The China Mail - Australia choose to bat first in first Test against West Indies

Seeking to end a span of 34 years without a home series win against the Australians and 22 years without a single Test match victory over the same opponents on Caribbean soil, West Indies have made wholesale changes since the drawn series in Pakistan in January.

In his 50th Test, off-spinning all-rounder Roston Chase returns from a three-year absence to lead a side which has only former captain Kraigg Brathwaite, all-rounder Justin Greaves and left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican as survivors from the series-levelling victory on a raging turner in Multan five months ago.

Brandon King, a regular opener in white-ball formats, debuts in the middle-order while Shai Hope returns to Test duty after three-and-a-half years.

He is preferred as wicketkeeper ahead of the incumbent Tevin Imlach.

Smarting from the loss to South Africa in the World Test Championship final at Lord's less than two weeks ago, Australia go into the match without either of senior batsmen Steve Smith or Marnus Labuschagne for the first time since December 2018.

Sam Konstas returns to open with Usman Khawaja after two Tests against India in the last Australian summer in place of Labuschagne.

Josh Inglis, who scored a century on debut in the opening Test of the series in Sri Lanka four months ago, fills in for the injured Smith, who is expected to be back in the side either for the second Test in Grenada or the series finale under lights in Jamaica.

West Indies pulled off a dramatic six-run victory in the last Test meeting of the two teams, a day/night fixture in Brisbane in January, 2024.

That series-levelling win, inspired by Shamar Joseph's seven for 68 on the final day, was their first Test victory in Australia for 27 years.

Teams

West Indies: Roston Chase (capt), Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Brandon King, Shai Hope (wkt), Justin Greaves, Alzarri Joseph, Jomel Warrican, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales

Australia: Pat Cummins (capt), Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wkt), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon

Umpires: Nitin Menon (IND), Richard Kettleborough (ENG)

Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)

V.Fan--ThChM