West Indies & Pakistan clash in Test series opener: Preview
What's the story
West Indies and Pakistan, two of the lowest-ranked teams in the current World Test Championship cycle, are set to clash in a two-match Test series. The Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba will host its first-ever Test match, becoming the 13th venue to do so on Caribbean soil. Both teams have struggled recently, with Pakistan losing 12 of their last 16 Tests, while West Indies have managed just one win from their last 10 outings. Here is the match preview.
Opportunity
West Indies's pace attack expected to be strong
For the hosts, this series presents a rare opportunity to score some much-needed points.
Their pace attack, led by Shamar Joseph's raw speed and Jayden Seales's impressive record against Pakistan, is expected to be strong despite Alzarri Joseph's unavailability.
The West Indies batting order also looks promising, with Amir Jangoo's double-century against Sri Lanka hinting at potential talent that could shine on the international stage.
Leadership shift
Shan Masood sacked as captain
Pakistan have made some changes to their Test squad with Shan Masood sacked as captain after a disappointing two-and-a-half-year tenure.
Babar Azam will be taking over the reins again.
The return of Aamer Jamal, a seam-bowling all-rounder, is also an interesting development for Pakistan ahead of this series.
His presence could provide balance in the lower order and help determine the best bowling combination on a new Test venue.
Weather prediction
Weather can impact the game
July is Trinidad's wettest month, and rain is expected on most days of the Test match.
The second half of the opening day is likely to be rain-affected.
Meanwhile, pitches in Trinidad have been flat and slow lately.
Pacers are expected to get some assistance early on owing to the overcast conditions.
Meanwhile, the action will get underway at 7:30pm IST.
H2H
Decoding their head-to-head record in Tests
As per Cricinfo, the two teams have been involved in 56 Test matches so far.
While 19 games have gone in Pakistan's favor, West Indies have prevailed 22 times (15 draws).
Coming to their battles on Caribbean soil, West Indies have won 13 of their 28 Test matches against Pakistan (eight losses).
Pakistan's only Test series triumph against West Indies in away conditions came in 2017.
XIs
Here are the probable XIs
West Indies probable XI: Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Brandon King, Kavem Hodge, Shai Hope, Amir Jangoo, Roston Chase (c), Joshua da Silva (wk), Jomel Warrican, Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph, Kemar Roach.
Pakistan probable XI: Azan Awais, Abdullah Fazal, Shan Masood, Babar Azam (c), Awais Zafar, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Sajid Khan, Mohammad Ali/Ali Usman, Mohammad Abbas.
Performers
Here are the key performers
Babar's captaincy record in Tests is impressive, with an average of 50.79 and four centuries under his belt while leading the side.
Jayden Seales, who has arguably been WI's best Test bowler in recent times, owns 14 Test wickets against Pakistan at 18.
Mohammad Abbas's 21 Test wickets in the Caribbean have come at a sensational average of 21.14.
Shai Hope scored a brilliant 112 in his last Test outing, against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
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