West Indies prepare for home Test series
The West Indies Senior Men’s team is preparing for two home Test series this summer, facing Sri Lanka and Pakistan. These series are part of the ICC World Test Championship, with the team aiming for crucial victories on home soil before their away series against Bangladesh in November 2026. The matches against Sri Lanka will be held in Antigua, while the Pakistan series will take place in Trinidad.
The West Indies have a strong record at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, having lost only two of 13 Test matches played there. Their home record against Sri Lanka is also notable, as they have remained unbeaten in Test series against the visitors since 1997. Of the five series contested in the Caribbean since then, West Indies have won twice, with three ending in draws, including the most recent encounter in 2021.
Head coach Daren Sammy highlighted the team’s preparation, stating, “I think we’ve trained specifically to prepare ourselves for the conditions we may face. You know, what we expect here in Antigua and what we must do in order to match the Sri Lankan skill set and get the better of them. We’ve looked at the surface, and we have a fair idea of how it’s going to play. All our preparation has been tailored towards that.”
Key players and milestones
The return of fast bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph, who missed tours to India and New Zealand in 2025, is a significant boost for the hosts. The pace attack has been a major strength for the West Indies at home, achieving a bowling average of 23.13 since the start of 2024, which is the best among full member nations on home soil during that period. Kemar Roach has claimed 54 wickets at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium at an average of 17.07, while Alzarri Joseph has taken 24 wickets at 24.95 at his home venue.
The series could see Kemar Roach reach a significant milestone, as he is six wickets away from 300 Test wickets, a mark achieved by only four other West Indian bowlers. Additionally, Jayden Seales, at 23 years old, is five wickets shy of 100 Test wickets, having taken 95 wickets in 26 Tests. If he secures these five wickets within his next 212 deliveries, he would surpass Mohammad Asif as one of the fastest bowlers to reach 100 Test wickets in terms of balls bowled.
Joshua Da Silva, Seales’ franchise captain and the wicketkeeper for the series, expressed excitement for both bowlers. He noted, “The senior pro (Kemar Roach) is the senior pro. We know what Kemar has done, what he’s capable of doing and what he continues to do.” He added, “I’ll be really excited for him to see him cross that milestone. The energy and the grit and determination, the banter that he has on the field, it’s relentless and it just shows why he is the cricketer that he is.”
Batting improvements and match details
The team has also shown marked improvements in their batting, with five centuries scored in eight matches in the ongoing cycle, compared to two in the previous thirteen matches of the 2023-2025 cycle. Batting coach Floyd Reifer attributed this to a change in approach, stating, “Over the last year we have put in a lot of work with the batters on their individual plans, and as a group and coaching staff we have pinpointed areas which needed to be improved on. Areas of strength we have sought to enhance, and we continue to see a better attitude towards batting and batting for long periods.”
The battle for the Sobers-Tissera Trophy commenced at 10 a.m. local time on Thursday. The first two days of the match have been designated as student engagement days in partnership with Cricket West Indies and the Ministry of Education and Creative Industries, with primary school students attending on day one and secondary school students on day two.
During the first day, Sri Lanka reached a score of 174 for 5, with Dhananjaya de Silva scoring 59 runs from 97 balls and Sonal Dinusha blocking a delivery from Jayden Seales. The partnership between Sonal Dinusha and Dhananjaya de Silva reached 58 runs, with Dhananjaya de Silva achieving his 20th half-century in Tests.
At one point, Sri Lanka was at 168 for 5 after 39 overs, with Sonal Dinusha and Dhananjaya de Silva having formed a 58-run stand. Roston Chase came into the attack for the West Indies. Earlier, Alzarri Joseph had taken 2 wickets for 43 runs from 8 overs, and Jayden Seales had bowled 11 overs for 47 runs without taking a wicket. At the drinks break, Sri Lanka was 150 for 5 after 34 overs, with Sonal Dinusha and Dhananjaya de Silva having built a 40-run partnership.
The West Indies fast-bowling trio of Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, and Kemar Roach had earlier cleaned up the Sri Lankan top order. Dhananjaya de Silva, the captain, was tasked with leading the batting after Dinesh Chandimal’s fifty.
Source: windiescricket.com
