India in West Indies 1st Test Preview
Wed, Aug 21, '19
2019-2021 ICC World Test Championships (WTC)
The ICC Test Championships is a two-year Test league. The league’s group stage will run from July of 2019 to March of 2021; following which, the two teams with the most points will compete the finale. The West Indies are among nine nations set to participate in the WTC: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies.
Each team will contest six series in the group stage; three at home and three away. The minimum number of games in a single series will be two, with the maximum being five Test matches. Not all participating countries will come up against each other in the competition’s two-year cycle. Additionally, not all Test matches contested between the period of July 2019 and March 2021 will be under the WTC. The nations competing against each other will decide on which series will be considered as part of the tournament.
Finally, there will be 120 points to be distributed equally among wins for every series contested in the Championship. Therefore, the number of points allotted to a single win will depend on the number of games in the series. Because there are two games in this series; each win will be worth 60 points; with a draw being valued at a third of the points for a win in a specific series, a draw in this series will be worth 20 points. If a team should fall behind the over-rate, two points will be deducted at the end of the game for every over that team comes up short.
Now, having yet to earn a single win on India’s tour of the West Indies, the hosts will be hoping for a change of fortune when they turn their attention to the longest format. WINDIES’ curtain-raiser for their participation in the WTC is scheduled for Antigua on the 22nd of August. With one local lad—Alzarri Joseph—out and another—Rahkeem Cornwall—in, along with the inclusion of Keemo Paul, Cricket West Indies has entrusted the following squad with the hopes of Caribbean fans: Jason Holder, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shannon Gabriel, Kemar Roach, Shane Dowrich, Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul, John Campbell, Shamarh Brooks and Rahkeem Cornwall
Boasting a record of five wins and a draw in their last eight home Test matches, it seems the West Indies have hit upon something. And it is no coincidence that the timeline of the notable differences in pitch preparations—which was also highlighted throughout CPL18—matches up with these results. Neither is the fact that the rich vein of form from WINDIES’ seam trio (Gabriel, Holder & Roach), which has seen them account for 106 wickets among themselves in this period—also fits into the same time frame.
But as we head into this series, all things do not remain equal. The wicket in Antigua, which has so kindly handed Holder’s side two of their last five wins was deemed “below average” by the ICC, for which the ground received a demerit point earlier this year. If the curators, in their adjustments, overcompensate—failing to strike the balance—then the West Indies might well go into the first Test without a “key player” that the Caribbean side has just retained—home advantage.
However, under the assumption that the wicket will permit and the curators in Antigua will deliver the goods, Holder must stick to the formula that has worked so well for the West Indies—four seamers, leaving behind unthinking decisions. Decisions such as that which saw Shermon Lewis play ahead of Kemar Roach—whose last innings had produced 5 for 8—in a Rajkot Test that saw us suffering our heaviest defeat in India, by an innings and 272 runs.
The absence of Alzarri Joseph, admittedly, weakens the Caribbean side’s bowling attack, but there is cover enough in Keemo Paul. It will no doubt be a toss-up between the Guyanese and Rahkeem Cornwall, but if the wicket is dissimilar to the last two visits to the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Cornwall should be handed what seems like a long-await Test debut.
There should be much more confidence among Caribbean fans heading into this series, but utterances from the WINDIES camp, such as the unbecoming notion of “batting deep,” which was on repeat throughout the limited-overs leg of the series, will never allow us to get too caught up in hope.
Predicted XI: Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Darren Bravo, Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Jason Holder, Keemo Paul, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel.
Keep an eye out: Kemar Roach v Shikhar Dhawan
West Indies’ only loss in Antigua was to the visitors. The game gets under way at 9:30 am ECT / 8:30 am Jamaica time.
*Written prior to the news of Keemo Paul’s injury.
