West Indies and South Africa. (Source – Twitter/X)
The two-match Test series between West Indies and South Africa gets underway with the first game beginning on Wednesday, August 7, at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
The hosts are coming into this clash on the back of a 0-3 drubbing against England. Kraigg Brathwaite’s men lost the first game at Lord’s by an innings and 114 runs, the second at Trent Bridge by 241 runs, and the third at Edgbaston by 10 wickets. However, in the second and third Tests, the Caribbean side showed glimpses of improvement. At home, the West Indies will look to give a good account of themselves against an upbeat South African side.
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On the tour of England, Kavem Hodge finished as the third-highest run-getter, scoring 216 from six innings at an average of 36. He scored a brilliant 120 off just 171 balls in the second Test and would want to go from strength to strength against South Africa. Meanwhile, Jayden Seales was the second-highest wicket-taker, bagging 13 wickets from three games at an average of 27.23 and a strike rate of 35.69. He can cause a lot of discomfort for the South African batters if he can find his rhythm.
Meanwhile, the Proteas played their last Test series against New Zealand in February. However, most of their star players skipped the tour to play in the SA20. While New Zealand won both the games in the series, many young South African players got to showcase their skills at the international level.
David Bedingham was the third-highest run-scorer in the series as he registered scores of 32, 87, 39, and 110 in the four games. The 110-run knock in the second Test at Seddon Park came off just 141 balls. Meanwhile, off-spinner Dane Piedt picked up eight wickets in the second Test, averaging 22.75.
South Africa played a warm-up game against West Indies Championship XI in Tarouba, Trinidad ahead of the first Test against the Caribbean side. After conceding 397 runs in the first innings, the tourists declared at 408/9. The home side were 46/4 in their second innings when the match ended in a draw. Kagiso Rabada and Piedt bagged three wickets apiece in the first innings. In the second innings, Lungi Ngidi picked up three wickets. With the bat, Aiden Markram, captain Temba Bavuma, Bedingham, Ryan Rickelton, and Kyle Verreynne scored half-centuries.
West Indies went to South Africa last year to play a two-match Test series. The Rainbow Nation won both games comprehensively. The Windies would want to turn the tables this time.
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Match Details:
| Match | Venue | Date and Time |
| West Indies vs South Africa, 1st Test | Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad | Wednesday-Sunday, August 7-11, 7:30 PM IST |
Head-To-Head Records
| Matches | Won by West Indies | Won by South Africa | Draw | No Result | First-ever Fixture | Most-recent Fixture |
| 32 | 03 | 22 | 07 | 00 | April 18, 1992 | March 8, 2023 |
WI vs SA Probable Playing XIs
West Indies:
West Indies will need to back their players who showed promise at certain stages of the Test series against England. The return of the experienced Kemar Roach, who missed the England series due to injury, will bolster the fast-bowling attack. However, Alzarri Joseph has been rested and he would be a huge miss for the hosts. Keacy Carty is in line to make his debut as Kirk McKenzie has been dropped from the side following a dismal run in England.
Predicted XI
Kraigg Brathwaite (C), Mikyle Louis, Keacy Carty, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva (WK), Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph.
South Africa:
South Africa will be without the likes of Anrich Nortje and Gerald Coetzee but they have enough depth in their pace attack to compensate for the two right-arm seamers. Piedt has performed consistently in recent times and he could be played as the second spinner alongside Keshav Maharaj. This would add a lot of depth to South Africa’s bowling unit.
Predicted XI
Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (C), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (WK), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
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