Time: June 10, 7:30 PM IST
Venue: Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia
Pitch report
The wickets in the West Indies, at this time of the year, are more favourable for the quicks. With the weather being partly cloudy for four days and rain expected to play spoilsport on the final day, the ball is likely to seam and swing more.
Probable XIs
Shannon Gabriel has been ruled out of the series due to a hamstring injury.
West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Kieran Powell, Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Jermaine Blackwood, Jason Holder, Joshua da Silva, (wk) Alzarri Joseph, Rahkeem Cornwall, 1Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales
Temba Bavuma’s inclusion will be decided after a fitness test on the morning of the match.
South Africa: Dean Elgar (c), Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma/Kyle Verreynne, Keegan Petersen, Quinton de Kock (wk), Wiaan Mulder, 8 Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi
Fantasy tips
We have opted for a fantasy cricket team based on recent performances, impact, and credit points.
Players to watch out for
Jason Holder is the No. 1 all-rounder in the ICC Test Rankings. He scored 101 runs and took 7 wickets the last time he played a Test, which was against Sri Lanka earlier this year. In fact he has excellent numbers at home, scoring 1,404 runs at 43.8 and scalping 74 wickets at 22 in 24 games.
Kagiso Rabada has played a mere 2 Tests in 18 months and both came in Pakistan where the conditions did not favour his gameplay. He will be itching to bowl at St Lucia where pacers get enough seam movement and carry to keep the batsmen on the backfoot. He ranks No. 9 in the ICC Test Rankings for bowlers.
Kraigg Brathwaite has 3 fifties in 4 Tests at the venue. In the previous Test for the West Indies, he scored 126 and 85, and has had a decent stint for Gloucestershire in the County Championship.
Aiden Markram was the most successful batsman for South Africa on the tour of Pakistan. He scored 227 runs at 57 including a hundred and a fifty.
South Africa have added four spinners to the squad, but given the conditions, they only need the services of Keshav Maharaj. He has had a terrific time in First-Class cricket this year, taking 31 wickets and scoring 170 runs.
Kemar Roach has impressive figures at St Lucia. In a meagre 3 games, he has managed to pick up 17 wickets at 17.9. At home, his average reads 22 compared to his overall average of 28.
Roston Chase is the only West Indian from the squad to score a century here. Although it came in a losing cause, it displayed Chase’s ability to survive under pressure.
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Prediction
West Indies and South Africa rank Nos. 6 and 7 in the ICC Test Rankings respectively. South Africa haven’t been doing well, making changes in captaincy quite often. On the other hand, West Indies have been involved in close contests of late. They won 1 of 3 Tests in England and both in Bangladesh.
All in all, West Indies have the upper hand. They have got three effective all-rounders in Holder, Chase, and Rahkeem Cornwall, increasing the depth in their batting. On the other hand, South Africa’s batting is thin on numbers, and for them to dent West Indies’ confidence, they will have to rely heavily on their pacers.
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