Ben Stokes was at the helm when England stumbled in Southampton, and while he relinquished the captaincy to the returning Joe Root, he played a big part in levelling the series in Manchester.
Photo Copyright – Steve Haag Sports
The decisive Test will also be played at Old Trafford with the first match of the next series also set to take place at the venue.
Third Test | Friday 24 July – Tuesday 28 July 2020 | Old Trafford, Manchester | 12:00 start.
To Win
England 62/100
Draw 18/10
West Indies 8/1
England
Jofra Archer’s indiscretion saw him axed for the second Test, but the quick will once again be available. The question will be whether England feel that he is in their best XI.
Stuart Broad bowled well on his return to the team, perhaps demonstrating that he should never have been left out in the first place. Chris Woakes was the pick of the England bowlers in the first innings, making the question of who to leave out that much harder to make.
Dom Sibley benefitted from the West Indies decision to put the hosts in to bat in the second Test, teaming up with the devastating Stokes and providing the perfect foil.
England still can’t settle on their best top-four option, that was thrown off further by their attack-based experimental lineup for the second dig.
Dom Bess showed his value with the ball on day five in squeezing out the tail after Broad pushed the West Indies off any thoughts of trying to win the match.
Unless England remain committed to some form of rotation it is likely we could see the same XI take the park.
West Indies
The West Indies were reminded of how quickly a Test match can get away from you when you let the impetus slip from your grasp.
It may have been an attempt to keep the suspect England batting lineup on the ropes, but many have questioned the decision to bowl first. The overhead conditions didn’t factor in nearly as much as they might have hoped, and once Sibley and Stokes had done their damage the tourists had surrendered momentum.
The West Indies weren’t helped by somewhat wasteful batting with all of their top six batsmen afforded plenty of time at the crease. Kraigg Brathwaite top-scored for the West Indies in their first innings but it was his soft dismissal that triggered the first-innings collapse.
The visiting batsmen struggled to find the right blend of defence and attack and their indecisiveness manifested in a clutch of them being caught on the crease.
Skipper Jason Holder surrendered the top allrounders spot on the ICC Test rankings to England’s Stokes and his lack of impact with both bat and ball will be a concern to the West Indies.
Verdict: England 62/100
The West Indies are a team that struggles to fight back, England should have the guts to see them off.
