England vs West Indies 2nd Test: 5 things to watch out for as captain Root returns
England and West Indies faced off in an enthralling Test match that marked the return of cricket post the COVID-enforced break. Although regular England skipper Joe Root missed the encounter to attend the birth of his second child, his replacement Ben Stokes and counterpart Jason Holder battled it out in Southampton.
For this Test, however, the Three Lions can call upon the services of their best Test batsman at the moment, and they will need him after the 4-wicket defeat the suffered in the series opener. Riding on Jermaine Blackwood's 95 and Shannon Gabriel's 9-wicket match haul, the Windies pulled off an upset to go 1-0 up in the 3-match series.
With a lot at stake in the 2nd Test, here are 5 things to watch out for at Old Trafford in Manchester, starting tomorrow.
#5 Will the English umpires improve?
A lesser-known fact about the first Test was that the ICC appointed two home umpires for the game, and gave both teams 3 reviews instead of the usual 2 in an attempt to level the playing field.
However, a host of incorrect decisions marred cricket's return. Multiple LBWs were wrongly given out and vice versa, and many clear no-balls were not called. Richard Kettleborough and Richard Illingworth didn't have the best of outings and although the former will be a third umpire for this Test (he is being replaced by Michael Gough), the spotlight will be on the umpires' decision-making.
With the conditions expected to aid fast bowling, the umpires would have to judge many LBWs and caught-behinds, and they will have to be at the top of their game to ensure that the debacle of the 1st Test doesn't repeat itself.