New Zealand vs West Indies | 1st Test: Match Preview, Predicted XI & Dream11 Fantasy Picks
The first Test between New Zealand and West Indies gets underway in Hamilton on Thursday. New Zealand, under the solid leadership of Kane Williamson, will be big favourites on home soil. The Kiwis have rarely lost a Test series at home in the last decade. Against them, a promising but brittle Windies line-up will have an uphill task.
What would give West Indies hope is the quality of their seam bowlers and the possibility of helpful conditions. But in order to capitalise on the good work of their bowlers, the Caribbean batsmen will have to bat way better than what they produced in their last two Tests. This won't be easy against one of the best bowling pairs in world cricket today - Tim Southee and Trent Boult. If they get through them, Neil Wagner will be waiting with a barrage of bouncers.
Brittle Windies Batting
'Calypso Collapso' is a term often used to describe West Indies' batting. There have been instances in the last few years where the side has broken this image with uncharacteristically solid performances. The most prominent among them being the brilliant run chase in Headingly in 2017 and the batting against England at home in the 2019 series.
But with the Windies side, one always gets the feeling that another shambolic performance is just round the corner. Luckily for them, their opener Kraigg Braithwaite has shown good form in the warm-ups. His 248 in the practice game against New Zealand A - a personal best in first-class cricket - is a good omen.
The return of Darren Bravo in the middle order adds invaluable experience and skill. Roston Chase has been a consistent performer by the standards of West Indies. But other batsmen are not always reliable. Shimron Hetmyer is hugely talented, but is a bit too impetuous. Jermaine Blackwood has improved himself from an unguided dasher to a more calculating player, but needs to be more consistent.
Interestingly, the lower order of the batting line-up seems a little more reassuring. Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder have bailed their teams out of trouble several times. But they would need help from the middle order to take their team to a winning position.
Stable New Zealand
Without anyone noticing it, the Kiwis have developed a highly dependable batting line-up. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor are the two superstars in the middle order. But around those two, there are other high-quality batsmen also who have proved their worth with brilliant performances.
Tom Latham has been a regular member of the New Zealand team since 2014 and has become a successful opener for the side. Henry Nicholls has also established himself firmly in the middle order in the last couple of years. BJ Watling is among the best wicket-keeper batsmen in the world but he may be missing due to injury. In his absence, Tom Blundell seems a very capable option. Colin de Grandhomme's injury is a big blow but still, the batting seems very solid.
New Zealand vs West Indies 1st Test: Match Details
Venue: Seddon Park, Hamilton
Broadcast: Amazon Prime Video
Date and Timing: December 3, 3:30 AM IST, 10 PM GMT, 11 AM Local
Pitch Report
The pitch at hamilton does not have any great distinguishing features. Like most venues in New Zealand, what happens in the match has more to do with overcast conditions than those on the track. If the weather stays fine and the hosts don't demand an especially green wicket, it's likely to be a good batting wicket. The last Test here, between New Zealand and England last year, ended in a run-filled draw.
Weather and Toss
There is chance of rain on the first day. If the skies remain overcast, both teams will consider bowling first. Bit of cloud cover is expected on the next two days as well but not too much. Day 4 is expected to be sunny but rain is expected on the final day.
Teams
New Zealand are in doubt over the availability of BJ Watling. In his absence, Tom Blundell may have to keep wickets. In that scenario, a new opening partner will have to be found for Latham as it would be too much for Blundell to perform both the Tasks. Devon Conway has been added to the squad and he is likely to get a go if Watling missed out. The injury to de Grandhomme also ensures a place for Will Young, the 28-year old Central Districts batsman.
Probable XI:
Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson (C), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell (Wk), Will Young, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult
West Indies
With Shai Hope dropped from the team, a crucial spot opens up in the middle order. However, there are two strong contenders for it - Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer. With Bravo's experience and good form in the practice matches, he is certain to get in. But Hetmyer also has a good chance to make it to the side due to the all-round abilities of Chase.
Probable XI:
Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Shamarh Brooks, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich (Wk), Jason Holder (C), Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph, Shannon Gabriel
Dream11 Fantasy Team Suggestions
Tom Latham, Kraigg Braithwaite, Kane Williamson (C), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich (Wk), Jason Holder, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult
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