The West Indies, heartened by a series levelling victory at Port-of-Spain, will take on New Zealand in the third and deciding Test match starting here Thursday.
|Last Updated: Jun 26, 2014, 12:34 PM IST|Source: IANS
Bridgetown (Barbados): The West Indies, heartened by a series levelling victory at Port-of-Spain, will take on New Zealand in the third and deciding Test match starting here Thursday.
Denesh Ramdin`s men will attempt to continue from where they left off when they defeated Brendon McCullum`s side by ten wickets to level the three-match series one-all, reports CMC.
West Indies are unlikely to make any changes to the eleven that squared the series despite the availability of off-spinner Shane Shillingford, who missed the last Test due to a niggle.
New Zealand have brought in left-armer Neil Wagner as the third seamer in place of the legspinner Ish Sodhi, whose four wickets were expensive in Trinidad.
"I think the Test cricket that we played in Trinidad, that is the sort of Test cricket that we want to play," said head coach Ottis Gibson.
"Obviously the opposition is not going to allow you to play that sort of cricket all the time but that`s the cricket we want to play and that`s what we will set out to do."
The Black Caps, who have won only one series in the Caribbean, in 2002, and who pounded the West Indies in the opening Test at Sabina Park, will be hoping to maintain a reputation that has been growing over the last two seasons.
But Chris Gayle who blasted a match-winning unbeaten 80 off just 46 balls on the last day of the Trinidad Test, says he is looking forward to batting at Kensington Oval.
"We got to be positive. The start is going to be important for us as opening batsmen. Once we get the start and use home advantage to the best we will see what happens," said Gayle.
"Kensington is a good wicket to bat on. It`s a fantastic ground. I love playing here.A And you get quality for your shots as well so it`s something I am looking forward to."
With Kemar Roach and Jerome Taylor, leading the West Indies fire power the bowling looks threatening on a Bridgetown pitch that promises to be seamer-friendly.
"Kensington always has a little bit in it for the bowlers as well," the West Indies coach said.
"New Zealand will not mind that either."
The final Test match could result in a milestone for comeback kid Taylor, the leading wicket taker in the series with 10.
Taylor, who has kept batsmen under pressure with accurate bowling, is eight short of 100 test wickets.
"Jerome Taylor has been a very good leader of our attack and everyone has confidence from the win in Trinidad and the ultimate goal is to win the series," said Gibson.
West Indies were motivated by the performances of two in-form players for the Trinidad Test -- Kraigg Brathwaite and rookie Jermaine Blackwood.
Brathwaite scored his maiden Test hundred while Blackwood impressed with 63.
"Very impressive, being on the bench and for a young player to actually come in playing his first game for the series to be able to get a hundred that`s fantastic," Gayle said of Brathwaite, the Barbadian batsman.
"That`s a bright future for West Indies cricket. So hopefully he can actually carry on here on his home turf and get another century in front of his home crowd."
The Test will be the 50th to be played between the two countries at the historic Kensington Oval.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.