh in the first of a two-Test series at the Galle International Cricket Stadium, a ground where the visitors have never tasted victory in the format.
Since their first Test encounter in 2001, Sri Lanka have won 18 of the 26 Tests between the two sides, with Bangladesh registering just one win. The islanders have also not lost any of their last eight Tests against the Tigers, a psychological edge as the WTC 2025–27 cycle opens.
Despite this dominance, both teams enter the new WTC phase with patchy recent form. Sri Lanka have lost each of their last four Tests, though significantly, all came against WTC 2023–25 finalists South Africa and Australia. Bangladesh, in contrast, have won two of their last three Tests — against Zimbabwe and the West Indies — and are eyeing a competitive start, even if conditions are heavily stacked against them.