Preview:
West Indies and England are all set to clash in the first of the three-match Test series, starting from Tuesday. England are coming on the back of a heavy Ashes defeat at the hands of Australia, and are languishing at the bottom of the WTC 2021-23 points table. As for West Indies, they faced a 2-0 series defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka last year.
The first Test will be played at North Sound, followed by further matches in Barbados and Grenada. Joe Root, who had a magnificent year in 2021 will lead the visitors’ charge. Meanwhile, the hosts will be led by the opening batter, Kraigg Brathwaite.
Match Details:
West Indies vs England, 1st Test
Venue: North Sound, Antigua
Date & Time: March 8-12, at 7:30 PM IST & 10:00 AM Local Time
Live Streaming: Fancode
WI vs ENG, 1st Test Pitch Report:
It will be interesting to see how the pitch pans out. Generally, wickets in the Caribbean start out being friendly to the batsman. As the match progresses, bowlers seem to get more purchases from the wickets. Jack Leach and Veerasammy Permaul can play an important role in the second half of the Test match.
Injury News:
Ollie Robinson sustained a back injury during the warm-up game and has been ruled out of this game.
Also Read: Sunil Gavaskar breaks silence over controversial statements on Shane Warne
WI vs ENG, 1st Test Probable Playing XIs:
West Indies
John Campbell, Kraigg Braithwaite (captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Jermaine Blackwood, Shamarh Brooks, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Kyle Mayers, Jason Holder, Kemar Roach, Alzzari Joseph, Veerasammy Permaul
England
Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Joe Root (c), Daniel Lawrence, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Ben Stokes, Ben Foakes, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Mark Wood, Jack Leach
Top Picks for WI vs ENG Dream11 Match:
Top Picks – Batters
Joe Root had an incredible 2021 season, where he smashed 1708 in Test cricket at an average of 61.00. He has scored 9600 Test runs in his 10-year long career, averaging just under 50, with 23 centuries and 53 half-centuries. Against West Indies, he has 933 runs to his name at an average of 54.88.
Kraigg Braithwaite remains the key batter for West Indies. The hosts’ skipper has scored 4402 runs in Test cricket at an average of 32.6. The West Indian batting lineup has some fine talents, but the skipper has to lead from the front in a crunch series like this one.
Top Picks – All-Rounders
Ben Stokes is probably the perfect all-rounder for your side. The English all-rounder is a destructive lower-order batter and is a pretty useful bowler in such conditions. In 76 Tests, he has scored 4867 runs at an average of 36. With the ball in hand, he has picked up 167 wickets at an average of 32.30.
Jason Holder will play a key role in the hosts’ chances against England in this series. The all-rounder has 138 wickets to his name in 53 Test matches at an average of 27.1. His output with the bat has improved over the recent years, as he has scored 2477 runs at an average of 31.00.
Top Picks – Bowlers
Mark Wood would be the leader of England’s pace attack in this game and the team would expect him to deliver a great performance. Wood has taken 81 wickets in 25 Test matches at an average of 31.75. In the Ashes 2021-22, Wood finished as the leading wicket-taker for England as he managed to pick 17 wickets in four games.
Alzarri Joeseph has featured in six Test matches against England and has taken 13 wickets at an average of 40.69. He would be walking into this game to improve his records against the English team. Overall, Joseph has picked 40 wickets in 17 Test matches at an average of 39.95.
Top Picks – Wicketkeeper
Jonny Bairstow last played a Test match against Australia in Sydney where he scored a century in the first innings. In the second innings, he made 41 runs off 105 deliveries and helped England draw the game and avoid a whitewash.
WI vs ENG Must Picks for Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
| Player | Career Test Stats |
| Joe Root | 9600 runs |
| Ben Stokes | 4867 runs and 167 wickets |
| Kraigg Braithwaite | 4402 runs |
| Jason Holder | 2477 runs and 138 wickets |
| Jonny Bairstow | 4575 runs |
Suggested Playing XI No.1 for WI vs ENG Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
Jonny Bairstow (vc), Joe Root, Nkrumah Bonner, Daniel Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Jason Holder (c), Chris Woakes, Kemar Roach, Veerasammy Permaul, Jack Leach, Mark Wood
Suggested Playing XI No.2 for WI vs ENG Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes, Kraigg Braithwaite, Joe Root (c), Shamarh Brooks, Ben Stokes (vc), Jason Holder, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Alzarri Joseph, Mark Wood
WI vs ENG Risky Captaincy Choices:
Shamarh Brooks has played eight Test matches and has scored 422 runs at an average of 28.13. He might be a risky option as the captain of your fantasy team.
Veerasammy Permaul has picked 26 wickets in seven matches at an average of 35.73. It might be a huge risk to pick him as the captain of the fantasy team.
Player you should avoid:
Alex Lees would be making his Test debut in this game. He has scored over 7000 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 34.89. You can avoid him in your fantasy team.
