West Indies vs New Zealand 1st Test Preview – Experts’ Predictions and Analysis
Our team make their predictions...
West Indies are making their first return to play in New Zealand for the first time since 2017 and they will not have any easy task ahead of them with a practically unstoppable New Zealand test team standing before them. Our Caribbean Cricket analysts have put in their major predictions ahead of the first test, with a West Indian spin on things.
Our analysts, Machel St. Patrick Hewitt, Santokie Nagulendran and Nikhil Uttamchandani predicted some of the Windies’ major talking points in this series.
Predicted Starting XI for 1st Test
Machel:
Braithwaite
Campbell
Brooks
Bravo
Blackwood
Chase
Dowrich
Holder
Chemar Holder
Roach
Gabriel
Nikhil:
Braithwaite
Campbell
Bravo
Brooks
Blackwood
Chase
Dowrich
Holder
Joseph
Roach
Gabriel
Santokie:
Braithwaite
Campbell
Bravo
Brooks
Blackwood
Chase
Dowrich
Holder
Joseph
Roach
Gabriel
Player to Watch
With several new faces coming into the squad as well as players with a point to prove, there will be several players to watch.
Here is who the analysts selected…
Machel: Darren Bravo
It is time for Darren to make up for lost time. Easily the most technically gifted international batsman we have. He has the hunger to score runs again and big runs at that
Santokie: Jason Holder
It may seem obvious to pick the team’s captain as one to watch, but Holder will be crucial, firstly with the ball, as we saw in the First Test vs England, and also the bat, providing valuable lower order runs. As well as that responsibility, he will need to boost morale should the team find themselves faltering
Nikhil: Kraigg Brathwaite
Veteran West Indies opener will have a crucial part to play in this series if the West Indies are to be successful with his main job being protecting the WI batting unit from the rearing New Zealand seamers who will be chomping at the bit. Fresh off of a dominant double hundred in the second warm up match, his top order prowess and gritty approach to batting will be on show.
Breakthrough Star (A-Team Included)
Machel: Shayne Moseley
The Bajan has had a solid couple of years on the domestic scene. In all the talk about the lack of viable openers it has been a surprise to see Shayne not mentioned more.
Santokie: Nicholas Pooran
Having earned plaudits on the T20 circuit, Pooran’s commitment to red ball Cricket has excited fans...he last played in 2014. A classy batsman who can also accelerate, a big score in the A team games running alongside the Test matches will see calls for him to make the West Indian Test XI going forward.
Nikhil: Shayne Moseley
Shayne Moseley has done extremely well in his past 3 first class seasons to merit a place in the West Indies team. His stable technique and temperament has been on display as he has amassed over 400 runs in every season scoring close to 650 in 2018. He was able to bat 53 balls in the first warm up match against NZ ‘A’, batting at #8 and although he will be tested in these conditions, his determination and persistency will be highlighted should he be given the opening spot for WI ‘A’.
Leading Wicket Taker
Machel: Jason Holder
Able to bowl at any point of the innings. Seam and swing. I want to see him focus on his batting more but he is our most consistent bowling weapon.
Santokie: Shannon Gabriel
On pacy pitches suited to his game, and with the series being only two Tests, as long as he avoids injury, Gabriel will be West Indies bowling weapon.
Nikhil: Jason Holder
The West Indies skipper is in scintillating form fresh off of a successful IPL, but he bowled well in his last red ball series against England taking 10 wickets. The bouncy surfaces layered with green grass will definitely aid in his approach and he will need to produce at critical times for his side similar to what he has done in the past.
Leading Run Scorer
Machel: Darren Bravo
As above. In a country where he has been successful before I'm expecting Darren to lead the way.
Santokie: Darren Bravo
Average of 50 overseas, double century here in 2013, and 135 in the warm up match? All signs point to to Bravo putting up big scores in this series.
Nikhil: Darren Bravo
New Zealand, a place where DM Bravo has been extremely successful in the past accumulating his largest score of 218 back in 2013. Bravo averages above 49 against this opposition and he has already displayed his love for playing cricket in these conditions after scoring a blistering 135 in the first warm up match vs NZ ‘A’. His experience in this part of the world will do wonders for this team.
Series Score
Machel: 1-0 Defeat
Santokie: 2-0 Defeat
Nikhil: 1-1 Draw
There you have heard it from our experts, it is time to see how spot on they really are when the first ball bowls off.
Player to watch: Campbell, it's do or die for him at this point
Breakthrough Player: Oshane, looks like he's making some progress and wants to be a WI player.
Most Wickets: Gabriel, toughest one to pick, but he's well rested and had a decent warm-up game, expect to do what he usually does and give his all, his end of day spells are always must see TV .
Most Runs: Bravo obviously.
Not expecting much from this series but we have probably the best team available to us out there. Just don't get embarrassed.