WI vs ENG prediction: Who will win the 1st Test?
West Indies and England are set to lock horns in the first game of the three-match Test series on Tuesday, March 8. Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua will host the match.
England, led by Joe Root, had a torrid time in the 2021-22 edition of the Ashes in Australia. The Brits lost the five-match series 0-4 and remained winless in Australia since 2011. Hence, the English team management brought in quite a few changes for the upcoming series.
They dropped James Anderson and Stuart Broad, two of England’s leading wicket-taker in Test series. Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Jos Buttler, Dawid Malan, Dom Bess and Sam Billings did not make the cut either. The uncapped Saqib Mahmood and Matthew Fisher were picked for the Tests.
They also sacked head coach Chris Silverwood, who had to bear the brunt after England’s poor show in the Ashes. The Three Lions, in the meantime, have named their 12-man squad for the opening Test. Ollie Robinson, who suffered a back spasm in the warm-up game, couldn’t make the cut.
All-rounder Chris Woakes, who has been in and out of the playing eleven of late, has been included in the squad. In Buttler’s absence, Ben Foakes is set to keep wickets. Durham's Alex Lees is also set to make his debut as the opening batter along with Zak Crawley.
Mahmood is also set for a Test debut after having impressed in limited-overs formats for England. The pacer also did well for the Sydney Thunder in the previous edition of the Big Bash League (BBL).
West Indies, led by Kraigg Brathwaite, have also made quite a few changes to their squad. Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shai Hope, Jeremy Solozano and Jomel Warrican have been left out of the squad after West Indies’ 0-2 loss to Sri Lanka in November-December.
Fast bowler Anderson Phillip and left-handed batter John Campbell have been called up for the first Test after performing decently in domestic cricket. Shannon Gabriel also missed the bus after failing to recover from a hamstring injury.
Will England (ENG) beat the West Indies (WI)?
Both England and the West Indies are struggling in the 2021-23 World Test Championship. Hence, they have made quite a few changes to their respective squads. But the Brits seem to be in a slightly better position because of the experience they have.
Prediction: England to win the match.