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  • 2 days ago


International cricket commentator Nikhil Uttamchandani is concerned about the West Indies bowling going into next week's three-match Test series against
hosts New Zealand.

Both Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph are out through injury, with Kemar Roach returning to the team.

Uttamchandani gives the Black Caps the edge, but believes the Windies can prevent a whitewash if they fight hard.
Transcript
00:00Another tough assignment lies ahead for the West Indies, who take on home side New Zealand
00:05in the first of three test matches from December 1st, 6pm TT time in Christchurch.
00:10The last time the men in Maroon won a test series in that part of the world was eons
00:14ago, 1995 to be precise, under the leadership of the unassuming Courtney Walsh.
00:20The current Windies side has been debilitated because of the absence of some senior players,
00:25including two key fast bowlers.
00:28Cricket commentator Nikhil Utham Chandani has no doubt in his mind that the Black Caps
00:32have the upper hand, that being a no-brainer according to many.
00:36Initially it's going to be a really tough challenge for a young West Indies team with an absence
00:41of a number of senior personnel, especially when you look at the bowling side.
00:44That's the side I would have been most excited to see how Jaden Seals, Shamar Joseph and Azari
00:51Joseph went as a trio in favourable conditions.
00:54I remember last time the West Indies went there when Darren Bravo got the double hundred
00:58and you had the likes of Shannon Gabriel and others.
01:00So, I think that will be the biggest challenge.
01:02Who fills the void, bowling wise?
01:05Having said that, Utham Chandani is hoping the Caribbean cricketers put up a fight just
01:10as they did against India in Delhi recently.
01:13Despite losing that series 2-0, they made Shubhman Gill and his troops toil on all five
01:18days of the second test.
01:19I'm looking to see if they can take over, carry over what they did in India in that last
01:24test match where it was a nice marriage of putting bowlers under pressure which we've
01:29heard Darren Sami ask his team to do.
01:31They want to play a more progressive style, a more aggressive and positive approach.
01:36Can they do that while sustaining periods of heavy pressure?
01:39Because we saw in both the ODI and the T20 series, there's a lot in it for the New Zealand
01:44bowlers. They're much taller than the West Indies.
01:46The ball swings in New Zealand.
01:48The Barbadian cricket analyst is also delighted that batsman Kavim Hodge returns to the West
01:53Indies test side after last playing against Pakistan in January.
01:58Hodge has a century and three fifties from 11 test matches while averaging a modest 25.27.
02:05Why I like having a Kavim Hodge in a team and why it worked at times under Andre Coley's
02:10tenureship is because he brings another side. So when you have that progressive batting at one end,
02:16he can be almost the glue for other guys to bat around. I think it's important to always have
02:21a couple of those guys in your test team. So really excited to see how Kavim goes.
02:24He's putting a lot of work in Dominica at the academy, then in the camp in Antigua from what
02:29I can see and talking to him.
02:31According to Utham Chandani, the West Indies are capable of avoiding a clean sweep if they play to
02:36their potential. But having said that, he sees the 2021 WTC Mace winners coming out on top.
02:44Obviously, Kane Williamson coming back in is a huge boost to that batting line-up who's already
02:48batting well. So I do think New Zealand are favourites. I do bat the West Indies to fight.
02:54The big thing for me is can they start the series well? You look at Australia and you look at India,
02:59even Pakistan, the first tests have been where they've fallen down. If they can start better,
03:04fight from the inception, then I think it could be a close series. But I'd probably say I'd bat New
03:10Zealand to win maybe two out of three test matches. I'm hoping, of course, that the West Indies can
03:14win one or even two or draw one or two. But yeah, I do think New Zealand are favourites.
03:19The last time the West Indies won a test series against New Zealand was in 2012 in the Caribbean.
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