Fresh from a defeat in the 2025 ICC World Test Championship final against South Africa, Australia will now take on hosts West Indies in a two-Test series. The series opener will be played from June 25-29 at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. This match will mark the start of both teams’ campaigns in the new WTC cycle, and Australia will be keen to start on a positive note.
The prevailing northeast trade winds are a constant in beautiful Barbados but the winds of change have swept through both the West Indies team and Australia as they begin a new World Test Championship cycle in Bridgetown.
After the disappointment of the World Test Championship final defeat, Australia’s return to the Caribbean was always going to feel like a bit of a reset heading into the new WTC cycle.
But that was accelerated by the axing of long-time No.3 turned opener Marnus Labuschagne and the injury to superstar Steve Smith (he could return for the second Test), forcing changes to the Aussie batting line-up. It turns the national men’s side’s first Test matches in the West Indies in 10 years into a series of auditions for this summer’s blockbuster Ashes series, and for the future as well.
WI vs AUS : Previous Performances
The Caribbeans have been struggling in red-ball cricket and have not won a Test series since 2023 against Zimbabwe. There are some big changes within the Test squad, with spin-bowling all-rounder Roston Chase being named as the newest Test skipper, after Kraigg Brathwaite stepped down from the position. This will be another big challenge for a side that is still finding its feet in red-ball cricket.
The Australian team is currently the number one-ranked Test side in international cricket. Though they have suffered a heartbreaking loss against South Africa in the WTC final, the Pat Cummins-led side emerged victorious in the last three Test series they have played. They will be looking to show their dominance in the format going into the series and start the latest WTC cycle afresh.
The two teams last time squared off in a two-match Test series down under last season, where they drew the series 1-1. This was also the series where the West Indies breached the Gabba fortress thanks to a brilliant spell by Shamar Joseph in the second Test. They will be hoping to repeat another historic feat on their home ground as well.
WI vs AUS : Head to Head
The two teams have played 120 Test matches, with Australia winning 63 and losing 33. 25 have been drawn. Meanwhile, their most recent series, which was held in 2023-24, ended in a 1-1 draw. WI won the Brisbane game in that series. They have not won any other Test against Australia since 2004. As per ESPNcricinfo, the Windies have played 50 home Test matches against Australia on home soil. The Aussies have the upper hand, winning 21 (D15 L14).
| Matches Played | 120 |
| West Indies won | 33 |
| Australia won | 61 |
| Draw | 25 |
| Tied | 01 |
| First Meeting | December 12-16, 1930 |
| Last Meeting | January 25-28, 2024 |
WI vs AUS : Pitch and Weather Report
Kensington Oval is an unknown for both sides in some respects given it has hosted just one Test in six years and none in the last three. In that game in 2022, Brathwaite batted for 710 minutes in a draw that arguably was a catalyst for England’s Bazball revolution. This surface looked an interesting one with a mixture of bare patches and areas of more grass, although it was dried out.
Speaking of the surface in Bridgetown, Barbados, it has mostly been a pitch that has supported the batters a lot. While the pacers get a lot of assistance with the new ball, the conditions seem to get better as the game progresses. The last Test match played at this ground was a high-scoring game between West Indies and England, which ended in a draw. Opting to field first can be a beneficial option at this venue.
The pitch at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, is a batting-friendly surface with teams winning the toss opting to bowl first. 20 out of the 55 matches have been won by the chasing team. Having said that, there will be help for the bowlers in the initial few overs at the start of the match, and the likes of Starc and Hazlewood will look to make the most of it.
This surface looked an interesting one with a mixture of bare patches and areas of more grass, although it was dried out. In this season’s four-day Championship there were only two totals over 300 in 12 completed innings.
After some rain in the build-up the forecast is promising for most of the game, with Saturday looking the mostly like to be hit by thunderstorms and showers. Chase termed it a “typical” Barbados surface and expected it to start slow before maybe gathering some pace. The Kensington Oval is known to be a batting-friendly venue in the first couple of days of a Test match. However, it becomes difficult to bat on the last two days as the pitch deteriorates.
As per Cricbuzz, the average first and second innings scores at this venue are 337 and 334, respectively. Meanwhile, the match is scheduled to start at 7:30pm IST on June 25. There is no chance of rain during the match. The temperature is expected to be a high of 32 degrees and a low of 27 degrees.
WI vs AUS : Big Picture : Both Australia and West Indies resets themselves at Barbados
West Indies have not played Test cricket since January in Pakistan and begin the cycle under a new captain in Roston Chase after Kraigg Brathwaite stepped down. Extraordinarily, Chase has not played a Test match since March 2023, having not played in West Indies’ last 13. He leads a new-look squad which, for the opening Test, sees a debut for Brandon King and returns for John Campbell and Shai Hope – the latter as wicketkeeper – for the first time since 2022 and 2021 respectively.
Meanwhile, veteran Kemar Roach was left out of the squad entirely despite playing in each of West Indies’ last three series. Joshua da Silva could not earn a recall either on account of his Gabba heroics against Australia and a recent run spree in the West Indies Championship, with selectors holding firm after dropping him in Pakistan. There are only three survivors from West Indies’ previous Test: Brathwaite, Justin Greaves and Jomel Warrican.
Australia’s “reset” is not quite as extreme following the disappointment of the WTC final loss to South Africa just two weeks ago, but it is significant by their standards. For the first time since December 2018, they will field an XI without either Marnus Labuschagne or Steven Smith on the team sheet.
The selectors finally lost patience with Labuschagne and he has been dropped for first time in six years having been a mainstay of Australia’s top three for 53 consecutive Tests. Smith had played 51 in a row before his gruesome finger injury ruled him out of the first Test of this series. He is a chance to return for the second.
It means Australia do not have a single batter in the squad remaining from the last Test Australia played in the Caribbean in 2015, when Smith made 199 and 54 not out. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon are the only others to have played Test cricket in the Caribbean.
Australia confirmed five days out that Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis will play in Barbados to change the age profile of the side. But they will still only field two players under 30.
Australia rarely undertake full-scale reboots, and it is understandable they have not made sweeping changes following Lord’s given they have lost just one of their past seven Tests and did not lose a multi-Test series during the previous WTC cycle. But they cannot afford a slow start to the new cycle with an inexperienced top six and an aging attack, given they have away tours to South Africa and India in this WTC schedule as well as an Ashes series later in the year.
WI vs AUS : Vital Stats that matters
- Roston Chase’s first Test as captain will be his 50th overall; Jomel Warrican will be playing his 100th first-class match
- Kraigg Brathwaite and Nathan Lyon are the only members of the two XIs that played in the last West Indies-Australia Bridgetown Test in 2012 which Australia won by three wickets.
- Australia have played 11 Tests in Bridgetown. They have won four overall including the last three.
- Despite the drought-breaking Gabba victory in 2024, West Indies have not won a home Test against Australia since the world-record fourth innings chase in 2003. They have not won a home series against Australia since 1991.
- Pat Cummins finished as the top wicket-taker of the 2023-25 WTC cycle, having tallied 80 wickets at an average of 23.48.
- Mitchell Starc (77 wickets) and Nathan Lyon (66) finished third and fourth on the list of top wicket takers in 2023-25 WTC cycle.
- With 1,428 runs at 39.66, Usman Khawaja was Australia’s highest run-getter in the 2023-25 WTC cycle.
- Jayden Seales has a bowling average of 19.63 in home Tests.
- Shamar Joseph produced a majestic seven-wicket haul to help Australia record a historic Test win at Gabba last year.
WI vs AUS : Team News for West Indies and Australia
West Indies :
The significant call made by West Indies was to make Shai Hope wicketkeeper on his return to the side which opens up a spot for another allrounder. Brandon King will make his debut at No. 4. The bowling attack is as expected.Meanwhile, the West Indies team is going through another transition after Kraigg Brathwaite stepped down from Test captaincy.
Roston Chase has taken over the reins with several changes to the squad. The pace trio of Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales, and Shamar Joseph will hold the key for them. Notably, Brandon King and Shai Hope received surprise call-ups for this series
West Indies Playing XI : Kraigg Brathwaite, Mikyle Louis, Shai Hope, Brandon King, Justin Greaves, Tevin Imlach (wk), Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales
Australia :
Australia opted to retain their traditional balance of three frontline quicks and a spinner supplemented by Beau Webster who can provide medium pace and offspin. Josh Inglis will cover for Smith at No. 4. Australia, having lost the World Test Championship final to South Africa, will be looking to start this new cycle on a positive note.
However, they will miss Steve Smith due to injury and Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped for this match. Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis will replace the duo in the XI. Bowling would be Australia’s key strength in this series.
Australia Playing XI : Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
WI vs AUS Fantasy XI : Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales,Travis Head,Alex Carey (wk),Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja
WI vs AUS : Players in the Spotlight : Shamar Joseph and Sam Konstas
Shamar Joseph‘s star looked set to explode on the global stage after he carried West Indies to an astonishing Test victory at the Gabba last year. But with the exception of his 5 for 33 against South Africa in August, he has not quite reached the heights that were expected of him.
He was named West Indies’ Test player of the year at an awards ceremony in Bridgetown on Sunday night but he has not played Test cricket since November and has hardly played at all due to injury and non-selection in West Indies’ white-ball teams. He bowled 31 overs and claimed just three wickets across two innings for West Indies A against South Africa A in early June. The arrival of Australia should give him a boost of confidence given the way he bowled to them 18 months ago.
Similarly outlandish expectations have fallen on Sam Konstas slender shoulders following his spectacular Test debut last Boxing Day against Jasprit Bumrah. But he has only played one Test since and his Sheffield Shield returns were lean at the back end of the summer, with his batting causing some consternation among coaches and selectors.
He has not played a game of cricket at any level since March and has a first-class average of just 34.89 from 30 innings with only two centuries. Yet Australia’s selectors are convinced he is the man to walk out alongside Usman Khawaja in the hope that they can end the revolving door of openers Australia have had since David Warner retired. Sam Konstas is expected to play all three Tests in the Caribbean no matter what, with a view to getting valuable experience ahead of the Ashes.
WI vs AUS : Match Prediction
The average first innings total at the Kensington Oval in 55 Tests is 333, which tells the fact that the team that bats first will have to score around 400 runs to be in a comfortable position.
Australia would like to win the first Test against the West Indies to start the first series of the new World Test Championship cycle on a positive note. As far as the West Indies is concerned, the Roston Chase-led side would take confidence from the come-from-behind win in the final Test against Australia in 2024.
Also Read: WI vs AUS: “Captaining The West Indies Is A Great Job”- Roston Chase Ready To Embrace Leadership