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With West Indies winning the first game of the two-Test series, the hosts will take on Pakistan in the series decider at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica, from August 20.
West Indies seem to be getting into their dangerous, lost groove. The Windies are now showing glimpses of their old selves and are on the verge of making it a habit of winning against some quality sides consistently. The Third Test is crucial for this young team because a win or a draw could do much good for their confidence.
The hosts finished a memorable first Test against Pakistan by holding their nerve in a tricky 168-run chase. The track was not conducive for batting as both sides struggled to put runs on the board, with the highest total of the Test coming in the second innings (253 – West Indies).
The surface seamed and seamed as pacers picked up 39 of the 40 wickets that fell in the game, with the spinners having a tertiary role to play in the proceedings.
While West Indies did finish on the right side of the first Test, the hosts need to address their batting issue if they are to put up a comprehensive and convincing display in the second Test. Windies desperately need their top order to fire or at least hang in, until the ball isn’t swinging as much. Kraigg Braithwaite carried the top order for the Windies in the second innings but could not do it again in the fourth.
Pakistan on the other hand, have got their own issues to address. The beauty of this series is that both sides will go into the second Test unsure about their batting combination. Pakistan also share a similar top-order concern like their counterparts. It will be interesting to see if their top-three will be given an extended run to prove their mettle and quality in some challenging conditions.
However, Windies skipper Kraigg Braithwaite opined that there would be a “different pitch” for the next game, indicating that there would be better batting conditions on offer for both sides.
This one bit of information could prompt the visitors to go unchanged into the next game, at least when it comes to their batting. Yasir Shah’s form could be a potential cause of worry for the visitors as they will need their talisman to strike in the second Test.
Key Players
Kraigg Braithwaite is one of the most patient batters going around, and it only became evident in his monk-like knock of 97(221) in the first Test. That knock was a classic Test innings but a run-out, in the end, snatched a much-deserved century from Braithwaite. The Windies can count on their skipper to fire again in the series decider, and Braithwaite will look to lead from the front.
The Pakistan skipper Babar Azam can never really be counted out. Even though Azam did not have a convincing Test match by his own standards, he managed to stitch a much-needed and a potential match-defining 55 in the second innings. The right-handed batsman will hope to convert his starts into something much bigger and influential in the series decider. With a career average of 42, Azam will look to build on it and Windies will be happy with their ability to keep the Pakistan skipper at bay in the first Test.
Jayden Seales had his best Test match in his short career thus far, in the first Test. The seamer picked up eight wickets in the previous game while showing immense maturity and courage in the tricky 168-run chase, to help West Indies take a much-needed and much-deserved series lead at Kingston. Heading into the series decider, the 19-year-old will have his confidence right up there and will look to repeat his heroics to help the Windies script a memorable series win,
If it was Jayden Seales for the hosts, it most certainly was Shaheen Afridi for the visitors. The 21-year-old was the go-to bowler for his skipper and consequently finished with eight wickets in the game. Afridi has grown a lot as a seamer and is transitioning smoothly into one of the best that Pakistan has produced in recent times. Having played 18 Tests in his career thus far, Afridi has managed to pick up 66 scalps and will only look to add to it in the crucial series decider.
Prediction
While the visitors are known for their unpredictable brand of cricket, the hosts will anticipate Pakistan to come hard at them. Having secured a memorable and difficult win, after having been reduced to 114-7 in their pursuit of 168, the Windies’ confidence will be sky high and will undoubtedly enter the series decider as the favorites.
