Cricket is finally back, as England and West Indies are all set to play the first Test of the 3 match series. The match will be played at Rose Bowl, Southampton behind closed doors. The hosts England will be looking to continue their rich vein of form in home conditions.
They have a star-studded bowling attack with James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer in their ranks. Joe Root will miss out from the first Test as he is expecting the birth of his child. England’s charismatic all-rounder Ben Stokes will lead the side for the very first time in his career.
West Indies on the other hands have a very talented and exciting side that can surprise England. West Indies captain Jason Holder will hope that his fast bowlers Kemar Roach, Justin Gabriel and Alzzari Joseph can find a crack in the top order of England.
In the batting department, they will depend heavily on Shai Hope who helped his side level the series in England in 2017.
Pitch Report
The pitch hasn’t been used in the last 3-4 months so it will be interesting what the captain does who wins the Toss. The track at Southampton in recent years have tended to provide spinners assistance once the surface gets used.
It is anticipated to be a good battle between bat and ball as both team will be looking to adjust quickly to the pitch on offer. There is a chance oh heavy thunderstorms in the first two days of the Test which will be perfect conditions for good old swing bowling in England.
England vs West Indies Fantasy Tips
First of all, it is important to select a team. As they say in cricket, you don’t score any runs in the dressing room. Similarly, a player who is not playing cannot score points for you.
Dream 11 has made a change in its rule by which you can alter your team even after the toss. Thus, you can pick your team according to the playing XI of both sides.
Predicted Playing XI
England: Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Joe Denly, Zak Crawley, Ben Stokes ©, Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler (wk), Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes/ Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, James Anderson.
West Indies: Kraigg Brathwait, John Campbell, Shamarh Brooks, Shai Hope, Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich (wk), Jason, Holder ©, Rakheem Cornwall/Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel
Injury Update
Apart from Joe Root who will miss the Test as he and her wife expecting their second child, all England players are fit and available for selection. Same with the West Indies side as they are expected to field their strongest possible XI.
Key Players
England:
Ben Stokes will be captaining his side for the very first time and the onus will be on him. He was sensational in 2019 with both bat and ball and will be looking to continue his terrific form.
James Anderson the legendary fast bowler will be a major threat for the West Indies top order. The fast bowlers will be looking to pick wickets and inch closer to 600 career wickets mark in Tests.
Ollie Pope the middle-order batsman earlier in South Africa this year scored his maiden Test ton. In the South African series, he scored 266 runs at an average of 88.66.
West Indies:
Jason Holder, the number one all-rounder in Test cricket will be looking to continue his form against England. Holder scored a double ton against England in the last test series the two teams played.
Kemar Roach has picked 71 wickets at an average of just 21.28 since August 2017. He also has a great record against England as he has picked 42 wickets in 10 Tests against them at an average of 26.
Shai Hope is the mainstay of the fragile batting of the West Indies side. He scored twin centuries against England at Headingly in 2017 which helped his side draw the series 1-1. The right-handed batsman will be crucial for the West Indies and his side will heavily depend upon him.
Dream 11
