The final Test of the ongoing series between England and West Indies will be played on 26th July at Edgbaston.
Match Preview
After taking an unassailable lead in the ongoing Test series, England will take on West Indies for the last match at Edgbaston. Nevertheless, this Test match will be crucial for England as it will set their position in the ongoing ICC Test Championship.
England are currently placed at sixth position in the WTC points table, with five wins and six defeats before their name. It is important to mention that the Three Lions have played a total of 12 matches thus far.
Ben Stokes’ men have collected 45 points after defeating West Indies in the second Test match, with a win percentage of 31.25. They have won two games after facing defeat against India in the three-consecutive Test matches.
In order to make it into the final, England will have to win their remaining of the Test matches. It would be interesting to see how the “Bazball” side will achieve this feat.
The return of Chris Woakes has been fruitful as he took 6 wickets in the second Test match whereas Mark Wood remained unlucky and struggled to take wickets. Shoaib Bashir has been top-notch.
Ollie Pope finally showed some signs of comeback as the batter was struggling to get going off late. All eyes will be on Zak Crawley as he bounces back after a rusty outing in the second Test.
On the other hand, West Indies will be looking to make a comeback. Although they won’t be able to make it into the final of the Test Championship, a win, however, will be very good for their confidence.
The Caribbean side has struggled to get going after making history against Australia earlier this year. One of the reasons can be, players, not ready to invest in their Test career as it was pointed out by Brian Lara.
While West Indies showed moments of brilliance and defiance in the second Test match with Kavem Hodge was the centre of attention after plundering maiden Test hundred. Alick Athanaze and Joshua Da Silva also chipped in with crucial runs scoring 82 runs, respectively.
Jayden Seals and Shamar Joseph were pick of the bowlers for the West Indies while the latter also chipped in with crucial runs too. Nevertheless, all the eyes will be on Louis and Hodge to replicate their heroics with the bat.
Pitch and weather report:
The pitch at Edgbaston has been of a balanced nature, providing some assistance to batters in the first overs. While pacers can also make the mark in the overcast conditions. The average first inning total has been 317. So, a captain who wins the toss will love to bat first to bowl under favourable conditions in the next half of the match.
Head-to-head records:
A total of 165 games have been played thus far between these sides, and surprisingly West Indies lead the tally by 59 while England succeeded in 53 games.
Predictions:
Even though West Indies showed some sign of greatness in the second Test match, England are still favourites to win the game and complete a clean sweep against the tourists.
Where to Watch:
Pakistan: Tapmad
India: SonyLiv
US: Willow TV
Windies: Sports Max/Flow Sports
Uk:Sky sports
Australia:Foxtel
Ireland: BT sport
Others: Crichd.tv (Live Streaming)
