Bridgetown: During the past decade, the Australian men’s Test cricket team has played away matches in England, India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates.
Given the rich history between Australia and the West Indies, it will come as a surprise to some that it has been 10 years since the nations did battle in a Test in the Caribbean.
Although Australia have played 22 international white-ball matches in the West Indies since 2015, all sorts of theories are floating around this week in Barbados about what kind of pitch will be served up at Kensington Oval when the Frank Worrell Trophy goes on the line on Wednesday.
Australia’s optional training session on Sunday was marred by rain, meaning the Test pitch was undercover when batsmen such as Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas and Cam Green went about their business briefly in the centre of the oval.
However, a pre-rain inspection by this masthead revealed a firm, straw-coloured surface with thick grass coverage and some dry patches that could break up during the match. The pitch is hard and should get better during the next couple of days with warm temperatures forecast.
A first look at the pitch at Kensington Oval in Barbados ahead of Wednesday’s opening Test.
Australia are strongly considering picking two spinners – Nathan Lyon and Matt Kuhnemann – for a surface that has historically favoured slow bowlers later in the match.
History suggests Barbados rewards batting first. No Test team has won at Bridgetown after choosing to bowl first since 2004 – a sobering stat for captains tempted to exploit early life in the wicket.
Lyon is the only member of the Australian team to play a Test in Barbados. In that 2012 fixture, Australia lost the toss and were forced to bowl as the West Indies declared on 9-449 thanks to a century from Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Australia nearly reached parity, making 406, before bowling the West Indies out for 148 and chasing down the runs required for victory with three wickets to spare.
“Thirteen years ago this was a real old-fashioned, traditional cricket wicket with big runs in the first innings and a hard-fought contest in the second innings,” Lyon said ahead of Australia’s first match of a new World Test Championship cycle.
Could Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann play in the first Test against the West Indies?Credit: Getty Images
“My feeling is that this wicket is probably going to be pretty similar to that – pretty flat over the first couple of days, reverse swing and spin bowling hopefully comes into it. It’s going to be a war of attrition.
“I think it’s a real live option to play two spinners here.”
In the 2008 Barbados Test, Australia made 251 batting first, then declared on 5-439 in the second innings courtesy of centuries from Phil Jaques (108) and Simon Katich (157).
Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood averaged just eight runs a wicket on Australia’s last West Indies tour in 2015, which featured matches in Dominica and Kingston.
Australia’s Tests on this tour are in Barbados (June 25 to 29), Grenada (July 3 to 7) and Jamaica (July 12-16), the last of which is a pink-ball fixture under lights.
“Traditionally, Barbados is probably the best wicket to bat on, and the scores are pretty good in recent history,” Hazlewood said.
“The other ones [in Grenada and Kingston] are a bit of luck of the draw. Typically, they’re slower and dry.”
Lyon added: “In Grenada I’m pretty sure no one in the touring squad has actually ever been to the island, so we don’t know what’s going on. Then a pink Test with the Dukes ball … I’m not sure what that’s going to be like.”
Kuhnemann is eager to get another match for Australia after his success in Sri Lanka earlier this year.
“I think we’ve got all bases covered for whatever pitch we get,” he said. “If it looks like it’s going to spin and I play a role, then I’m ready to go.”
Australia’s batting line-up is essentially settled. The only uncertainty is the exact order Khawaja, Konstas, Josh Inglis, Green, Travis Head, Beau Webster and Alex Carey will bat in, but that order would make sense.
There had been speculation Head might open, like he has on the subcontinent before, but he quashed that on Sunday.
“I think with Sam and Uzzie there [at the top of the order] that’d be pretty unlikely,” Head said. “I wouldn’t see that being a case at the moment.”
