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West Indies
Sri Lanka
For the opening Test of the series, West Indies and Sri Lanka will begin a new battle in Antigua after sharing success in the white-ball leg. Sri Lanka will enter this match with confidence after winning the ODI series, while West Indies will take momentum from their 2-1 T20I series victory. However, the longer format will present a different challenge for both teams.
Recent Test numbers suggest that neither side has dominated consistently. West Indies have remained without a win in their last 5 Tests, while Sri Lanka have managed one victory during the same period. Head-to-head records will also favour Sri Lanka, who have won 3 of the last 5 Tests against the Caribbean side, with the other 2 matches ending in draws.
Sri Lanka will rely on their stronger recent Test record, while West Indies will look to use home conditions to break its winless run.
Sri Lanka's top order has been in stronger Test form, and with Nissanka, Chandimal and Mendis carrying solid recent numbers, they are well placed to produce the highest individual score in the match.
The betting tip is...
Top Batterβs Team - Sri Lanka
61 %
39 %
West IndiesSri LankaJoshua Da Silva and Amir Jangoo earned recalls to the West Indies Test squad after strong performances in the WI Championship. Da Silva returns after scoring 996 runs across the last two domestic seasons and finished as the leading scorer in the recent championship with 413 runs in 7 innings.
Jangoo also impressed, scoring 411 runs in 7 innings and finishing second on the run charts. His unbeaten 203 for Trinidad & Tobago against Leeward Islands was the standout knock of the tournament.
West Indies also welcomed back Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph after both missed the tours of India and New Zealand due to injuries. Da Silva replaced Tevin Imlach, who managed 81 runs in six innings in New Zealand after scoring 33 runs in his debut Test in India. Roston Chase remained the captain of the Test side.
King, Hope and Shamar are the key players.
Predicted Lineup: John Campbell, Brandon King, Shai Hope, Roston Chase (c), Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Jomel Warrican, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales.
Sri Lanka entered the series with a balanced squad led by Dhananjaya de Silva. The side had multiple wicketkeeping options, with Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal emerging as the leading candidates behind the stumps.
Chandimal arrived in strong form after scoring 786 runs in his last 10 Test matches at an average of 46.24 and a strike rate of 50.15. Pathum Nissanka also produced consistent returns, scoring 768 runs in his last nine matches at an average of 51.20 and a strike rate of 71.57. Kusal Mendis remained one of Sri Lanka's key batters across formats.
The bowling attack was led by Prabath Jayasuriya, who claimed 46 wickets in his last 9 Tests. Asitha Fernando also impressed with 29 wickets in the same period. Vishwa Fernando and Lahiru Kumara added further experience to the pace attack.
Nissanka, Chadimal and Mendis are the key batters.
Predicted Lineup: Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kamindu Mendis, Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando and Lahiru Kumara.
Sri Lanka will start this Test with a slight edge based on recent red-ball form and their strong record against West Indies. Their batting unit looks more reliable, with Nissanka, Chandimal and Mendis all capable of playing long innings. Nissanka has been in excellent form, including two 150+ scores in the recent series against Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka has dominated the batting charts in the previous Test meetings between these sides, producing the highest scorer in all 4 matches mentioned.
With Prabath Jayasuriya leading a proven bowling attack and several batters carrying strong recent numbers, Sri Lanka will likely control the key moments of the match and have a strong chance of producing the standout batting performance once again.
