Australia vs. West Indies: First Test Preview

Perth’s Optus Stadium will play host to the first of a two-Test series between Australia and the West Indies beginning tomorrow at 1:20pm (AEDT).

The two sides have not faced each other in a Test series since Australia’s 2-0 series win over the 2015-16 summer in which Adam Voges was named Player of the Series.

Australia and the West Indies’ once revered Test rivalry has been supremely lopsided in recent years with the West Indies’ last victory coming in 2003 in Antigua when Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul hit fourth inning centuries to help the hosts chase down a record 418 runs.

Australia has held the Frank Worrell Trophy since 1992.

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Australia are the world’s number one ranked Test side but have not played since their last-start loss against Sri Lanka in Galle in July when a Dinesh Chandimal double-century boosted the Sri Lankans to an innings and 39-run win.

The West Indies, meanwhile, are the eighth-ranked Test side in the world having last played against Bangladesh in June, where they came away with a 2-0 series victory after outings in Antigua and Saint Lucia.

Australia have already confirmed their side for the first Test, with zero shocks.

David Warner and Usman Khawaja will open the batting with Marnus Labuschagne at three, vice-captain Steve Smith at four, and Ashes hero Travis Head at five.

23-year-old all-rounder Cameron Green will bat at six and be relied on as a fifth bowling option whilst Alex Carey retains his spot behind the stumps.

The reliable bowling quartet of skipper Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood round out the side.

Cult-hero Scott Boland and opener Marcus Harris are the squad members set to miss out on selection for the opening Test.

Australia’s side is about as settled as Test XIs can be, however, it is a slightly different story for the visitors.

Skipper Kraigg Braithwaite will open the batting and is expected to be partnered by debutant Tagenarine Chanderpaul, son of the great Shivnarine.

Raymon Reifer has been ruled out through injury, potentially opening the door for Nkrumah Bonner to slide up to three.

Vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood, Kyle Mayers, and Roston Chase are the named expected to round out the middle-order along with veteran all-rounder Jason Holder.

Wicket-keeper Joshua da Silva likely bats at eight with Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, and Jayden Seales will heading a handy fast-bowling unit.

Chase is expected to be the side’s lead-spinner.

Shamarh Brooks, Devon Thomas, and Anderson Phillip are the squad members expected to miss out on selection.

Australia enter the series as short-priced favourites with bookmakers expecting the hosts to continue their stranglehold over the Frank Worrell Trophy prior to their three-Test series against South Africa.

Starc is only 13 wickets away from becoming just the seventh Australian in Test history to surpass 300 wickets and could move as high as fifth all-time with a strong summer.

Cummins, meanwhile, is only one wicket away from 200 career Test wickets and, should he do it in the first Test, would become the fifth-fastest Australian to do so whilst Warner requires just 183 runs to become the eighth player in Australian Test history to surpass 8,000 runs.