West Indies and South Africa will conclude their World Test Championship 2019-21 campaign when they will lock horns in the second Test of the series. Proteas would look to win the series after a comprehensive win in the first Test.
Match Timings: June 18, 7:30 PM IST
Team Preview
West Indies’ hectic home season started with a big loss and they suffered a defeat of an inning that question their caliber. They have a poor side at home in WTC and it was their third loss in five matches. Two matches were ended in a draw which means WI are winless in home Tests this season.
Dean Elgar took the big responsibility to boost South Africa’s performance in the longer format of cricket and it started on a positive note. It will be the last WTC assignment for them and they would look to finish higher in the table. It will also be the last series in the current WTC cycle of 2019-21. On the same day, India and New Zealand will fight for the title in Southampton.
South Africa and West Indies faced each other in Tests after nine years and South Africa dominated the entire game. De Kock scored a fine hundred after a complete bowling carnage from South Africa’s pace-attack who bowled Windies out on just 92. After a big lead in the first innings, Proteas did the same in 2nd innings too. Kagiso Rabad bagged a fifer and West Indies bowled out on just 162 and suffered a defeat of an innings and 62 runs. Aiden Markram scored a half-century which is a good sign. And Ngidi also bagged a fifer in the first innings. Nortje was on fire who picked 7 wickets in the whole match. Temba Bavuma might be back in the squad after recovering from the injury.
Meanwhile, West Indies need to solve their issues if they look to end their WTC campaign. They suffered a 2-0 loss in the first home series in 2019 against India but they beat England in the opening Test of the series, followed by two losses. Their best version came in 2021 when they defeated strong Bangladesh Down Under 2-0. Brathwaite was appointed as the new Test skipper after the Bangladesh series and the Windies didn’t lose a single game out of four matches. It was the first loss of Windies under Brathwaite.
Holder picked 4 wickets and Chase scored 62 in 2nd innings. These are two good things done by Windies in an entire Test match. West Indies will go ahead with both Roston Chase and Rahkeem Cornwall as their main spinners. Jayden Seals made his debut in the last game and he might be retained for this game. Gabriel will be miss out again.
If we talk about both teams’ campaigns in WTC, West Indies, and South Africa both had a disappointing campaign in World Test Championship. Proteas won just one series against Sri Lanka at home and on the other side, West Indies also had one series win in Bangladesh. Hosts even failed to win a single match at home out of five matches, while Proteas also have no victory outside the home in WTC before winning the first Test in St Lucia.
Pitch Report
Daren Sammy Cricket Ground is a quality Test surface and it allows good assistance between bat and ball. The track will get slow later as the match progresses. Pacers will trouble the batsmen in morning sessions. Chasing in 4th innings would be a tough call.
Possible XI
West Indies
Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Jason Holder, Rahkeem Cornwall, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Kieran Powell, Nkrumah Bonner
South Africa
Dean Elgar (c), Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne/Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wk), Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje
Key Players
South Africa
Dean Elgar
Leading run-scorer for South Africa in WTC 2019-21, a handy player at the top
Kagiso Rabada
Can take help from this surface, bagged a fifer in previous game
West Indies
Jason Holder
4 wickets in last game and a quality bowler for WI including his role in batting as well
Roston Chase
An all-round package & had great figures at home in Test format
