Aussies v. Windies. Tests.

[Donny]

"Shamar Joseph, the uncapped and unlikely fast bowler from a remote rural village in Guyana, revived flickering memories of West Indies quicks from past eras in an impressive maiden outing on Australia soil.

Barely a year after making his first-class debut having made the decision to leave his family and pursue cricket as potentially a professional career, Joseph is poised to partner a bowling hero Kemar Roach and namesake (though no relation) Alzarri Joseph in the first Test starting next Wednesday.

He was the fastest and most threatening of a West Indies attack in which 35-year-old Roach (2-23) and vice-captain Alzarri Joseph (2-2 were prominent as the visitors ripped through a CA XI's top-order in a devastating post-lunch spell."

CA.

[Donny]

Windies Test squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Alzarri Joseph (vc), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua DaSilva, Akeem Jordan, Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlach, Shamar Joseph, Zachary McCaskie

Somewhat difficult to pick the best XI, with 7 uncapped players in that squad.

Presumably, Captain and V-C, Brathwaite & Alzarri Joseph, will both play. Roach, although not the speedster he once was, will lead the attack and Da Silva is a near certainty, as 'keeper, after his warm-up match century.

Chanderpaul didn't get much time at the crease, in the pre-Test warm-up game, but has shown he can handle Test conditions. If not to open, will bat at 3. As for the rest, it'll be interesting to see which of the rookies will get the nod.

Shamar Joseph is a possible (see above ^).

For the Aussies, Scotty Boland deserves a run. Will one of the incumbent speed trio be 'rested' ?

Cam Green comes in to replace the retired Dave Warner, with Steve Smith to open and Green at #4.

Likely:

Khawaja
Smith
Labu
Green
Head
Marsh
Carey
Starc
Cummins
Lyon
Hazlewood or Boland

Thoughts ?

[Donny]

"Possible West Indies XI: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Shamar Joseph"

CA.

[K]

[Donny]

Steve Smith has scored big against the Windies every time he's played the team from the Caribbean, with 752 runs in seven Tests at an average of 150.4

Likewise, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head both went big in their first taste of the West Indies last summer. Labuschagne hit 502 runs in the two Tests, Head hit 312.

With 79 Tests and 265 wickets to his name, Kemar Roach is easily the West Indies' most experienced bowler. But his numbers in Australia don't make for great reading, with eight wickets in seven Tests at an average of 90.62.

Kraigg Brathwaite's first 10 Test innings against Australia brought only 102 runs (average of 10.2) but since then he's scored 423 runs in eight innings (average 52.8 including a fourth-innings ton against the Aussies in Perth last summer.

[K]

[Donny]

BoM Radar showing quite a bit of rain around Adelaide.

Let's hope it clears by start time, tomorrow.

[Donny]

Has cleared.

[Donny]

Cummins elected to bowl first.

[Donny]

Either way, the Aussies were to bowl. Brathwaite would've batted.

[Donny]

44 years since a Test team has been sent in, here.

[Donny]

Both openers out to Cummins. 2/27.

[Donny]

Alick Athanaze bowled by the Haz for 13.

[Donny]

Alick Athanaze bowled by the Haz (1/9) for 13.

[Donny]

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