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South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first against the hosts, the West Indies, in the first Test held in Guyana since 2011. Nandre Burger, a left-arm seamer, and Dane Piedt, an offspinner, were added to the South Africa XI, while Shamar Joseph took Kemar Roach’s position for the West Indies.
Shamar is going to play his first international match at home. The sole change made by West Indies from the draw in the Trinidad Test was his inclusion. Gudakesh Motie, who went wicketless at the Queen’s Park Oval, kept his spot as they went in with three seamers and two spinners.
After being short-handed for a bowler in the first game of the series, South Africa followed the trend set by the hosts and selected a second specialist spinner. Along with Keshav Maharaj and three seamers, Piedt, an off-spinner living in the USA, will be playing his first Test in five years during South Africa’s February tour to New Zealand. Wiaan Mulder, an all-rounder, will bat at number seven, while Burger was chosen above Lungi Ngidi. Ryan Rickelton could not find a spot in this Test, hence South Africa’s starting eleven consisted of six specialist batsmen.
Since the first Test was tied last week, there is only one winner in this match. Significantly, South Africa needs to win this first Test out of seven to guarantee their place in the World Test Championship final without depending on other outcomes. Nineth place on the points table belongs to the West Indies. In this cycle, only one Test has been won by either team. The Test match taking place at Providence Stadium is the third one in history.
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.