The second Test series in the Australian summer gets underway in Adelaide on Wednesday when West Indies are the visitors to take on the World Test champions Australia in the first of two matches this month.
Australia go into the series off the back of a routine 3-0 win over Pakistan earlier in the summer while West Indies are playing Test cricket for the first time since July, a series they lost to India so they could do with offering something here.
Australia
Australia will enter a new era in this Test series as they will embark on a red ball match without David Warner for the first time since his retirement. Steven Smith has been given the opening role and it will be interesting to see how they go with their rejigged batting line up. Australia have been the best red ball side in the world for a while and you would imagine they wouldn’t need to hit their best form to come out on top here.
The main reason why Australia are so good in this format is their ability to take wickets at all stages of an innings. Their new ball pairing get a lot of plaudits but when the game goes flat they have a spinner that can move the game on. Like all good teams they also have an all-rounder who is worth his place in the side with the bat and the ball. You fancy the only real opposition to Australia in this match could be complacency but having recently concluded a series with Pakistan that is unlikely.
West Indies
We keep hearing how Test cricket needs a good West Indies but in truth it has been a while since we last saw a version of that. In normal times they would have a bowling attack which could be a threat in this series but the pitches in the Caribbean have tended to favour spin much more recently and that could be to their detriment in this match. They might well go ok with the new ball but once the ball goes old they could be found wanting a touch.
If West Indies are going to be competitive in this match then their batting is going to need to be at its very best. They have a bit of a young batting unit out here so in one way they will go into the match with no battle scars but at the same time they could be found out in conditions which will be alien to them these days. Adelaide is usually a good ground for batting so their batters will need to contribute if they are going to push Australia here.
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Team News
Australia have confirmed that Cameron Green will fill the void left by Steve Smith at number four in what is an otherwise unchanged side from the one which beat Pakistan earlier in the summer. Matt Renshaw and Scott Boland will miss out.
West Indies have confirmed that they will give debuts to Kavem Hodge and Justin Greaves in this match. Shamar Joseph is another who will be given his first Test outing in what is a very young side for the Caribbean men.
Betting
Adelaide Oval is usually a high scoring ground and I suspect it will be here too but I still don’t see West Indies filling their boots on it against this Australia attack. The problem West Indies have in the batting in Test cricket is both inexperience and that they don’t score overly quickly so when wickets start to fall there isn’t much on the scoreboard. We saw Australia rout a much better Pakistan batting unit a couple of times and I would be surprised if West Indies score well in this match.
It might be that someone has a day out and gets them towards a 200 score but in the main I don’t see West Indies scoring 500 in this match or if they do then it won’t be too many more. That makes me think that the 1106.5 run line is a little too high. Even if Australia make 550 batting first there is every chance that they win by an innings and if they bat second and have got rid of West Indies cheaply they probably won’t bat on as long as 550. Unless West Indies stand up to this Australia attack, and I don’t think they will, this line looks way too high to me.
Tips
Back Under 1106.5 runs for a 3/10 stake at 1.83 with Bet365
