West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite confirmed that Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, and Shamar Joseph will make their debut in the first Test against hosts and world champions Australia.
The Caribbean side carried seven uncapped players to Australia, and Brathwaite broke with tradition and revealed the final 11 on the eve of the Test at the iconic Adelaide Oval.
He said Hodge, the Dominican batting all-rounder, will play his first Test a little more than a month before his 30th birthday and will bat at five behind him and the left-handed trio of Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, and Alick Athanaze.
Similarly, Greaves, the Barbadian all-rounder, will play his first Test a little more than a month before his 29th birthday and will bat at six, while Joseph, the 24-year-old pacer from the remote village of Baracara in Guyana will form the front-line pace attack with the long-serving Kemar Roach and unrelated vice-captain Alzarri Joseph.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Joshua Da Silva, who is fresh from a hundred in the team’s only warm-up before the Test against the Cricket Australia XI, and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie complete the line-up.
“Playing in Australia is amazing. It’s one of the best places to play cricket in the world, and this is what these guys have aspired towards when they were growing up. From me to them, it is to enjoy it and show the world what you have,” Brathwaite told reporters.
“I think all-round, batting and bowling, we have to believe in ourselves. We have got to do well. I believe we have the talent, but it’s about going out there in the middle and doing the job.”
Brathwaite said the two-Test series against the Australians was a chance for his side – ranked eighth in Tests – to prove themselves to the world even though the gulf of experience between the two sides made them huge underdogs.
“I’m expecting a lot of fight from the guys. Obviously, we have a lot of guys that are relatively new to Test cricket, and they have got to show their worth to the world,” the 31-year-old opener said.
“It is understandable that we are the underdogs, but my thing for the guys is show the world what you can do and make West Indians proud.”
Brathwaite and his side will face a tall order trying to secure a first win for West Indies in 27 years in Australia and against this opponent in two decades.
Australia will be high on confidence given the fact that they completed a clean sweep of a three-Test series against Pakistan only a few weeks ago on home soil.
“All I want to see from the team is fight,” Brathwaite said. “We’re playing against the No. 1 team in the world, but I believe we do have the potential – but it all revolves around discipline.
“How long we can be disciplined for as a bowling unit? Because we don’t want to go at four and five runs an over. So once we can be disciplined and put partnerships on the board, anything is possible. But we’ve got to work extremely hard, and we have to believe in ourselves.”
Brathwaite signalled the series could be the start of a new era in Tests for West Indies, but the group of relatively unproven players in the side had a chance to own a place in the squad for the long-term.
“They have a great opportunity here to seal the deal and don’t ever leave this Test team. They are here playing now and performance is always important, so I urge each player to go out there and make a name for themselves and play Test cricket for the next 10 years,” he said.
The Australians have sprung no surprises in naming their final 11, with former captain Steve Smith identified to share the opening duties with left-hander Usman Khawaja, and all-rounder Cameron Green making a return and being slotted in to the No. 4 spot.
Teams:
AUSTRALIA: Pat Cummins (captain), Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
WEST INDIES: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua Da Silva (wicketkeeper), Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Shamar Joseph. (CMC)
