England vs West Indies | 3rd Test at Old Trafford - Statistical Preview

By1XBet, SportsCafe Editor

07/23/2020

Despite the ICC trying their best to project the post-Covid cricket world as some sort of a beta version of the sport, the first two England vs Windies Tests have been as good as any in recent memory and so the third one promises to be a cracker, too. But who will walk away with the Wisden Trophy?

Form Guide

England - W L W W W

After being somewhat rusty in the first Test at the Ageas Bowl, England pulled up their socks at Old Trafford and put up a clinical display to register a fine 113-run victory over the Windies. This despite them losing their spearhead Jofra Archer hours before the match and them fielding a completely different bowling attack to the first Test. Starting from the openers to the G.O.A.T Ben Stokes to the bowlers, everyone clicked for the Three Lions in the second Test and thus you would imagine that they would be fairly confident heading into the third Test, which will be played at the same venue. The venue might very well be the reason why they’re being favoured by the bookmakers, ahead of this Test.

West Indies - L W L L L

The results column doesn’t look pretty for the Windies, with them now having lost four of their last five Tests, but in reality, that will matter for little when they take to the field for the third Test, come Friday. Jason Holder’s men had their fair share of chances to draw the second Test, but loose and careless displays with both bat and ball cost them the 2nd Test, in which they actually won the toss. The form of Shai Hope and John Campbell will definitely be a major concern for the skipper and one would also imagine that he would draft in the big man Rahkeem Cornwall, given the second Test at the same venue offered a truckload of turn for the slower bowlers.

Key Batsmen

West Indies - Shamarh Brooks

With three fifties and a century in his first nine innings, right-hander Shamark Brooks has had a wonderful start to his Test career and it can be said that the right-hander has been the Windies’ best batsman across the first two Tests. In the second Test, Brooks notched up twin fifties, scores of 68 and 62, and frustrated the English bowlers with his eloquent strokeplay. For all we know, the Windies could very well have drawn the match had he kept his wicket intact on the final day. Thus he will be the visitors’ trump card heading into the final Test.

England - Ben Stokes

Thus far in this series, Ben Stokes has looked like he has taken a vow to take down the Windies all by himself. In the first two Tests, the all-rounder scored a remarkable total of 343 runs and his versatility was in full flow come the second Test where, after scoring a 356-ball 176 in the first innings, the all-rounder struck a bludgeoning 57-ball 78 in the second to set up the victory for England on the final day. It won’t be an overstatement to call Ben Stokes the best batsman in the world as of this moment and thus it’s unsurprising as to why he’s being deemed as the undisputed favorite to top the run charts for England in the final Test.

Key Bowlers

West Indies - Jason Holder

More often than not, the Windies win when Jason Holder stars with the ball, and they lose when he doesn’t. The same has been evident in this series as the visitors beat England in the first game where their skipper took 7 wickets and lost the second game where he picked just one. With Shannon Gabriel struggling with his fitness and with Kemar Roach struggling with his form. Holder would need to ensure that he’s bang on the money right from the word go, come the third Test. Perhaps the experience of having bowled already on this wicket might aid him.

England - Ben Stokes

In case you’re wondering, no, this is not a typo. That’s how crazy Stokes has been this series - he is not just England’s best batsman, but he is also their best bowler. And not only is he the highest wicket-taker in the series - across both teams - but he also has the best average and strike rate of ANY bowler to have taken a minimum of 6 wickets in the series. It was his golden arm that helped England break the Brooks-Blackwood partnership on the final day and run through the Windies and so they’ll be once again banking on their golden boy to bowl them to victory come the third Test.

Venue statistics

Although many will remember this as the venue where England lost the urn in 2019, the Three Lions have, in fact, enjoyed a pretty formidable record at Old Trafford. Since 2002, England have lost just one match at Old Trafford - the 2019 Ashes Test versus Australia - and their record at this venue in the last 18 years reads W10 D2 L1. That England beat Windies at the same venue in the second Test also works in the home team’s favour. This is the historically ‘bat first’ wicket and the last six victories at this venue, including the second Test, have been registered by the team batting first. Thus, it goes unsaid that the team that wins the toss would be looking to pile the runs on the board and look to extract turn as the match progresses.

1Xbet Predictions

Well, this is a really tough call, but it’s impossible to look past England as the winners of this game. For starters, Ben Stokes is in god-like form and with them set to have all their weapons at their disposal in the third Test - including Anderson and Archer - it is hard to see Joe Root’s men not use the momentum to their advantage. Thus we, here at 1X bet, predict England to win the third Test and the series 2-1.

Predicted XIs

England: Rory Burns, Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley, Joe Root (c), Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler (WK), Dom Bess, Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, James Anderson

Windies: Joshua da Silva, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich (wk), Jason Holder (c), Rahkeem Cornwall, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel

Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester

When to watch: July 24-28, 2020, 3:30 PM

Where to watch: Sony Six, Sony Liv, Jio TV

Can England trump Windies in the third Test? Or will Windies score a major upset? To get all the live updates, follow 1xbet</a>