West Indies batting plummeting to new depths; What’s ailing them – A numerical & technical analysis

West Indies’ Test batting hits new lows — a detailed numerical and technical analysis of what’s causing their alarming decline in red-ball cricket.

It was the same old story for West Indies in the first Test against India at Ahmedabad recently. They lost their fourth Test in a row. But what is alarming is their batters’ inability to rake up 200-plus scores. 

In the 12 innings this year, West Indies batters have managed to score 200 or more just twice. In the other 10 innings, they have gone past 150 only three times. Their lowest point this year came when they were bowled out for just 27 in the Kingston Test against Australia.

Their batters’ inability to score runs home and away cuts a sorry figure on the state of affairs of West Indies cricket, especially their batting unit. It has plummeted to such lows that West Indies batters, once feared the world over for their aggressive batting, are struggling to score a fifty and a ton irrespective of conditions. 

Worst year for West Indies batting 
This year marks a new low for West Indies batting, as they average just 15.47 in six Tests – which is the second-lowest batting average for a team, which has played a minimum five Tests, in a calendar year.

Read More: IND vs WI 2025-26, 1st Test, Day 3: West Indies batting crumbles again; India go 1-0 up

Here’s the top five worst batting averages for a team in a calendar year.

Tons no more for West Indies batters
Since 2020, their batters have struggled personally as well, managing just 14 tons in 40 Tests at a rate of one ton per 2.85 Tests. They rank just above Afghanistan (8), Zimbabwe (8), and Ireland (3) among Test playing nations since 2020. 

However, the three teams below WI have a better conversion rate with Ireland scoring a ton every 2.3 Tests, Zimbabwe cracking a ton every 2.25 Tests, and Afghanistan scoring a century every 0.87 Test. Besides, WI have the worst batting average (21.78) since 2020 among all Test playing nations.

Here’s how West Indies fare since 2020 in terms of centuries and batting average. 

Read More: Test Cricket on an infinite downward loop in the Caribbean: Is there a solution in sight?

What ails West Indies batting?

Lack of batting experience
The current squad for the India Test series lacks batting experience. Combining the records of all the specialist batters, it comes to just 98 Tests with less than 5000 runs. In the India’s camp, Ravindra Jadeja alone has played 86 Tests with close to 4000 runs. 

West Indies’ most experienced batter Kraigg Brathwaite with 100 Tests is not in the squad as he was dropped after a series of low scores. He made just 15 runs in four innings against Australia. 

Nevertheless, West Indies batting woes deepen as there has not been any continuity in their batting line-up. For example, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who made his debut in 2022, has played just 11 Tests since then. The lack of a stable batting order has hurt West Indies to get their act right in the hard grinds of Test cricket.

Not so friendly batting pitches back home
It’s not that West Indies batters are struggling to score away from home in alien conditions. But they are also making a mockery of themselves at home where they are unable to score big tons. Gone are the days when West Indies batters used to crack tons, double tons, and triple tons for fun at home. 

West Indies captain Roston Chase blamed it on the unfriendly batting pitches back home. “The pitches in the Caribbean are not really batter-friendly. So guys don’t really bat for long periods and score those big scores. And then, too, the outfields in the Caribbean are really slow. When you hit the ball in the gaps, you probably end up struggling to get two,” he said.

Read More: Australia pacers wreaked havoc on West Indies in Kingston: Why they are the best in the business

Lucrative T20 contracts, and low salaries in West Indies cricket
West Indies batters are power hitters and easily get lucrative T20 contracts from across the cricketing world. This has forced the batters to take early retirement from international cricket, and play purely as a freelance T20 cricketer across the world, and earn more in a month of T20 tournament than they would in a year in international cricket. 

A case in point is Nicholas Pooran who retired at just 29 from international cricket in June 2025. And a few months ago, he was retained by Lucknow Super Giant for Rs 21 crore for the 2025 IPL season. 

In contrast, West Indies Test cricketers earn $150,000 to $300,000 annually as part of their central contract or Rs 2.5 crore, which is just over 10 pc of what Pooran earned in two months in IPL 2025. 

Hence, these T20 contracts are a big lure to pull top West Indian cricketers from leaving international cricket for these domestic T20 tournaments.

The way forward
West Indies need to work on paying better salaries to their players if they want to abstain their cricketers from leaving international cricket for lucrative T20 contracts. Besides, West Indies cricket needs to improve their cricketing infrastructure to produce better skilled players as Chase said, “I think the systems in the Caribbean are a bit poor in terms of training facilities and stuff.” 

He also admitted finance is a challenge in West Indies cricket. “Whatever help we can get, if they are planning to get the help, I hope that we do get it so that we could strengthen the infrastructure for cricket,” he said.

Also, West Indies cricket needs to prioritize Test cricket, as the lure of T20 cricket is draining their best talent out of the country. West Indies’ domestic cricket needs to be revamped that focus on white-ball cricket instead of the slam-bang version of T20 cricket. 

Read More: West Indies continue to struggle in Tests: A tale of their travails