ABOUT THE MATCH

India can wrap up a 2-0 series win and claim more valuable World Test Championship points as their tour of the West Indies ends with this second test at Sabina Park. The match takes place between August 30 and September 3.

After dominating in the T20i and ODI series, India carried that form into the first test as some of their key players returned. Ajinkya Rahane top-scored in both innings, while Jasprit Bumrah took 5-7 to help bowl West Indies out for 100 in the second innings.

The comprehensive defeat was another blow for West Indies, who are finding a gulf has opened up between them and the top teams. India will now look to wrap up the series win and maintain their winning start to the new World Test Championship.

TOSS PREDICTION

West Indies won the toss and elected to field first at Antigua. India is due to win the toss this time then and may want the first crack at the Sabina Park pitch.

PITCH AND CONDITIONS

The first two days of the test should be played out in excellent conditions, with a little cloud cover but otherwise temperatures in the 30s in Kingston. Isolated thunderstorms are forecast over the final three days, but they should only cause small delays if anything as the overall chance of rain remains low.

Has Sabina Park slowed down in recent years? Certainly, it has in the view of its critics, who grew up with the West Indies’ bowlers unleashing their barrage of hostile pace bowling in Kingston. It may not be as hard and fast now, but it is still a result pitch in test matches

MATCH PREVIEW

INDIA

  • Ravindra Jadeja got the nod as the spin-bowling option for the first test in IND vs WI 2019 series and justified his inclusion as he scored a half-century in the first innings and picked up two wickets.
  • Kemar Roach hit him out of the attack in the second innings, though the game was already all-but-won by that point.
  • With Jadeja in, India opted for three pace bowlers – Ishant Sharma joining Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, which meant no place for either Ravichandran Ashwin or Kuldeep Yadav.
  • Victories over the West Indies and Australia preceded this tour, and India is well on course for beating West Indies 2-0 again – just as they did in October.
  • Ajinkya Rahane top-scored in both innings, while both Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah claimed five-wicket hauls in the match.
  • Bumrah’s 5-7 helped bowl West Indies out for 100 – India’s biggest away win in tests, in terms of runs, as they sealed a 318-run win
Top 3 batsman Sri India Top 3 Middle Order India Top 3 Bowler India
Mayank Agarwal Virat Kohli (c) Jasprit Bumrah
KL Rahul Ajinkya Rahane Mohammed Shami
Cheteshwar Pujara Hanuma Vihari Ishant Sharma

WEST INDIES

  • Shamarh Brooks made his West Indies test debut in Antigua in the first test, but there was no place for Rahkeem Cornwall – the giant off-spinner who was touted for his own test debut.
  • After missing the first test through injury, Keemo Paul is available again and back in the squad ahead of Miguel Cummins.
  • West Indies have lost their last two test matches by heavy margins. They suffered a 232-run defeat to England in March – albeit having already claimed a surprise series win – and then lost by 318 runs to India last time out.
  • None of their batsmen passed 50 in either inning, and it could have been even more embarrassing than it was having been 27/6 and 50/9 before folding for 100 in their second innings.
Top 3 batsman West Indies Top 3 Middle Order West Indies Top 3 Bowler West Indies
Kraigg Brathwaite Darren Bravo Shannon Gabriel
John Campbell Shimron Hetmyer Kemar Roach
Shai Hope Roston Chase Rahkeem Cornwall

PROBABLE WINNING TEAM:

India is huge favorites, having not just beaten West Indies in their last three matches but absolutely thrashed them. The tourists should comfortably wrap up a 2-0 series win.

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