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Australia’s known knowns are They have played 17 Tests
across three continents in the thirteen months from the first Test against the
West Indies in November and December of 2022. These include a four-test tour of
India, a World Test Championship [WTC] final, and a five-test Ashes tour.
However, after David Warner retired and Mitchell Marsh established himself in
the side after returning during the Ashes, they have only made one alteration
to their starting eleven since that November 2022 Perth Test.
The West Indies are the known unknowns. They have only
played six Test matches since, winning only one in all against Zimbabwe,
South Africa, and India. They have only brought back to Australia five players
who participated in the two Tests last summer, and they have recruited seven
uncapped players to their team.
How the West Indies will do remains to be seen.
Pakistan have not won a Test match in Australia since 1995 until they visited
last month. However, despite having a young team, they could have easily won a
Test match and even the series if they had performed a little bit better in
pivotal times in Sydney and Melbourne. Though nobody anticipated Pakistan would
be as competitive as they were, the final score was 3-0.
West Indies’ performance is likewise dismal. They have
lost 14 of their last 16 Test matches, including the two played last summer,
and have not won a match in Australia since February 1997. In fact, since 2009,
the 164-run defeat in Perth was the closest Australia has been beaten in a Test
match played in Australia.
However, they have considerable skill, as demonstrated
by their impressive performance last week in Adelaide against a weaker squad,
the Cricket Australia XI. Alzarri Joseph, one of their best-known figures, adds
that they closely examined what Pakistan did well but will add a touch of the
Caribbean to it.
Alzarri and Kemar Roach will have to spearhead the
attack for the West Indies. Shamar Joseph, who bowled brilliantly in the
practice match in the Adelaide Oval nets on Monday, is about to be unleashed.
Joseph has only played in five first-class matches.
For a bowler even as skilled as Alzarri, adjusting to
the format may present the largest obstacle in addition to the playing
circumstances. He has bowled just 150 overs in Test cricket and participated in
six red-ball matches since last playing in Australia. He has participated in 53
white-ball games thus far, 41 of which have been T20s. In contrast, Pat
Cummins, the skipper of Australia, has only participated in 14 Test matches
during that time, recording 400 overs bowled at a rate of 24.41, and has not played
a single Twenty20 match.
There is talent from the West Indies. That much is
known. It remains to be seen if they can overcome the disadvantages and reach
the required level.