South Africa opt to bat West Indies
For Shamar, this will be his first international at home. His inclusion was West Indies’ only change from the Test that drew in Trinidad. They went in with three seamers and two spinners with Gudakesh Motie, who went wicketless at the Queen’s Park Oval, keeping his place.
South Africa followed the hosts’ lead and included a second specialist spinner after finding themselves short a bowler in the series opener. Piedt, the USA-based offspinner who played his first Test in five years on South Africa’s February tour to New Zealand, will accompany Keshav Maharaj and three seamers. Allrounder Wiaan Mulder will bat at No.7 while Burger was picked ahead of Lungi Ngidi. There was no space for Ryan Rickelton in this Test, leaving South Africa with six specialist batters in their XI.
With the first Test drawn last week, this match is a winner-takes-all affair. Importantly for South Africa, it is the first of seven must-win Tests if they hope to secure a spot in the World Test Championship final without relying on other results. West Indies are in ninth spot on the points table. Both teams have only won one Test in this cycle. This is the third Test ever to be played at Providence Stadium.
West Indies: 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), 2 Mikyle Louis, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Alick Athanaze, 5 Kavem Hodge, 6 Jason Holder, 7 Joshua Da Silva (wk), 8 Gudakesh Motie, 9 Jomel Warrican 10 Shamar Joseph, 11 Jayden Seales.
South Africa: 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Tony de Zorzi, 3 Tristan Stubbs, 4 Temba Bavuma (capt), 5 David Bedingham, 6 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 7 Wiaan Mulder 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Dane Piedt 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Nandre Burger.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s correspondent for South Africa and women’s cricket
Source: ESPN Crickinfo