Toss West Indies chose to bowl vs Sri Lanka
West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl first against Sri Lanka on a track with a mild green tinge, under blue skies in North Sound, Antigua.
Both sides evidently expect there to be much more assistance for the quicks than spinners. Sri Lanka have picked four frontline quicks and have left out their senior-most spinner Prabath Jayasuriya. Fast bowling allrounder Milan Rathnayaka plays instead, alongside seamers Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha. Left-arm spinning allrounder Sonal Dinusha is their primary slow-bowling option.
West Indies have also got four fast bowlers in their XI, with Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph all playing.
There is, additionally, a recall for wicketkeeper batter Joshua da Silva, who has not played a Test since December 2024. Amir Jangoo, a batter who can also keep wickets, is in the XI as well in place of the injured Shai Hope, playing his second Test. Hope was sidelined with a shoulder injury.
West Indies: 1 John Campbell, 2 Brandon King, 3 Kavem Hodge, 4 Amir Jangoo, 5 Joshua da Silva (wk), 6 Justin Greaves, 7 Roston Chase (capt.), 8 Alzarri Joseph, 9 Shamar Joseph, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Jayden Seales
Sri Lanka: 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Nishan Madushka, 3 Dinesh Chandimal, 4 Kamindu Mendis, 5 Dhananjaya de Silva (c), 6 Kusal Mendis, 7 Sonal Dinusha, 8 Milan Rathnayaka, 9 Kasun Rajitha, 10 Lahiru Kumara, 11 Asitha Fernando.