Shannon Gabriel returns, West Indies ask South Africa to bat first

Temba Bavuma and Nkrumah Bonner ruled out, Kyle Verreynne and Kieran Powell keep their places

Toss West Indies chose to field vs South Africa

Under cloudy skies and after a 15-minute rain delay, Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and decided to field, having gone the other way in the first Test. The pitch in St Lucia showed off a healthy tinge of green and Curtly Ambrose, on the pitch report, said he expected bounce and seam movement.

So do West Indies, who included an extra seamer in Shannon Gabriel at the expense of offspinner Rahkeem Cornwall. Gabriel missed the first Test with a hamstring injury. That left allrounder Roston Chase to do most of the spin bowling in this Test.

West Indies were also without Nkrumah Bonner, who started the first Test but was then replaced with Kieran Powell after suffering a concussion. Bonner was hit on the helmet by Anrich Nortje and was unavailable for this match. Powell kept his place in the XI.

South Africa’s XI was unchanged with vice-captain Temba Bavuma sitting out once again. Bavuma had recovered from the hip injury that kept him out of the first Test but dislocated his left middle finger during fielding drills two days before the match. Kyle Verreynne got another opportunity at No. 5 as a result.

While South Africa cannot lose the series, they are chasing a first series win away from home since March 2017, when they beat New Zealand.

Cricket West Indies has made arrangements for 400 fully vaccinated fans to attend each day’s play, marking the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic that spectators have been allowed in for a cricket match. The stands, however, were empty when play began.

West Indies: 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), 2 Kieran Powell 3 Shai Hope, 4 Kyle Mayers, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jermaine Blackwood, 7 Jason Holder, 8 Joshua da Silva (wk) 9 Shannon Gabriel, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Jayden Seales

South Africa: 1 Dean Elgar (capt), 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Keegan Petersen, 5 Kyle Verreynne 6 Quinton de Kock (wk), 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 Keshav Maharaj 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Lungi Ngidi

Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s South Africa correspondent

This article was originally published by Espncricinfo.com. Read the original article here.

Shannon Gabriel returns, West Indies ask South Africa to bat first

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