Australia will take on the West Indies in the final red ball match of the summer, with the hosts looking to complete a clean sweep.
Wet and wild weather conditions are set to lash Queensland throughout the match, so it will be fascinating to see how this contest at the Gabba plays out.
Josh Nevett takes a close look at the contest with his free preview and cricket betting tips below.
Australia vs West Indies 2nd Test Preview & Betting Tips
Gabba, Brisbane, Thursday January 25th, 2:30pm (AEDT)
Squads
Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc
West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Alzarri Joseph (vc), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua Da Silva, Akeem Jordan, Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlach, Shamar Joseph, Zachary McCaskie
Match Preview
Australia continued their unbeaten test summer with a 10-wicket win over the West Indies in Adelaide, although the win did not come as easily as the margin suggests.
Bowling first, Pat Cummins (4/41) and Josh Hazlewood (4/44) ripped through the inexperienced West Indies top order, reducing the visitors to 9/133 before a 10th wicket counterattack added 55 valuable runs.
Many expected the hosts to dominate with the bat as they often do in home conditions, but regular wickets stymied any momentum. While several big names failed to fire, left-handers Travis Head and Usman Khawaja combined for 164 runs to ensure a first innings lead.
Head’s knock of 119 was particularly impressive considering the bowler friendly conditions – his dashing stroke play was on show yet again, with the runs coming at a strike rate of nearly 90.
Despite building a lead of 95, question marks hang over the re-worked batting order, as neither Steve Smith nor Cameron Green made scores.
Nevertheless, the bowlers papered over the cracks in the second innings, with Hazlewood terrorising the West Indies batters to achieve figures of 5/35. Starc and Lyon also took two each as the touring team managed just 120, which left a straightforward 26 run chase.
While no wickets fell, Khawaja was forced to retire after being struck in the head. He is set to be available for the second test after passing concussion protocols.
It was a tough result to take for the West Indies, who were in the match at stages, but they will take heart from the performances of youngsters Shamar Joseph and Kirk McKenzie.
McKenzie, 23, played a lone hand in the first dig, amassing 50 runs against quality fast bowling. He backed it up with 26 in the second innings, playing with patience and intent.
Joseph, on the other hand, earned cult hero status in his first test appearance, making 51 runs and taking five wickets in a display packed full of flair and energy.
Both will need to perform again if the West Indies are to stand a chance in Brisbane, but experienced squad members Brathwaite, Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach also need to make a stand.
I don’t expect any changes for either side for the second test, even though Khawaja and Head have been under fitness clouds.
There is no doubt that Australia would win this match comfortably over three, four or even five days, but the ominous weather forecast for this test suggests that there could be some value in getting behind the draw.
While it would be a disappointing outcome for fans of the game, it makes a lot more sense to chase the value than pick Australia at unbackable odds.
Prop Bets
I was all over this market last match and history has repeated, with Cummins matched up against Kemar Roach in the head-to-head bowlers markets. Cummins saluted in the first test, taking four wickets to Roach’s two, and you can get even better odds this time around. As previously mentioned, Roach averages over 90 on Australian soil, while Cummins is a proven wicket taker who will again enjoy bowling to an inexperienced West Indies batting line-up.
Bowler 1st Inns Match Bet 1 – Patrick Cummins $2.10 (Ladbrokes)
Braithwaite missed out in the first test, tallying just 14 runs from two innings, but I think he can bounce back in Brisbane. The West Indies captain averaged nearly 50 in Australia last summer and scored well over 40 runs per innings throughout 2023.
Kraigg Brathwaite Over 19.5 1st Innings Runs – $1.83 (Ladbrokes)
