The first Test between West Indies and South Africa is all set to take place at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad from Wednesday. This match is part of South Africa’s tour of the West Indies, which includes two Tests under the 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship cycle, followed by a three-match T20I series.
Historically, West Indies have fared very poorly against South Africa in the longer format, having never secured a victory in a multi-match Test series against them. Their sole series win dates back to 1992, in a single-Test encounter.
While the hosts, led by Kraigg Brathwaite, would be hoping to create history, South Africa will be looking to continue their dominance in the Caribbean, aiming for their fifth Test series triumph away from home in the two-match series.
Playing at home, the Windies would be missing their vice-captain Alzarri Joseph who has been rested citing workload management as Kemar Roach returns from injury to replace him in the side. Wicket-keeper batter Joshua da Silva has been elevated to the role of vice-captain in the absence of Joseph.
On the other hand, Shukri Conrad’s Proteas will be going into the series at full strength with the exception of Marco Jansen who has been rested for the Test series. Matthew Breetzke is the only uncapped batter to be picked for the series while Ryan Rickleton also makes a comeback to the red-ball squad after featuring in the last Test series against West Indie at home.
What has happened so far?
The two-match Test series in the Caribbean is crucial for both teams, considering their recent results in this World Test Championship cycle. West Indies are currently at the bottom of the standings, having played seven matches, winning just one and losing five. South Africa has played only four Tests so far, losing three and winning once.
West Indies recently toured England for a three-match Test series, which they lost 3-0, with batting being a major concern throughout the tour. In the first Test, they were bowled out for less than 140 in both innings, resulting in an innings and 114-run defeat.
The second Test saw them post 457 in their first innings, gaining a 41-run lead, but they crumbled to 143 in the final innings, chasing 385. The third Test didn’t bring any respite as they suffered a 10-wicket loss.
South Africa’s last assignment in red-ball cricket was in February during a tour of New Zealand, where they faced a 2-0 series defeat with a second-string squad due to SA20 league commitments.
The inexperienced side lost the first match by 281 runs and the second by seven wickets. Prior to that, in December-January, South Africa played a two-Test series against India with a near full-strength team, winning the first match by an innings but losing the second by seven wickets.
Head to Head Record
The head-to-head record in Test cricket between West Indies and South Africa heavily favours the Proteas. Out of 32 Test matches played, South Africa have emerged victorious 22 times, while West Indies have only managed three wins, with seven matches ending in a draw.
As for recent times, South Africa has won all of the last five encounters between these two teams.
Key Players
Kemar Roach (West Indies): The veteran fast bowler Kemar Roach, who missed the England series due to a knee injury, is back in action and will have to play a big role in this match-up. He has slowly and steadily put his name amongst the best pacers of his time.
Roach has picked 270 wickets in his 17-year long career at an average of 27.74 and strike rate of 53.5. He has taken five wickets in an innings on 11 instances, with one 10-wicket in a match.
In the last four years, Roach has established himself as one of the best pacers of the generation, picking up 66 wickets at an average of 27.98, along with two five-wicket hauls. He is also extremely handy in home conditions, where he averages 22.53, and West Indies would want him to be at his best if they want to beat the higher-ranked opposition.
Rabada is hailed as one of the best this generation
Kagiso Rabada (South Africa): Kagiso Rabada is hailed as one of the best pacers of his generation and his record speaks for itself. The right-arm fast bowler has played 62 Tests for South Africa, taking 291 wickets at an excellent average of 22.05 and a strike rate of 39.23, which is the best for anyone who has taken at least 120 Test wickets.
In the last eight Tests, Rabada has snared 39 wickets at an even better strike rate of 30.97. Overall, he has registered 14 five-wicket hauls and four hauls of 10 wickets in a match. Against West Indies, Rabada has claimed 23 scalps in four games at an average of 11.21 and will be key in this game.
Predicted XIs
West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite ©, Mikyle Louis, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma ©, David Bedingham, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi
Prediction
Given their historical dominance, South Africa holds a significant advantage in this match-up. They haven’t lost a Test to the West Indies since 2007 and appear stronger on paper for this series as well.