England stand-in captain Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bat first against the West Indies in the first match of the three-Test series at the Ageas Bowl on Wednesday. The toss was delayed due to rain.
Lunch was taken early because of the delay.
The match at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton marks the return of international cricket for the first time since March amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
With Joe Root out of action in the first match, stand-in skipper Ben Stokes will lead the side—his first time as captain of any team. Dom Sibley and Rory Burns are expected to open for the hosts, with Joe Denly, Zak Crawley and Jos Buttler providing just enough firepower to the batting line-up. James Anderson will lead the pace bowling attack, which excludes Stuart Broad.
Meanwhile, the West Indies boasts of a formidable bowling attack with Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach playing key roles. The opening pair of Kraigg Braithwaite and John Campbell is expected to maintain stability in the top order for the visitors. Shai Hope is their best batsman in the current line-up, with captain Jason Holder, with a good record against England, bringing in the necessary balance.
The West Indies have not won a Test series in England since 1988.
The weather at Southampton is likely to remain cloudy with a little rain the first two days of the match. The conditions are expected to improve as sunny weather is predicted with little or no rain in the last two days.
The England-West Indies series will be played as per the new COVID-19 guidelines, including repeated testing and social distancing, implemented by the International Cricket Council as the sport resumes in the post-Corona era. The match will be played in a bio-secure environment without spectators.
Teams:
England: 1 Rory Burns, 2 Dom Sibley, 3 Joe Denly, 4 Zak Crawley, 5 Ben Stokes (capt), 6 Ollie Pope, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Dom Bess, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James Anderson.
West Indies: 1 John Campbell, 2 Kraigg Brathwaite, 3 Shamarh Brooks, 4 Shai Hope, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jermaine Blackwood, 7 Shane Dowrich (wk), 8 Jason Holder (capt), 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Shannon Gabriel.
