West Indies are set to face South Africa in the second and final Test, starting Thursday, August 15. Draws are draining out of Test cricket. The stalemate West Indies and South Africa reached at Queen’s Park Oval on Sunday, a product of the unfortunate alchemy of a uselessly slow pitch and rain that took 148 overs out of the match, is the only draw in the 22 men’s Tests played this year.
Ten of the 22 players had never been involved in a draw, and only one of them – Keacy Carty – was on debut. Granted, seven of those 10 have yet to earn 10 caps. But, the other debutant drawers, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi and Wiaan Mulder, have played 38, 19 and 13. The number of draws has been in the single figures each year from 2014. In the 10 previous years, it was below 10 only in 2007, when it was nine. In the 1970s, 42.42% of Tests were drawn. That went up to 45.86% in the 80s, but came down to 35.73% in the 90s and 26.94% in the 00s.
WI vs SA : Previous Performances
The first Test in Port of Spain, Trinidad ended in a tense draw after South Africa dictated terms for most parts. Rain also played a massive role as frequent breaks took out a lot of time from the match. In the end, the West Indies managed to salvage a draw as South Africa managed to pick up only five wickets in the fourth innings.
In the second innings, several West Indies batters got starts but none of them could score a half-century as the Proteas bowled them out for 233. Keshav Maharaj was the pick of the bowlers, bagging four wickets in 40 overs, conceding just 76 runs.
South Africa showed urgency in their second innings and declared at 173/3 after batting only 29 overs. Tristan Stubbs scored a mesmerizing 68 off 50 balls to headline the onslaught. The West Indies were given a target of 298 to chase in 72 overs. Alick Athanaze scored a brilliant 92 as the home side scored 201/5 in 56.2 overs before Bavuma decided that he had had enough.
The rain breaks deprived the fans of what could have been a fascinating finish to the game. Maharaj picked up four wickets in the second innings as well and was fittingly adjudged Player of the Match. Both teams will look to come hard at each other in the second Test and seal the series. Fans can expect another exciting contest in Guyana.
WI vs SA : Head to Head
| Matches | 33 |
| Won by West Indies | 03 |
| Won by South Africa | 22 |
| Draw | 08 |
| No Result | 00 |
| First-ever Fixture |
April 18, 1992
|
| Most-recent Fixture |
August 7, 2024
|
WI vs SA : Pitch Conditions
With only two Tests played at this ground, and the last of those 13 years ago, there is scant data to go on for what to expect here, but the first-class numbers may tell us something. In 2023, it hosted three red-ball matches and the average first-innings score of 206, which suggests that batters are in for another tough outing. The venue seems to offer enough for both seam and spin with quicks taking 67 wickets in 2023 at 20.20 and an economy of 3.35 and spinners 49 wickets at 21.20 with an economy rate of 2.55.
There are some afternoon thunderstorms forecast throughout the match, but the outlook is mostly sunny and dry. The players may need a few extra drinks breaks, though as temperatures will hover in the upper-30 degrees range but with humidity above 90%, so the real feel will be closer to 40 degrees.
A pitch almost as slow as Trinidad’s. Runs come just 0.03 per over faster at Providence compared to at Queen’s Park Oval. But only two Tests have been played at Providence, the most recent of them more than 13 years ago. The weather looks slightly better – rain has been forecast for all five days, but not as much as in Port-of-Spain.
WI vs SA Big Picture : West Indies, South Africa look to go back to winning ways
That competitive edge we were hoping for in the series opener showed itself on the last day of the rain-affected match, where both teams did all they could to avoid a draw. In the end, too much time was lost to rain and they had to settle for Test cricket’s first draw in 28 matches. The teams will want to get back to winning ways in Guyana.
Happily, the elements are not expected to have as much of an impact and more play should be possible. Both teams have plenty of things to work on. At the outset: getting a batter (or two) to convert a start into a three-figure score will be top of mind. Three South Africans – Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs – and one West Indian – Alick Athanaze – scored half-centuries in Trinidad and there were nine other individual scores in the 30s, which suggests that getting in was less of an issue than staying in.
The placidity of the pitch aside, batting in this series appears to be a test of patience and the likes of Kraigg Brathwaite and David Bedingham, who are known for their ability to hold vigils in the middle, could be among those to watch out for.
For bowlers, the challenge of Test cricket is always time-based as they seek to stay disciplined for long periods. This series appears to demand more than most as Jayden Seals – who bowled eight spells in South Africa’s first innings in Trinidad – and Keshav Maharaj – who sent down 40 successive overs in West Indies first innings – showed. We’ve seen excellent examples of persistence and quality of skill which should continue into the second Test, where there’s plenty at stake.
West Indies remain rooted to the bottom of the World Test Championship points table and are seeking their second win. Their next assignments are against Bangladesh in the Caribbean followed by a tour to Pakistan, and they will want to maximize all the home advantage they can.
The drawn first Test means South Africa will face each of their next seven Tests in this World Test Championship cycle as a must win. If they manage a perfect record, their chances of qualifying for the final will be almost certain. If they slip up somewhere, they could still get to Lord’s but will have to rely on other results, among teams who play far more than they do, to go their way.
WI vs SA : In the Spotlight: Alick Athanaze and Kyle Verreynne
Alick Athanaze fell eight runs short of a first Test hundred in Trinidad, helped save the Test and looked comfortable against the short ball, and used the sweep shot well. His composure against South Africa’s more experienced players – Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada – was also impressive.
He has already been identified as a key cog in the revival of West Indies’ long-format fortunes and could underline that with another big performance at a place in which he has historically done well: Guyana. Athanaze has played two first-class matches in Providence and crossed fifty three times. He scored 66 against Guyana in 2019, and 81 and 97 against Jamaica in March 2023.
If South Africa want the option of playing only six batters, they will have to believe Kyle Verreynne can score big runs when needed. He’s had a stop-start time in the Test squad, was dropped for the now retired Heinrich Klaasen, and faces some competition from Ryan Rickelton. So, Verreynne will want to make use of the opportunities he gets quickly, he has not gotten past 39 in his last five innings. But he will want to draw from his first-class success, where he averages almost fifty, to find form in Tests.
WI vs SA : Vital stats that matters
- There have only been two Test matches played at Providence before and West Indies have a 1-1 record. They lost to Sri Lanka by 121 runs in 2008 and beat Pakistan by 40 runs in 2011.
- Aiden Markram had never been part of a drawn Test before the Trinidad match. He was part of a 37-game streak in which games have either been won or lost by South Africa.
- Kagiso Rabada needs five wickets to get to 300 in Tests. If he gets there in this Test, he could be the fastest South African to reach the landmark by number of balls. Rabada has bowled 11,596 balls in Tests so far. Dale Steyn, the quickest South African to 300 wickets by number of matches, got there in 12,605 balls. That gives Rabada 168.1 overs to get to 300 quicker than Steyn.
- In 15 home Tests between 2018 and 2021, Jason Holder took 64 wickets at an average of 16.4. Since 2022, in six home Tests, he has seven wickets at 58.85.
WI vs SA : Playing XI
West Indies:
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite mentioned after the first Test that some players might be rested to manage their workloads. However, it will be quite perplexing if they decide to bench some of their key players as the second Test will decide the fate of the series. Also, the Windies’ next Test series starts on November 22. Therefore, the red-ball specialists will get decent amount of rest before this match. If the West indies management feel that the pitch will aid pacers more than the spinners, Shamar Joseph could come in place of Gudakesh Motie.
Predicted XI
Kraigg Brathwaite (C), Mikyle Louis, Keacy Carty, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva (WK), Kemar Roach, Gudakesh Motie, Jomel Warrican, Jayden Seales
South Africa:
South Africa have a good balance in their side, with Wiaan Mulder playing the role of a seam-bowling all-rounder. They are likely to stick to the same playing XI unless some last-minute injury pops up.
Predicted XI
Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (C), David Bedingham, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne (WK), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
WI vs SA Fantasy XI : Keacy Carty, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma ,Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Jomel Warrican, Ryan Rickelton
WI vs SA : Match Prediction
The West Indies and South Africa will square off in the decisive second Test, starting August 15 at Providence Stadium in Guyana. The first Test in Trinidad ended in a draw, the only stalemate in Test cricket this year. The match was largely affected by rain and a slow pitch that yielded little for bowlers. The winner of the upcoming game will seal the series.
The first game was competitive because there was not much time and South Africa took a risk of declaration. But the Proteas were the better team, and we back them to win the second match.