Ahead of the opening Test at Seddon Park in Hamilton, we’ve picked out four West Indies players who are crucial to the tourists’ hopes of securing a rare away series win in New Zealand.
Kraigg Brathwaite
With 62 Test matches to his name, Brathwaite is the most experienced of the West Indies players on tour and the most stubborn member of a fragile batting lineup.
The 28-year-old isn’t always pleasing on the eye but he scored two fifties on the tour of England in July and looked in fine touch during his mammoth 400-ball 246 against New Zealand A last week.
With opening partner John Campbell still unproven in Test cricket, Brathwaite needs to provide his team with a platform against a high-quality New Zealand attack.
Darren Bravo
Bravo will bat at number three in Hamilton in what will be his first Test appearance for well over a year.
Like Brathwaite, the stylish left-hander has the ability to score heavily in this format as an average of 37.69 and a top score of 218 (in New Zealand in 2013), suggest.
His commitment to playing red-ball cricket waned for several years amid a dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board, but his scores of 135 and 93 in the warm-up matches against New Zealand A suggest he’s switched on and ready to impose himself on this series.
Jason Holder
The Windies captain and no.1 all-rounder in the world has a huge influence on this Test side.
Holder arrived later than many of his teammates following his stint at the IPL with Sunrisers Hyderabad, so he’s had a little less time to practice than he may have liked.
However, he’s a top performer whose height and accuracy should make him a big threat with the ball in New Zealand.
Holder’s runs down the order will also be required if his team are to succeed, while he’s growing as a captain and has the benefit of having toured New Zealand before in 2017.
Kemar Roach
Roach is the leader of the West Indies bowling attack and he will be crucial to their hopes of taking 40 wickets across the two-match series.
The 32-year-old passed the 200-wicket mark in Tests in July and he’ll pose a real threat with the new ball, particularly against left-handers Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls.
The Barbadian doesn’t have the same raw pace he possessed prior to shoulder surgery, but he uses the crease masterfully and can extract movement from the most benign surfaces with his textbook seam presentation.