New Zealand vs West Indies 2017: 5 WI players to watch out for in the Test series

The West Indies Test team has been on the road for quite some time now. Since June 2015, they have only played two Test series at home. In fact, in 2017, of the 8 Tests they have played, only 3 have been at home.

They have been severely criticized for their lacklustre performances in the last 2-3 years. However, in the last one year, they have shown significant improvement.

The Windies won Tests in the UAE, England and Zimbabwe in the last year. Even though they won their last Test series against a lowly-ranked Zimbabwean team, it should give them loads of confidence as it was their first Test series win since 2014.

With the improvement the Windies have shown, the two-match series in New Zealand seems to be a very good one. Hence, we look at 5 West Indian players to watch out for.

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#5 Kemar Roach

Kemar Roach is one West Indian bowler who can swing the ball at pace, and can bowl quick and with hostility. He has stayed injury-free for the most part of his career thus far. Only in 2014, the fast bowler had to undergo a shoulder surgery.

Roach’s main strength is that he has an easy action and gets the ball to skid through to the batsmen quicker than what they expect. However, he hasn’t quite been able to maintain the consistency he showed early in his career which led to him getting dropped in early 2016.

But a successful comeback in England in August earlier this year helped him cement his spot once again. He might not have picked up a lot of wickets but he bowled some hostile spells and helped in West Indies’ win at Headingley. He carried his form to Zimbabwe, were he picked up 8 wickets on spin-friendly surfaces.

Thus, an aggressive and in-form Kemar Roach is certainly one of the key members of this Windies side and one of the players to watch out for.

#4 Roston Chase

Chase has quickly established himself as an integral member of the Test squad

When most of the West Indian stars and newbies preferred to play T20 cricket around the world, there was a young man from Barbados who opted for the game’s ultimate format. And in his short 15-Test career, Roston Chase has shown promise.

His stats read 966 runs and 27 wickets in 15 Tests.

When Chase burst on to the international scene, he looked a bit rusty, but as he has gained more experience he has become a little more mature. And that has reflected in his stats. In 2017, the Barbados all-rounder has played 8 Tests and has scored 641 runs at a very good average of 49.31. He has also taken 16 wickets.

Considering the fact that the conditions will most likely be seamer-friendly, the Windies might opt to play 4 fast bowlers, leaving Chase as the only spinner. Thus, his role as a bowler will become important.

Also, with the bat, he will need to counter the swing and seam which consumed him in England. Thus, he is one of the integral members of the Test side for the West Indies.

#3 Kraigg Brathwaite

Braithwaite has been inconsistent this year.

Kraigg Brathwaite is currently one of the few classical and typical Test match players going around in world cricket. He has established himself as one of the best batsmen in the West Indies line-up over the last 2-3 years.

Even though Brathwaite hasn’t been at his best in 2017, he still remains the key player for the visitors. In 2017, he has only 3 substantial scores – 134, 95 (both at Headingley) and 86 (at Harare). Thus, he will be eager to set the record straight.

But he has played a key role in all 3 victories that Windies have managed this year. Against Pakistan, he scored an important 43 in the second innings at Bridgetown. And the above-mentioned scores (134, 95 and 86) came in Windies’ victory against England and Zimbabwe respectively.

Thus, the Barbados opener’s contribution is vital and hence, he is one of the players to watch out for.

#2 Shannon Gabriel

Windies will hope for some early breakthroughs from Gabriel

Tall, big-built, muscular, Shannon Gabriel has established himself as one of the integral members of the West Indian Test team. He can bowl at very good pace, generate discomforting bounce and bowl a brilliant bouncer.

Gabriel is a bit injury-prone but he has managed to spearhead the Windies pace attack in most games this year. In 2017, he has taken 27 wickets at an average of 26.52. He played a big part in England’s victories at Headingley and Harare.

Since the comeback of Kemar Roach, Gabriel has formed a potent new-ball pair with the former. They’ve often delivered the goods with the new ball. And Gabriel in particular has become the captain’s go-to bowler.

Hence, Gabriel and Roach’s new-ball exploits could well determine the course of this series.

#1 Shai Hope

In the series in England, Shai Hope finally came into his own after a miserable start in his career.

When Shai Hope made his Test debut in 2015 against England, he scored a lot of runs in the domestic circuit. But he could manage only 391 runs at a low average of 18.62 in his first 11 Tests (19 innings). In those 19 innings, he could score only one 50 (which came in his 17th innings).

Even after a miserable start to his career, West Indies persisted with him as his talent was evident and they backed him to the fullest. After losing the pink ball Test at Edgbaston inside 3 days in which Shai Hope scored 15 and 4, Windies were written off for the second Test. But a stellar show from one of the most talented batsmen helped them turn the tables as they pulled off a memorable win at Headingley.

Hope scored twin centuries (becoming the first batsman to do so at Headingley) – 147 and 118 not out. His second innings ton helped the Windies chase down 322. Finally, Hope had delivered to the promise and the talent he possessed. From then on, he hasn’t looked back. He has scores of 29, 62, 90*, 44 and 40 proving that he is learning from his mistakes and is eager to correct them.

Hence, Hope is definitely one of the players to watch out for since he is in good form and batting at No. 4 he will control the innings.