- By BV Swagath
The third and final Test of the Investec Series between England and West Indies will begin tomorrow at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The Series is already sealed by England after victories in Lord’s and Trent Bridge so it’s all about saving themselves from a whitewash for the West Indies.
West Indies will find it tough in the Third Test with their batsmen not delivering big enough. The visitors have been thoroughly outplayed by a much superior side in England. The visitors would be hoping to wrap up the Test Series and look forward to the ODI Series in which they certainly have a better chance of beating England because of the comeback of Chris Gayle.
The visitors could sense an opportunity though of atleast putting the English batsman under pressure with the prospects of mystery spinner Sunil Narine likely to make his Test Debut tomorrow. Cricket fans would be eagerly waiting for Sunil Narine’s Test Debut as he has quite a lot of variations to capture heaps of wickets in Test Cricket unless and until he fades out like an Ajantha Mendis.
England on the other hand will make atleast one change to their line-up with James Anderson rested for tomorrow’s Test. There could be an opportunity for either Steven Finns or Graham Onions in the playing XI and both are top class seamers in their own right. West Indies will not find any respite just because James Anderson isn’t going to play tomorrow’s Test Match at Birmingham.
The only respite that West Indies might find is the wet weather in store at Birmingham. The weather sites predict that each of the five days of the Third Test at Edgbaston could be hit by rain.
England Squad for 3rd Test at Birmingham: Andrew Strauss (Captain), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Jonathan Bairstow, Matt Prior (Wicket Keeper), Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, Graham Onions and Steven Finn
West Indies Squad: Darren Sammy (Captain), Adrian Barath, Kieran Powell, Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels , Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Fidel Edwards, Assad Fudadin, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin (Wicket Keeper), Ravi Rampaul, Shane Shillingford and Tino Best
