West Indies and Australia will lock horns in the last Test match of the ongoing series on 12th July at Sabina Park.
Match Preview:
Sabina Park will host the first day and night Test match in history as West Indies will take on Australia in the last Test match of the series. Although Australia has already pocketed the series by winning the first two matches, they would still look to win the last Test for the sake of the World Test Championship.
Australia’s bowlers share the spoils this week like they have done throughout the series. In order for Australia’s bowling quartet to become the first in history to play together with 300 wickets each, Josh Hazlewood needs to take eight more wickets to reach 300. Nathan Lyon needs just two wickets to climb up to second place behind Shane Warne and surpass Glenn McGrath’s record of 563 on Australia’s all-time list. Lastly, Starc could play his 100th Test match.
In addition to being a momentous occasion, the first day-night Test in Jamaica and just the second in the Caribbean will also be a pivotal point in the development of this new West Indies squad.
Daren Sammy, the team’s coach, has been caught between criticizing the batting performances and applauding the team’s excellent bowling. He has pushed his batting lineup to modify their styles and dispositions according to the circumstances.
If anything, West Indies would hope to win this last Test match of the series to have some hope and momentum moving to the second part of the series. They have played good cricket in sessions but to beat Australia they need to play strong cricket in every session.
Probable Playing XI:
West Indies (possible): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite/Mikyle Louis, 2 John Campbell, 3 Keacy Carty/Kevlon Anderson, 4 Brandon King, 5 Roston Chase (capt), 6 Shai Hope (wk), 7 Justin Greaves, 8 Alzarri Joseph, 9 Shamar Joseph, 10 Anderson Phillip/Jomel Warrican, 11 Jayden Seales
Australia (probable): 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Sam Konstas, 3 Cameron Green, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Beau Webster, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood
Head to head record:
Australia and West Indies have played 122 matches against each other. Australia have won 63 while West Indies only stood victorious in 33 matches. 25 games ended in a draw while one game was tied between the sides.
Pitch and weather report:
Although the occasional shower might occur, as it did in Grenada, and some projections indicate Monday will be significantly wetter, the weather seems to be generally favorable for the week. The major obstacle for both teams would be the new lights at Sabina Park and the pink Dukes balls.
The top-order batsmen from Australia complained of “swing and nip” during practice, and the balls had held their hardness for a short while. As they have been in England, the red Dukes have struggled to stay in shape during the series. Although the new lights meet all the necessary requirements, they might not be as bright as the players are accustomed to.
Where to Watch:
West Indies: Disney+ platform.
Australia: Disney+ and Fetch TV.
Pakistan: Tapmad
India: Fancode
