Proteas captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and opted to bat first against the West Indies on the opening day of the first Test of a two-match series at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad on Wednesday.
Having just returned from a 3-0 series hammering inflicted by England, the hosts have made three changes from the side whipped by ten wickets in the final Test in Birmingham just ten days earlier.
Keacy Carty makes his Test debut in the batting order at the expense of Kirk McKenzie while the bowling line-up is adjusted with experienced seamer Kemar Roach back after missing the England campaign because of injury. Jomel Warrican returns to the team alongside fellow left-arm orthodox spinner Gudakesh Motie with pacers Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph making way for them.
This is South Africa’s first Test since putting out a depleted team for two matches in New Zealand five months ago, where they lost both matches.
They have opted to go with just one specialist spinner in Keshav Maharaj. Kagiso Rabada spearheads a pace attack which also includes Lungi Ngidi and Wiaan Mulder. Tristan Stubbs has been chosen for the key number three position in the batting order with the in-form David Bedingham also expected to play a key role.
South Africa’s last Test match defeat in the Caribbean was in 2001 and they won the most recent series against the West Indies 2-0 at home last year.
Teams: West Indies – Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Mikyle Louis, Keacy Carty, Alick Athanaze, Kaven Hodge, Jason Holder, Joshua da Silva (wicketkeeper), Kemar Roach, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales, Jomel Warrican.
South Africa – Temba Bavuma (captain), Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verrynne (wicketkeeper), Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
AFP