England vs West Indies 2020, 2nd Test: West Indies Predicted Playing XI

West Indies could not have asked for a better beginning to their high-profile tour of England as they secured a tight but a famous victory in the first Test. The win at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton gave them a lead ahead of the next two fixtures in Manchester. It is also the first time they have been in the lead since 2000 in England. There is no denying that the tourists switched on to their top gear in Southampton, inspired by their captain Jason Holder.

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Holder’s six-wicket haul in the first innings enabled the West Indies to dismiss England for 204 after which they went ahead by 114. They bounced back again during England’s second innings after looking slightly off colour initially.

Shannon Gabriel took nine wickets in the match while Jermaine Blackwood’s 95 helped them gun down 200 with relative ease. A draw in both the Tests would be enough for West Indies to retain the Wisden trophy while another Test triumph will give them their first series victory in England since 1988.

We take a look at the predicted XI for the West Indies ahead of the second Test:

John Campbell:

John Campbell might most probably retain his spot for the second Test in Manchester following a satisfying outing in Southampton. The only thing that can keep Campbell away from the first Test is the toe injury that he suffered in the second innings.

A searing injury Jofra Archer yorker forced him to hobble off the ground; however, he returned later to steer West Indies to a victory from a slightly nervous position. The 26-year old will look to get at least a half-century under his belt to get his case for selection watertight for the future.

Kraigg Brathwaite:

Kraigg Brathwaite looked solid in the first innings, top-scoring with 65 as it enabled his side to take a substantial lead of 114. The half-century was also his first since July 2018 and gave him a new lifeline being part of the West Indian side since a decade now.

Nevertheless, the second innings did not pan as well for the right-handed batsman, departing for 4 through a Jofra Archer-snorter. Despite that, he will keep his spot for the next two Tests. Brathwaite’s spin is also a significant reason why the West Indies must retain his services in Manchester.

Shai Hope:

Shai Hope’s form in ODIs and Tests beams a stark contrast. Hope arrived in England with a massive reputation, having ushered West Indies to a famous victory in Leeds in 2017. Since then, the right-handed batsman became a mainstay in the West Indies’ ODI setup. However, he could make far from a significant impact in Southampton.

In the first innings, Dom Bess dismissed Hope for 16 as he chased a full ball that drifted away to take the edge and be caught by Ben Stokes. In the second innings, a Mark Wood-corker slid right through the gate, clattering his stumps for 9. Hence, the Barbadian would be looking for telling score to prove a point.

Shamarh Brooks:

Shamarh Brooks was one of the newest players in the West Indian side and touring the nation for the first time. And in his first innings, his technique looked immaculate against the likes of James Anderson, Archer, and Wood, making 39 off 71 deliveries.

He added 38 with Brathwaite and 33 with Roston Chase in the first innings to put the West Indies in the front foot. Despite getting a duck in the second innings, Brooks is likely to retain his position; however, would be looking to build upon his starts.

Roston Chase:

Roston Chase came to England with plenty of reputations and expectations. As one of the vital cogs in the middle-order across formats, Chase’s responsibilities increased manifold in the absence of Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer. And it is safe to say that he did his job in the first Test. The Barbadian followed up his gritty innings of 47 from 142 deliveries in the first innings to a more useful 37 in the second.

Chase’s 37 helped bring back the visitors in the game after early losses dented their hopes of chasing 200 successfully. Nevertheless, Roston Chase would be looking forward to touching the three-figure score as underlined by him before. With the ball, the 28-year old picked up two wickets in the second innings and his role would be essential at the Old Trafford, which favours spinners due to its bounce.

Jermaine Blackwood:

Jermaine Blackwood was central to the tourists’ triumph in the first Test in Southampton, striking 95 off 154 deliveries under pressure. Blackwood came to the crease when England smelt blood after reducing the West Indies to 27-3, defending 200 in the fourth innings.

The right-handed batsman made up for his careless shot in the first innings to playing sensibly and defiantly in the second. Even after the Jamaican’s partnership of 73, Blackwood kept playing enterprising strokes to push the hosts on the brink.

Shane Dowrich (wk):

Shane Dowrich was yet another central figure to the Carribeans victory in Southampton. With a dogged fifty in the first innings, Dowrich kept the West Indies from plummeting down quickly. While the keeper-batsman began aggressively, he was quick to change his gameplay to suit his side’s needs. Unlike his counterpart Buttler, the 28-year old’s performance behind the stumps was also clean and should not be a surprise if he retains his place.

Jason Holder:

West Indies’ captain Jason Holder was a major inspiration behind their historic triumph in Southampton. In bowler-friendly conditions, Holder used his bowling skills to great effect, extracting significant movement off the pitch to unsettle the English batsmen.

His career-best figures of 20-6-42-6 enabled his side to skittle the hosts for 204. In the second innings, the 28-year old again picked the scalp of Stokes, which was his only but made a substantial tilt towards their hopes. Holder would be looking forward to inspiring his team a touch more to retain the Wisden Trophy and give the West Indies their first series win in England since 1988.

Alzarri Joseph:

It is safe to say that Alzarri Joseph went marginally unnoticed in Southampton due to the heroics of Shannon Gabriel and Holder. While he was not amongst the wickets in the first innings, he was instrumental in England’s second with his quick, crisp, and accurate piece of bowling.

During the closing minutes of day four, the Antiguan plucked a stunning return catch off Zak Crawley to dismiss him for 76. The speedster also went on to dislodge Jos Buttler’s stumps, who began his innings brightly with two boundaries. Joseph would want to create more impact with the red cherry to make himself a prospect for the spearhead in the near future.

Kemar Roach:

Kemar Roach may have had a Test to forget, having ended up wicketless across two innings. The 32-year old is one of the prolific and underrated Test bowlers of the present era. It was his threatening spells in Southampton that allowed the bowlers from the other end to make breakthroughs.

Hence, the veteran is likely to retain his spot for Manchester. With 193 Test wickets to his name so far, Roach is seven away from becoming the first West Indian bowler since Curtly Ambrose to reach 200 scalps.

Shannon Gabriel:

Shannon Gabriel was arguably the best bowler from either side in Manchester. Blessed with an ability to bring the ball sharply in, Gabriel was venomous in England’s first innings, dismissing Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, and Joe Denly. He took four wickets in the first innings.

In the home side’s second innings, the 32-year-old was as much significant as Joseph in pegging back England. The Barbadian claimed the wickets of Bess and Ollie Pope to leave them eight down with one day to go. Gabriel was the one to remove the last two batsmen on day five to complete his fifer and give the West Indies a winning chance while also bagging the man of the match award.

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