Kavem Hodge fell for 99 as the tourists made good use of the final day of their warm-up match
After finishing the West Indies’ on-field preparations for the Frank Worrell Trophy, Joshua Da Silva struck a century in Adelaide against a Cricket Australia XI.
Da Silva gave the visitors hope on Friday at Karen Rolton Oval by defeating an inexperienced attack with a fine of 105, five days before the first Test in the capital of South Australia.
Test prospect Kavem Hodge did not let his 99 not hurt his chances of making his debut, and he was bowled painfully near to three figures by spinner Doug Warren.
When a ball whizzed out of the rough, struck Hodge’s back leg and bounced onto the stumps, it was incredibly unfortunate for him.
In their second trip to the middle, Justin Greaves hit an undefeated 41 in addition to his 65 in the first inning, which helped the tourists reach 315 for 5 declared and a commanding lead of 392.
Nonetheless, there are still certain worries for the visitors. The guys who were expected to bat at No. 3 and No. 4 in Adelaide both failed once more, scoring 9 and 15, respectively, to support their 23 and 0 first-inning totals.
Given that Hodge and Greaves, the West Indies’ probable debutantes at Nos. 5 and No. 6, will likely be their positions, they will need more from the two in the two-Test series.
For 39 overs, the CA XI was able to hold on and tie the match. West Indies off-spinning allrounder Kevin Sinclair, noted for his somersault celebrations after wickets, took three scalps. In his competition with Greaves for a berth in the side, that will bolster his case for a Test call-up.
The tourists’ 15-man roster includes seven players without a cap, meaning they will have to start at least three rookies at Adelaide Oval.
That lack of top-level experience illustrates the quandary Test cricket finds itself in, with Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers the latest West Indies stars to prefer T20 leagues over the five-day game.
