RSA vs WI 1st Test Prediction 28 Feb 2023

West Indies will take on South Africa in the first Test Match of their tour at the Super Sport in Centurion starting on February 28.

• South Africa has been struggling in recent times, with no wins in their last five Test matches, but they managed to secure a draw in their previous game.
• The West Indies, on the other hand, have a better record, having won two of their previous five matches.
• However, playing against South Africa on their home turf will be a challenging task for the West Indies.

RSA vs WI – 1st Test – Venue Details

Venue: SuperSport Park, Centurion

Date: 28 February 2023

Time: 10:00 (local)

RSA vs WI – 1st Test – Team Previews

South Africa

South Africa will have a new leader at the helm, with Temba Bavuma set to make his Test captaincy debut in their match against West Indies at Centurion. This comes after a recent restructuring of Cricket South Africa’s leadership, which saw Dean Elgar lose his captaincy following their exit from the World Test Championship. The Proteas will also be under the guidance of a new coaching staff, headed by Shukri Conrad and batting consultant Neil McKenzie.

In their previous Test against Australia, South Africa struggled with the bat after losing the toss and being asked to field. Despite a valiant effort in the third innings, they were unable to match Australia’s impressive total of 475 for four wickets.

However, South Africa have made significant changes since that match and may field an all-pace attack in Centurion, leaving out Keshav Maharaj. Aiden Markram is expected to open the batting with Elgar, while Gerald Coetzee could make his Test debut. With the hosts looking to bounce back after recent disappointments, they will be looking to put on a strong showing against a West Indies side who have won two of their last five Test matches.

West Indies

West Indies arrived in South Africa after securing a 1-0 series victory in Zimbabwe. However, they are now facing different conditions with the pitch and opposition being dissimilar to their previous series. Instead of the slow, turning track of Bulawayo, they will be facing the pace and bounce of Centurion. They last played a bilateral series in South Africa in the 2014-15 season, and their last Test win on South African soil was back in December 2007.

West Indies recently played a red-ball series against Zimbabwe where the first game ended in a high-scoring draw, while the second game was won by the visitors with a margin of an innings and 4 runs. In addition, they also played a three-day practice match against South Invitation XI, but they were unable to surpass the home team’s first innings total of 317, despite spin-bowling all-rounder Roston Chase scoring 70 and 35 in the two innings respectively, and Gudakesh Motie taking 13 wickets in the Zimbabwe series.

Although Motie and Chase have shown good form, West Indies may not be able to play both spinners given the likely conditions. Kemar Roach could be included in the playing XI as the fourth seamer, alongside Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, and Shannon Gabriel.

RSA vs WI – 1st Test – Probable Playing XI’s

South Africa: Dean Elgar, Markram, Keegan Petersen, Bavuma (Cap), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Senuran Muthusamy, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Gerald Coetzee

West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite (Cap), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Raymon Reifer, Jermaine Blackwood, Kyle Mayers, R Chase, Joshua da Silva (wk), Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Roach

RSA vs WI – 1st Test – Pitch Report and Toss Prediction

The pitch is expected to offer good pace and bounce, which could prove to be advantageous for fast bowlers. In the last Test played at this venue, India’s fast bowlers were dominant, taking 18 of the 20 wickets to fall in a 113-run victory for their team. South Africa’s batsmen struggled in both innings, scoring just 197 and 191 runs. It is anticipated that fast bowlers from both teams will relish these favorable conditions.

RSA vs WI – 1st Test – Match Prediction

South Africa are the favourites going into the series as they are playing at home and have lost just two tests at this venue in the last decade. West Indies do not have the depth in their fast bowling, while their batters will struggle to cope against the South African quicks. So, we expect a comfortable win for the Proteas.