Hosts West Indies take on Pakistan in the second and final Test of the series at the Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica, starting on Friday.

West Indies won the dramatic first Test by chasing down 168 runs with just 1 wicket remaining, as bowlers Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales stepped up to save the match for the team. After taking a 5-wicket haul in the Pakistan second innings, Seales managed to survive and keep Roach company as he hit the winning runs to finish 30 not out.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood were the only batters to make half centuries, whereas Jason Holder remains their star all-rounder, contributing with both bat and the ball. Although question marks remain over the batting, it would be no surprise to see the host's play with an unchanged side here. Shai Hope and Alzarri Joseph may come in place of Kieran Powell and Jomel Warrican into the team.

Pakistan’s 4-match winning run in Test matches came to an end in the first Test as they lost a close encounter. Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi was at his brilliant best, taking 8 wickets over the five days. However, the batting effort was disappointing, with just 2 half centuries across the two innings, which came from captain Babar and Fawad Alam.

The visitors will rely on Babar, Rizwan and Fawad Alam to put up a big score, whereas Abbas, Afridi and Hasan Ali will be the lead pacers for this match. The team may look to bring another fast bowler into the playing XI or replace Yasir Shah with Nauman Ali.

While the hosts will be delighted with a close win, they will look to keep the pressure on Pakistan and sweep the 2-match series. On the other hand, the visitors will want to bounce back and rescue the series, following an indifferent performance. Expect another exciting Test to end the tour at Sabina Park.

Match Details

• Match: West Indies vs. Pakistan, 2nd Test
• Venue: Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica
• Date & Time: Aug. 20, 2021, at 8:30 PM IST/10 AM Local

Probable Playing XI

West Indies

Kraigg Brathwaite (C), Kieran Powell, Nkrumah Bonner, Roston Chase, Jermaine Blackwood, Kyle Mayers, Jason Holder, Joshua De Silva (WK), Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales

Pakistan

Imran Butt, Abid Ali, Babar Azam (C), Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Nauman Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Shaheen Afridi

Weather Report

The weather is expected to be mostly fair in Kingston, with a few rain interruptions during the later days of the match. The temperature will be around 31 degrees during the game.

Pitch Report

The pitch at the Sabina Park is generally a good one for the fast bowlers. The batters will have to grind for the runs here as the pacers are likely to have a good time with the bounce and carry off the surface. The track is not likely to have much for the spinners as they failed to get a single wicket in the previous Test. The average first-innings score in the last five Tests played here has been 298 runs.

Toss

As seen in the first Test, batting fourth can be tricky on this surface. Expect the team that wins the toss to opt to bat first and stand a better chance at winning. A first-innings score of around 300 runs can be a competitive one on this surface.

Top Fantasy Picks

• Wicketkeeper

Mohammad Rizwan will be the preferred keeper for this match. He has been brilliant in all formats of the game this season, making runs consistently. Overall, he has scored 873 runs in 16 Tests at an average of 41.57, out of which 356 runs have come in 2021.

• Batter

Jermaine Blackwood will be one of the main batters on our team. He was the key contributor in the 4th-innings chase for the West Indies in the first Test, scoring 1 of the 3 half centuries for the team. Overall, he has made 2110 runs in 40 Tests at an average of 30.57.

Babar Azam will be our main batter from Pakistan for this Test. Babar Azam has scored 2254 runs in 34 Tests at an average of 42.53, including 5 centuries. He is arguably the best player on the visitors' team and will look to build on his half century from the previous innings.

• All- Rounder

Jason Holder is likely to be one of the first names in most fantasy teams. He is the No. 1-ranked Test all-rounder, with 133 wickets and 2361 runs in 50 Tests. He has been in brilliant form, scoring 246 runs and taking 17 wickets in his last five Tests.

• Bowlers

Jayden Seales was the standout bowler among both the teams in the first Test and was rightly adjudged the Player of the Match. Playing in just his third Test, he took 3/70 and 5/55 in the two innings and will be the key bowler here. 

Hasan Ali continues to have a good 2021, with 30 wickets in five Tests. He bowled tight lines and did not let the batters score easy runs. He took 3 for 37 in the fourth innings, taking the key wickets of Blackwood and Holder. Moreover, he scored 42 runs with the bat coming down the order.

Howzat Dream Team

• Wicketkeeper: M Rizwan 
• Batter: J Blackwood, F Alam, B Azam 
• All-rounders: J Holder, R Chase
• Bowlers: K Roach, J Seales, H Ali, S Afridi, M Abbas

• Captain: H Ali/S Afridi
• Vice Captain: J Holder/K Roach

NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can make your fantasy 11 and play fantasy cricket matches. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.

Get fantasy cricket tips on your favorite fantasy sports app and select your own team, Howzat!