West Indies vs. England 1st Test: Dream11 Prediction, Playing XI Updates & Fantasy Cricket Tips - January 23, 2019
England are back in action after a very successful tour of Sri Lanka as they kickstart their Caribbean tour with the first test set to take place at the Kensington Oval, Barbados.
The West Indies, on the other hand, have been impressive in patches with the likes of Shai Hope and Shannon Gabriel performing well for the Windies throughout the year.
While on paper this match seems to be a mismatch with Joe Root and co already making light work of India and Sri Lanka, there's more to eye with the pace attack the Windies have in their possession.
With a long tour ahead of both teams, this match is sure to set the tone for rest of their clashes.
Squads to choose from
West Indies
Jason Holder(C), Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shamarah Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach and Jomel Warrican.
England
Joe Root(C), Rory Burns, Keaton Jennings, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Ben Foakes, Joe Denly, Sam Curran, James Anderson, Mark Wood, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach and Chris Woakes.
Playing XI Updates
West Indies
Darren Bravo returns to fold after a brief hiatus and should slot in at number three with Brathwaithe and Campbell opening the batting for them.
Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer will again be the ones upon whom the most of responsibility lies. The bowling unit is fairly strong with Alzarri Joseph also back from injury.
Possible XI: Brathwaithe, Campbell, Bravo, Hope, Chase, Hetmyer, Dowrich(WK), Holder(C), Gabriel, Roach and Warrican/Joseph.
England
England should revert back to their three pacer bowling attack with the conditions more suitable for the faster bowlers rather than the spinners.
Jonny Bairstow should continue to bat at No.3 as Ben Foakes keeps wickets for them. Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes would be key for the English if they are to win this match.
Possible XI: Burns, Jennings, Bairstow, Root(C), Stokes, Buttler, Foakes(WK), Ali, Curran/Woakes, Anderson and Broad.
Fantasy Tips and Suggestions
Wicket-keeper
Jonny Bairstow's last test outing saw him score a critical hundred batting at No.3, a position which has been a spot of bother for the English team for a while now.
His form has been pretty good in international cricket and should be the one to be picked over Dowrich and Foakes.
Batsmen
Joe Root and Shai Hope are must-haves in any fantasy team. Both of them are the rocks around which the whole batting units revolve around and are key to their team's fortunes without any hint of doubt.
Rory Burns was decent in the practice match against the President's XI and should be preferred over his partner, Keaton Jennings.
Either of Shimron Hetmyer or Kraigg Brathwaite would also fit the bill with both of them having a relatively better tour of Bangladesh than the others.
All-rounders
Jason Holder has been instrumental with bat and ball over the last few years. His vital contributions down the order add up to his incisive bowling which makes him a valuable asset to the West Indies team.
Sam Curran and Ben Stokes have themselves been rampant in the longer formats with Curran dismantling the Indians with bat and bowl in hand. His crucial lower-order contributions will once again be called upon in what promises to be suitable wicket for fast bowling.
Bowlers
James Anderson and Shannon Gabriel are the spearheads of their side and have the ability to decide a match with just one raging spell.
Both of them along with either of Kemar Roach or Stuart Broad would suffice in putting forth a contest-winning side.
Captain
Joe Root is the prime contender for captain with his knack for scoring runs well noted.
Ben Stokes' all-round ability could also help him gather a few captaincy appointments in the fantasy world with the Durham all-rounder's ability to reverse swing the ball going to come in handy.
Fantasy Suggestion #1: Jonny Bairstow (WK), Joe Root, Shai Hope, Rory Burns, Shimron Hetmyer, Sam Curran, Ben Stokes, Jason Holder, Shannon Gabriel, Kemar Roach and James Anderson. Captain: Ben Stokes.
Fantasy Suggestion #2: Jonny Bairstow (WK), Shai Hope, Joe Root, Kraigg Brathwaithe, Rory Burns, Ben Stokes, Sam Curran, Jason Holder, Shannon Gabriel, Kemar Roach and Stuart Broad. Captain: Joe Root