2nd Test Preview as Australia and WI look for adaptation at Grenada as Steve Smith set to make return to side.
Smith returns as both sides look for batting lift in Grenada in the 2nd Test.
Ahead of the second Test at the National Stadium in St George’s, the batting units of Australia and the West Indies are anything but at ease, despite the fact that picturesque Grenada is the ideal destination for a vacation.
After 40 wickets were lost in three days on a very difficult pitch in Barbados, where no one reached 65 and only four half-centuries were hit during the match, both batting lineups will be hoping for some relief in the surface.
Australia’s attack will put the West Indies to the test once more, since their batting problems have always been their weakness. The early stages of a new-look top seven require time to settle in and, in certain situations, re-acclimate to Test cricket after years away from the format, even though they would prefer to enhance their batting overall. Shai Hope and Roston Chase are both displaying encouraging indications in Barbados.
This week is Kraigg Brathwaite’s 100th Test match, and it is hoped that this momentous occasion will spur him and his teammates to score more runs.
However, after dismissing him twice in Barbados, the left-armer will be looking to claim him twice more to go closer to 400 Test scalps, as he only needs nine to reach the milestone. Mitchell Starc, his adversary, will play his 99th Test.
After giving up seven chances in the first Test, several of which were quite costly in a low-scoring match, the West Indies can now more easily make advances in the field. Even if they appear to be playing the same lineup, they are considering switching up the slips cordon. The fast bowlers from the West Indies, who excelled in Barbados, will be hopeful that Grenada will reward them more for their efforts.
Although Australia’s batting problems are not as widespread as those of their rivals, they are nonetheless concerning because they haven’t found any reliable runs from their top three since David Warner retired in January 2024.
The middle-order firewall that saved them in Barbados is given exceptional reinforcement with Steven Smith’s return at No. 4. Both Smith and Australia’s coach Andrew McDonald have asked the people to be patient with Sam Konstas and Cameron Green. While the latter has only played five first-class innings at No. 3 and is playing in his third Test after missing 15 months due to injury, the former will play in just his fourth Test match and his second after being called up at the beginning of the series.
Given that both are expected to play the full series regardless, how they perform after their lacklustre performances in Barbados may be just as significant as how many they receive. However, Australia is eager to settle into a top six that has been a major game of musical chairs for the past 18 months as the Ashes approach.