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The 2021-23 cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC) has kickstarted with the England-India Test series in the United Kingdom (UK). West Indies and Pakistan square off to kick off their respective campaigns in this new WTC cycle. Both West Indies and Pakistan had a middling finish in the first WTC edition.
West Indies won just three games (lost six and drawn two) in the inaugural WTC edition, two of which came in Bangladesh earlier this year.
Their major issue has been the batting. Barring Kyle Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner, both of whom have played Test cricket only this year, none of the West Indies batters even average more than 31 in the two-year cycle of the first WTC.
There were only four batters who touched the three-figure mark and two of them were Mayers and Bonner. Meanwhile, the bowling has been decent and hence, they will once again hold the key for West Indies. In the recent Test series against South Africa, West Indies couldn’t post 200 even once across four innings. Hence, the batting needs to step up big time if Kraigg Braithwaite and co are to compete well in this series.
On the other hand, Pakistan had four wins, five losses and three draws in the first cycle of the WTC. While Pakistan’s record has been excellent at home, their record away from home hasn’t been that great. Since the start of 2018, Pakistan have won just four out of their 15 games away from home.
Two of them came in 2018 – one each against Ireland and England and two came this year against Zimbabwe. Hence, Pakistan have also struggled away from home. However, they seem a little better balanced and better placed than West Indies. Their pace attack is well-rounded while the batting can be relied upon to get substantial scores.
West Indies will be out on the hunt for the first Test series win over Pakistan since 2000. Pakistan aim to continue their dominance against West Indies. The last three series in the Caribbean between these two sides have finished in Pakistan’s 2-1 win in 2017 and a couple of 1-1 draws (in 2011 and 2005).
Key Players
The former skipper Jason Holder has been the pillar of this West Indies Test side, delivering with both bat and ball. In the previous cycle of the WTC, Holder accumulated 493 runs with the bat and picked up 31 wickets. His record at home since the start of the year 2018 is mind-boggling. He averages 16.33 with the ball in 13 Test matches after taking 56 wickets. With the bat, he has scored 770 runs averaging 40.52 in the same period. With West Indies top-order iffy, Holder will be the key in the middle and lower middle-order with the bat. On the other hand, his bowling has always been crucial – be it in terms of a holding role or a wicket-taking role.
Kraigg Braithwaite has had a 2021 of two halves. Before the Test series against South Africa, the West Indies skipper had amassed 386 runs at an average of 48.25. He had scored crucial runs at the top of the order in Bangladesh and smashed 126 & 85 in the second Test against Sri Lanka at home. West Indies didn’t lose a single game (out of the four). But against South Africa, he could muster a mere 28 runs in four innings and West Indies lost both the Test matches. Hence, with the others in the batting line-up pretty inconsistent, the onus will be on Braithwaite to lead from the front and get the big scores.
It’s been a quiet year (2021) for Babar Azam in Test cricket. The Pakistan skipper has mustered a mere 124 runs in six innings and has recorded just one half-century. These returns are the lowest that Azam has had in Test cricket since 2017. In the last three years, he has averaged in excess of 55 every year in the longest format. Pakistan hasn’t felt the lack of runs from Azam, but with the Dukes ball likely to zip around, Azam could be critical in that Pakistan batting line-up.
Hasan Ali has been in stellar form with the ball across all formats this year. He returned to the Test fold after almost two years and he has come back with a bang. The 27-year-old fast bowler has returned with 26 wickets at an average of 13.88 and has a bowling strike-rate of 25.8. He has picked up four five-wicket hauls and a 10-fer in the match as well. Thus, Hasan Ali could be vital for the visitors.
Prediction
Test cricket’s head-to-head record between West Indies and Pakistan currently stands at 17 wins for West Indies, 20 for Pakistan, and 15 drawn games. It may seem quite close, but Pakistan has been the dominant team in this rivalry in the recent past. West Indies last won a Test series against Pakistan back in May 2000.
Since then, Pakistan have won 10 Test matches while West Indies have managed to win only four. However, both Pakistan and West Indies have had their share of inconsistencies in the recent past. Pakistan have fared well in Test cricket in 2021 and are on a four-match winning streak.
However, their form in Test cricket away from home has swayed. But given West Indies’ fragility with the bat and larger inconsistencies, Babar Azam and co might just start as slight favourites heading into the Test series.
