5 Players to watch out from the West Indies vs Sri Lanka Tests

Outside the exuberant hangover of the IPL, the awe-inspiring summits Afghanistan is scaling, the shifting scales between Pakistan and England up in the north, there awaits a Test series to be played between two nations at crucial junctures. Marred by a dip in form, uninspiring results on and off the field and administrative chaos, the sides of West Indies and Sri Lanka see just one way to get out of this slippery slope of chaos, triumph.

Sri Lanka, at an all-time low in the limited overs formats, will be looking forward to prove that their historic win in the UAE against Pakistan was not just a fluke. West Indies, after the Hope of Headingley, lost their way somehow relinquishing their shot at a rare series win and then floundering against New Zealand later that season.

One thing is for sure, both the sides have the potential to make a steady rise back towards their days of basking in the sun rather than wriggle uncomfortably in the darkness of despair. With both the teams having much to play for, it promises to be a cracker of a contest. Here are five players to look out for as the Sri Lankans take on the men from the Caribbean, starting June 6.

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Kemar Roach

The diminutive fast bowler with the whippy action was one of the most exciting prospects in the world of fast bowling once. Injuries and poor form followed, but in a whim of persistence, Kemar Roach has managed to stay on the scene in what will be his 10th season in international cricket. With Jerome Taylor retired, he has stepped up as the leader of the pace attack.

Roach is no longer reliant on raw pace like he once was, a matured fast bowler he now understands when to bowl monotonous lines at a steady pace to frustrate the batsmen and when to go all out-and-out carnage. This was visible in his determined innings returns of 5/72 at Lord's last year where he not only set up batsmen with fiery bursts of short bowling but proceeded to snaffle them with traditional test match bowling. He has the rare ability to get the ball skid off the pitch, and in pace north of 90 miles an hour, he can cause trouble for the batsmen, especially on the slow tracks of Bridgetown and Port of Spain.

Dhananjaya de Silva

The pick-up shot from down the pitch, a

DdS

specialty

Coming off a period of shock and bereavement, Dhananjaya de Silva will have a lot of mental distraction to shut out before the Test commences in a couple of days. Having usurped Kumar Sangakkara's hallowed number 3 slot in the Test line-up he has constantly shown signs of promise with four centuries in only thirteen matches. A notable fact is that all four centuries have been against different opponents and in different countries and even in varying circumstances. It can thus be established that he has the invaluable skill of adapting to the situation, the skill that has made him a mainstay in the side ever since his debut at Palkelle against Australia in 2016.

Nimble feet against spin and a steady head against the quicker bowlers with a tendency to play behind the square on the off-side, de Silva will have to make some major adjustments immediately (since he missed the only tour game before the Test series) to do well in the surface of the West Indies that are not at all conducive to this style of play. He has done it before, no doubt that he will do it again.

Roston Chase

Always the last man standing...

In a brief Test career, Roston Chase has already shown the marks of a cricketer destined for success. He has made a habit of bailing his team out of tough situations, he is not the guy who will hit the sparkling century in front of a ravishing crowd to win you a thriller, but his role in the squad is just as important. He is the guy who drops anchor at the crease when the ball is doing all sorts of tricks off the pitch and the rest of the line-up falls like dominoes around him. He is the guy who bowls tight lines when the bowlers don't get assistance off the pitch, to make sure that his team is not entirely eliminated from the contest.

In short, Roston Chase is the man of steely resolves who puts his hand up to do the ugly job. After Shiv Chanderpaul, he is the sole beacon of doggedness in an otherwise struggling side, watch out for his duels with Sri Lanka's relentless warhorse Rangana Herath.

Kasun Rajitha

Not a bad quarter to turn to for some assistance.

We all watched with gaping eyes as Kasun Rajitha burst into the international scenario by handing the Indian top order embarrassing dismissals at Pune as Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan were left apologizing for their slow reactions to his searing pace and bounce. Two indifferent T20I outings later he was dropped from the side, but now he has been brought back as an inclusion that is lesser based on merit and more on having an X-factor in the side.

With Dushmantha Chameera injured, Sri Lanka will be tempted to unleash the pace of Rajitha in tandem with Nuwan Pradeep and Suranga Lakmal. On pitches that don't favor military medium pace, Rajitha might be the one bowler who makes things happen out of nowhere and plucks wickets just at the right time to stall momentum and trigger collapses. Rajitha will be an exciting up-and-coming prospect to watch out for against a Sri Lankan line-up that has batsmen like Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Matthews, guys banking on mental resolve as their strength.

Devon Smith

Devon Smith: last seen, 2015.

Brought in at the expense of the luckless Sunil Ambris, discarded opener Devon Smith has been given another chance to resurrect his Test career. Hailing from Grenada, his batting exudes belligerence and his selection, as much as owed to good form in the recent domestic competitions, points towards the Windies' requirement of someone who can play a positive brand of cricket in a team of players who are rather more of grafters.

Smith, at 36, has the experience of close to 200 first class games and that will be another factor to watch out for him as he has been on the field for about fifteen years now, his presence will not only be limited to his stroke-filled method of scoring by taking on the bowlers, captain Jason Holder will readily welcome inputs from him as far as tactics and stratagem are concerned. Making a comeback after three years, he will not only have a point or two to prove, but will also enjoy the feeling of putting on the national cap once again.