West Indies vs Sri Lanka – 1st Test Betting Tips

Host West Indies will be looking to continue their excellent form in red-ball cricket when they take on Sri Lanka in the opening game of the Test series at Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in Antigua on Sunday.

West Indies’s recent form has been great as they managed to complete a historic 2-0 whitewash over Bangladesh. After showing excellent leadership skills in Bangladesh series, opener Kraigg Brathwaite has been named of the Test side.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka have not won any of their last four Test matches. The side suffered a 2-0 whitewash at the hands of England in a two-match series played at home. Captain Dimuth Karunratne will be hoping that the side can turn things around in this series.

Both teams have competed in 20 Tests in the history of five-day format where Sri Lanka have an upper hand with nine wins compared to West Indies’ four victories. Seven matches ended as a draw.

In the previous five Test matches played between the two teams, Sri Lanka have come out on top on three occasions.

West Indies Form and Team News

The home side has named a strong squad for this series with Jermaine Blackwood, Kyle Mayers, and Darren Bravo forming a strong and in-form top order. The return of Jason Holder will strengthen the Test squad after he missed the Bangladesh tour due to covid-19 concerns.

In the batting department, the onus will be on the likes of Kraigg Brathwaite, Jermaine Blackwood, and Kyle Mayers to deliver the bulk of the runs.

Besides Blackwood, Kyle Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner showed excellent form with the bat in the previous series against Bangladesh. The middle-order duo was instrumental in helping West Indies pull off their highest fourth-innings chase in the subcontinent.

In the bowling department, the onus will be on the pace trio of Shannon Gabriel, Alzarri Joseph, and Kemar Roach to create crucial breakthroughs with the new ball. Rahkeem Cornwall will be the lone spinner for this series opener.

Sri Lanka Form and Team News:

The visitors named a 17-man squad for the Test series but they have dropped Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, and Dilruwan Perera from that list, while all-rounder Angelo Matthews will miss the Test series after going back to Sri Lanka due to personal reasons.

In the batting department, the side will be relying on the experienced trio of Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, and Dhananjaya de Silva to do the bulk of the scoring.

Captain Dimuth Karunaratne will need to lead from the front with the bat. Left-hander missed the previous series against England due to injury.

Roshen Silva, Lahiru Thiramanne, and Oshada Fernando will have to come with crucial scores for Sri Lanka to post competitive totals on the board.

In the bowling department, the side will be depending heavily on the likes of Asitha Fernando, Suranga Lakmal, and Vishwa Fernando to make crucial breakthroughs in this contest. Lasith Embuldeniya will be the first-choice spinner for Sri Lanka for this opening contest.

Odds by Casumo

According to the Casumo sportsbook, Host West Indies will be favorites to win this Test series opener at Antigua. For the first Test, West Indies are at 1.62 odds, while Sri Lanka at 3.20 odds.

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Our Tipster’s Angle

Based on their current form, Host West Indies will fancy their chances of beating Sri Lanka in this opening fixture. With the likes of Kyle Mayers, Jermaine Blackwood, and Rahkeem Cornwall in excellent form in the five-day format, the home side will be looking to bring their A-game to the table in this opening encounter.

The visitors will have to raise their game with the bat in order to be competitive in this Test series.

Therefore, the prediction is for West Indies to secure a comprehensive win against Sri Lanka in Antigua

Tip 1: Jermaine Blackwood to continue his excellent form in a five-day format                   

The middle-order batsman has been a consistent performer for West Indies in Test cricket. Since August 2019, Blackwood has accumulated 579 runs in 15 innings at an average of 38.60 with one century and four half-centuries to his name.

The 29-year old has produced excellent numbers with the bat in matches played at home. In 13 Tests played in the Caribbean, Blackwood has scored 707 runs at an average of 39.27 with one century and six half-centuries to his name, so we are backing Jermaine Blackwood to score 40 runs or [email protected]

Conclusion

Expect West Indies to comfortably brush aside Sri Lanka and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series.

1. Jermaine Blackwood to score 40 runs or more-West [email protected]

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