West Indies slight favourites as Pak seek Test turnaround
West Indies enter the first Test against Pak at Tarouba as slight favourites, chasing a rare series win and World Test Championship points after beating Sri Lanka. Pakistan, with Babar Azam restored as captain, arrive after losing 12 of their last 16 Tests and hope a Caribbean reset can halt a long decline.
Key Takeaways
- West Indies are slight favourites for the first Test versus Pak at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba (25–29 July 2026).
- Both sides sit at the bottom of the World Test Championship table, with West Indies eighth and Pakistan ninth.
- Babar Azam returns as Pak captain after Shan Masood’s exit; Alzarri Joseph is unavailable for West Indies.
- Hosts seek consecutive Test series wins for the first time since 2022 and a first series win over Pakistan since 2000.
- The match is West Indies’ first Test since the passing of Sir Garfield Sobers.
The basement clash opens a two-match home series that matters for points, pride, and whether either side can stop a long slide. For more alerts in this hub, see Fintech & Crypto Alerts.
Why are West Indies slight favourites against Pak?
According to ESPNcricinfo’s match preview, West Indies hold a clear if not overwhelming edge at home. Their seam attack—Shamar Joseph’s pace, Jayden Seales’ record against Pakistan, and Kemar Roach after his 300th Test wicket—should cope without Alzarri Joseph.
West Indies also arrive buoyant after a 1-0 home win over Sri Lanka, their first against those opponents in 23 years. Head coach Daren Sammy told the ICC he wants that momentum to stick: “We could see some light coming through, especially with the Sri Lanka series. Now we have Pakistan.”
Form still looks thin for both. West Indies have won just one of their previous ten Tests; Pak have lost 12 of their last 16. Four of the last seven series between them were drawn, underlining how tight these contests often become.
Can Babar Azam spark a Pak Test turnaround?
The headline for Pak is leadership change. Shan Masood is out after a difficult 30-month stint, and Babar Azam retakes the captaincy. Cricinfo notes much of the Test core has not been overhauled, so results may still depend on the same group delivering differently.
Aamer Jamal’s return offers balance as a seam-bowling allrounder. Opener Azan Awais, the youngest batter in the series, scored a warm-up hundred after a debut century in Bangladesh. Abdullah Fazal is ruled out with a lower-back injury, with Imam-ul-Haq likely to step in.
Tarouba has never hosted a Test before, and July showers in Trinidad may interrupt play. Warm-up conditions hint at a flat, slow pitch, which could bring spin into selection talks for both camps.
What else is at stake in the Tarouba Test?
West Indies Cricket says a series win would be their first over Pak since 2000 and would deliver consecutive Test series victories for the first time since 2022. Captain Roston Chase needs four wickets for 100 and 297 runs for 3,000; reaching both would put him alongside Sobers, Carl Hooper, and Jason Holder.
Sammy also framed the series as a tribute after Sir Garfield Sobers’ death: the side will try to honour his legacy with performances he would be proud of. For Pak, a competitive showing in the Caribbean would be the first proof that the Babar reset can halt a sustained Test decline.