From a statistics perspective, odds are against West Indies in pink-ball Test matches.
The current second and final Test against Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane is the fifth for West Indies with the pink ball. They have lost the other four – against Pakistan, England, Sri Lanka and Australia.
This is now the 22nd (day/night) Test since the first between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide in 2015.
All of the matches have produced wins with Australia boasting of the most (11). They have not been beaten.
Captain and opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite now has the distinction of being the only West Indies player to take part in all of his team’s pink-ball matches – two as skipper.
Summarised scores of West Indies pink-ball Tests:
vs Pakistan, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, October 13-17, 2016. Pakistan won by 56 runs.
Pakistan 579/3 declared (155.3 overs) (Azhar Ali 302 not out – 469 balls, 658 minutes, 23 fours, 2 sixes; Sami Aslam 90 – 212 balls, 290 minutes, 9 fours; Babar Azam 69 – 105 balls, 146 minutes, 5 fours; Asad Shafiq 67 – 119 balls, 174 minutes, 8 fours; Misbah-ul-Haq 29 not out; Devendra Bishoo 2-125) and 123 all out (31.5 overs) (Sami Aslam 44, Babar Azam 21, Misbah-ul-Haq 15, Safaraz Ahmed 15; Devendra Bishoo 8-49).
West Indies 357 all out (123.5 overs) (Darren Bravo 87 – 258 balls, 398 minutes, 9 fours, 1 six; Marlon Samuels 76 – 139 balls, 188 minutes, 13 fours; Jermaine Blackwood 37, Kraigg Brathwaite 32, Shane Dowrich 32, Jason Holder 20, Devendra Bishoo 17, Leon Johnson 15; Yasir Shah 5-121, Mohammad Nawaz 2-38, Wahab Riaz 2-65) and 289 all out (109 overs) (Darren Bravo 116 – 249 balls, 406 minutes, 10 fours, 1 six; Leon Johnson 47, Jason Holder 40 not out, Roston Chase 35, Jermaine Blackwood 15; Mohammad Amir 3-63, Mohammad Nawaz 2-32, Yasir Shah 2-113).
Toss: Pakistan.
Player-of-the-Match: Azhar Ali.
Umpires: Paul Reiffel, Richard Illingworth. TV Umpire: Michael Gough. Reserve Umpire: Shozab Raza. Match Referee: Jeff Crowe.
Teams:
Pakistan – Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Sami Aslam, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Safaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Nawz, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Amir, Sohail Khan.
West Indies – Jason Holder (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Leon Johnson, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Devendra Bishoo, Miguel Cummins, Shannon Gabriel.
vs England, Edgbaston, Birmingham, August 17-19, 2017. England won by an innings and 209 runs.
England 514/8 declared (135.5 overs) (Alastair Cook 243 – 407 balls, 588 minutes, 33 fours; Joe Root 136 – 189 balls, 287 minutes, 22 fours; Dawid Malan 65 – 139 balls, 186 minutes, 10 fours; Jonny Bairstow 18, Ben Stokes 10; Roston Chase 4-113, Kemar Roach 2-86).
West Indies 168 all out (47 overs) (Jermaine Blackwood 79 not out, 76 balls, 130 minutes, 9 fours, 2 sixes; Kyle Hope 25, Kieran Powell 20, Shai Hope 15, Jason Holder 11; James Anderson 3-34, Toby Roland-Jones 2-31, Stuart Broad 2-47) and 137 all out (45.4 overs) (Kraigg Brathwaite 40, Roston Chase 24, Kyle Hope 12, Jermaine Blackwood 12, Kemar Roach 12, Kieran Powell 10; Stuart Broad 3-34, James Anderson 2-12, Toby Roland-Jones 2-18, Moeen Ali 2-54).
Toss: England. Player Of The Match: Alastair Cook.
Umpires: Marais Erasmus, Sundaram Ravi. TV Umpire: Chris Gaffaney. Reserve Umpire: Michael Gough. Match Referee: David Boon.
Teams:
England – Joe Root (captain), Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, Tom Westley, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Toby Roland-Jones, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.
West Indies – Jason Holder (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell, Kyle Hope, Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich, Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph, Miguel Cummins.
vs Sri Lanka, June 23-26, 2018, Kensington Oval, Bridgetown. Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets.
West Indies 204 all out (69.3 overs) (Jason Holder 74 – 123 balls, 13 fours; Shane Dowrich 71 – 132 balls, 9 fours; Roston Chase 14, Shai Hope 11, Kemar Roach 11 not out; Lahiru Kumara 4-58, Kasun Rajitha 3-68, Suranga Lakmal 2-52) and 93 all out (31.2 overs) (Kemar Roach 23 not out, Shane Dowrich 16, Jason Holder 15, Miguel Cummins 14; Kasun Rajitha 3-20, Suranga Lakmal 3-25, Lahiru Kumara 2-31).
Sri Lanka 154 all out (59 overs) (Nioshan Dickwella 42, Danushka Gunathilaka 29, Kusal Mendis 22, Roshen Silva 11, Dilruwan Perera 11 not out; Jason Holder 4-19, Shannon Gabriel 3-52, Kemar Roach 2-30) and 144/6 (40.2 overs) (Kusal Perera 28 not out, Kusal Mendis 25, Dilruwan Perera 23 not out, Danushka Gunathilaka 21, Dhananjaya de Silva 17; Jason Holder 5-41).
Toss: West Indies. Player Of The Match: Jason Holder.
Umpires: Ian Gould, Richard Kettleborough. TV Umpire: Aleem Dar. Reserve Umpire: Gregory Brathwaite. Match Referee: Javagal Srinath.
Teams:
West Indies – Jason Holder (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Devon Smith, Kieran Powell, Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Devendra Bishoo, Kemar Roach, Miguel Cummins, Shannon Gabriel.
Sri Lanka – Suranga Lakmal (captain), Kusal Perera, Mahela Udawatte, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Dilruwan Perera, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara.
vs Australia, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, December 8-11, 2022. Australia won by 419 runs.
Australia 511/7 declared (137 overs) (Travis Head 175 – 219 balls, 334 minutes, 20 fours; Marnus Labuschagne 163 – 305 balls, 449 minutes, 14 fours; Usman Khawaja 62 – 129 balls, 183 minutes, 9 fours; Alex Carey 41 not out, David Warner 21, Michael Neser 18; Devon Thomas 2-53, Alzarri Joseph 2-107) and 199/6 declared (31 overs) (Usman Khawaja 45, Travis Head 38 not out, Steven Smith 35, Marnus Labuschagne 31, David Warner 28; Alzarri Joseph 3-33, Roston Chase 2-25).
West Indies 214 all out (69.3 overs) (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 47, Anderson Phillip 43, Roston Chase 34, Joshua Da Silva 23, Kraigg Brathwaite 19, Devon Thomas 19, Marquino Mindley 11 not out; Nathan Lyon 3-57, Michael Neser 2-34, Mitchell Starc 2-48) and 77 all out (40.5 overs) (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 17, Joshua Da Silva 15, Roston Chase 13, Devon Thomas 12, Jason Holder 11; Scott Boland 3-16, Michael Neser 3-22, Mitchell Starc 3-29).
Toss: Australia. Player Of The Match: Travis Head.
Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena, Rod Tucker. TV Umpire: Richard Illingworth. Reserve Umpire: Phillip Gillespie. Match Referee: Chris Broad.
Teams:
Australia – Steven Smith (captain), David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
West Indies – Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Shamarh Brooks, Jermaine Blackwood, Devon Thomas, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva, Roston Chase, Alzarri Joseph, Anderson Phillip, Marquino Mindley.
vs Australia, The Gabba, Brisbane, January 25-29, 2024.
Teams:
Australia – Pat Cummins (captain), Steven Smith, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
West Indies – Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua Da Silva, Kevin Sinclair, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Shamar Joseph.
Keith Holder is a veteran, award-winning freelance sports journalist, who has been covering local, regional and International cricket since 1980 as a writer and commentator. He has compiled statistics on the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Division 1 (rebranded Elite in 2012) Championship for over four decades and provides statistics and stories for the BCA website (www.barbadoscricket.org). Email: Keithfholder@gmail.com
