Preview - England vs West Indies
Subtle English weather, lush green outfields and sumptuous backdrops provide a fitting atmosphere to welcome the return of a wonderful sport after a 117-day hiatus due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.
On Wednesday, the Rose Bowl Stadium will take the centre stage as England square off against the West Indies in the first Test of the 'Raise the Bat' series.
"Do it your way." The small letter from Joe Root was clear and concise for Ben Stokes, who would be captaining the side in the absence of Joe Root.
Earlier this month, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced that the three-match Test series would be named 'Raise the Bat,' hoping that the smiles would ignite back on the fans' faces. The series proves to be nothing short of a landmark, provided that, for the first instance, a series will be contested within the bio-secure venues and the newly revised playing regulations. Talking about the retrieval of international cricket, the excitement among fans in social media knows no boundaries.
Match Details
Date - July 8 - 12
Venue - Rose Bowl Stadium, Southampton
Time - 3:30 PM (IST)
Players to watch out for
Ben Stokes
A cricketer who has a propensity to play marathon innings, coupled with his bowling abilities, Ben Stokes has been an indispensable tool in England's arsenal over the last four years. Since 2017, Ben Stokes has racked up 2,154 runs and scalped 68 wickets from 58 innings in Test cricket.
Ben Stokes on Wednesday will become the 81st cricketer to captain the English side in Tests.
James Anderson
It is always a visual delight to watch James Anderson running in full throttle and trapping the batsman with his nagging and accurate lengths. Perhaps one of the all-time greatest bowlers to have ever played the game, Anderson holds the record of registering the most number of wickets by a pace bowler in Tests.
Just sixteen wickets short of achieving the 600-mark, the 37-year-old skilful bowler will be vying for glory. England will be heavily banking on the experience of Anderson to pack a punch against the West Indies' batting attack.
Shai Hope
The young wicket-keeper batsman from Barbados has been a devout performer for the West Indies across all formats in recent times.
England will be keeping a vigilant eye on Shai Hope, taking into account what happened in the Leeds Test, where the batsman registered twin tons to steer the Windies to a nerve-wracking win.
Jason Holder
Inclined to be more recognised as a pace bowler, the West Indies skipper has given a timely reminder of his batting credentials. Jason Holder has scored 1,898 runs at an average of 32.72 and has also registered 106 wickets from 69 innings.
The last time the two teams squared off, Holder played the protagonist role in helping West Indies whip England 2-1 in a three-match Test series. He also emerged as the highest run-getter of the series with 229 runs at a staggering average of 114.50 in 3 innings.
Squads
England 13-member squad for the 1st Test:
Ben Stokes (c), James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler (wk), Zak Crawley, Joe Denly, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
West Indies:
Jason Holder (c), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Chemar Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach
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