WI vs ENG | 3rd Test | Match Preview, Predictions, Fantasy XI

The 3rd Test match of the ongoing England tour of the West Indies will be hosted at the picturesque National Cricket Stadium, St. George’s in Grenada, on Thursday (24th March). It will be the first time a Test match will be held at the venue after almost seven years.

That said, history hasn’t been too kind to hosts, looking at the Test records at the venue. In the three games played at National Cricket Stadium, West Indies have failed to open their account with the win. As a matter of fact, Windies lost the previous encounter against England at the same venue in 2015. 

The series currently stands in a stalemate with two draws already, when it comes to the scoreline. While the first Test at Antigua witnessed a see-saw battle between the two sides, the 2nd Test result was primarily affected due to the flat surface offered at Barbados. 

England declared after posting a mammoth total of 507 in the 1st innings in the previous game. While West Indies, in reply, registered a score of 411 before getting bundled out. 

Captain Joe Root and Ben Stokes proved to be the standout batters, with their exceptional knock in their first innings at Barbados. The hosts counter-punched with vital knocks from Kraigg Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood. 

Meanwhile, the likes of Jack Leach, Jayden Seales, Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph have been amongst the wickets in the series. All in all, the stage is set for an exciting finale of this series which has lived up to its expectations.

Match Details:

West Indies vs England- Richards-Botham Trophy

Date and Time- 28th March 2022, 7:30 PM IST 

Venue- National Cricket Stadium, St. George’s, Grenada

Broadcast- Live streaming will be available on FanCode mobile app in India

Pitch report

Results from the recent past have shown that the pitch has offered assistance to both batters and bowlers. Thus, creating exciting contests at various stages. However, the batters have generally struggled with the new ball on this surface. 

Weather forecast

Clouds are expected to loom over the ground consistently throughout the five days of the game, with 57% chances of rain on Day 1. Moreover, conditions will likely remain partly sunny with occasional clouds cover. 

Squads:

West Indies

Kraigg Brathwaite(c), Jermaine Blackwood, Shammarh Brooks, Nkrumah Bonner, John Campbell, Kyle Mayers, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva, Alzarri Joseph, Veerasammy Permaul, Anderson Phillip, Kumar Roach, Jayden Seales. 

England

Joe Root (c), Jonny Bairstow, Zak Crawly, Matthew Fisher, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Works, Mark Wood. 

Probable Playing XI:

West Indies

Kraigg Brathwaite (c), John Campbell, Shamarh Brooks, Nkrumah Bonner, Jermaine Blackwood, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Veerasammy Permaul, Jayden Seales

England

Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Joe Root (c), Daniel Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes (wk), Chris Woakes, Matthew Fisher, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood

CE Fantasy XI:

Joe Root, Kraigg Brathwaite, Jermaine Blackwood, Chris Woakes, Ben Stokes, Jason Holder, Kemar Roach, Mark Wood, Alzarri Joseph, Jack Leach

Captain - Ben Stokes

Vice-Captain - Kraig Brathwaite