The West Indies will be looking to end 2025 on a high when they face New Zealand in the third and final Test at Bay Oval, bowling off today.
Trailing 1-0 in the series, the visitors arrive at Mount Maunganui with redemption firmly in mind after a heavy defeat in Wellington shifted the momentum decisively in New Zealand’s favour.
With the West Indies’ record-breaking effort ensuring the opening Test ended in a draw, the final contest presents the West Indies with a final chance to square the series and leave New Zealand with something tangible after a poor run in the longest format so far this year.
In seven matches in the new ICC World Test Championship, Roston Chase’s men have been beaten in six, with their lone draw coming in the first Test when Justin Greaves with his unbeaten 202 and Kemar Roach with 58 not out off 233 balls, wrote their names in the history books.
However, the Windies were knocked back down when they were dismissed for 205 and 128 to lose the second Test inside three days at Wellington.
West Indies assistant coach Floyd Reifer didn’t shy away from delivering a blunt assessment of where things have gone wrong, placing the spotlight squarely on his batting unit’s inability to convert starts into match-defining scores.
“We’ve spoken about this, and this is something we want to improve on,” Reifer stated. “When we’re in control of the situation, to stay in control for longer periods of time. In Test cricket, batting is doing great things for long periods.”
The statistics bear out his concern. Apart from Greaves’ double hundred and Shai Hope’s century in the first Test, the West Indies’ batting unit, on some occasions, have gotten into promising positions, only to give it away after all the hard work.
For Reifer, the constant work in this area has still not borne much fruit, and he is hoping that the batters collectively can come good this time around, to prove that his and the coaching staff’s effort are not going to waste.
“We had a lot of starts, but unfortunately, none of those starts converted into hundreds,” Reifer admitted.
His prescription for the ailment is simple in theory, yet demanding in execution.
“We believe that once you bat four hours plus in a Test match, you guarantee a hundred. “It’s just about going through the different phases, understanding the situation, and just looking to continue to do what you were doing for long periods of time. That’s how we will get over this period of getting started and not continuing.”
The conditions at Mount Maunganui, typical of New Zealand, will test this approach to its limit. Reifer acknowledged the green-tinged pitch and the potent threat of the new ball.
“The first two days, it’s good for bowling. The ball will nip around a lot here, but this is where we need to dial in and be focused the most.”
He called for tempered aggression and heightened responsibility.
“There are certain shots you can and cannot play early in New Zealand with the new ball. So just staying disciplined and for players to take more responsibility in terms of how they go about their innings,” he said.
As the tourists make a final push for redemption, they must do so without opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who is still ruled out with a side strain.
The Windies’ preparation has been further disrupted with the departure of Performance Analyst Avenesh Seetaram, who has returned home for a personal family matter.
While the visitors search for improvement, the hosts have made changes aimed at strengthening their position for the series decider.
Spinner Ajaz Patel and wicketkeeper-batter Tom Blundell have both been recalled for the third Test, with Patel replacing seamer Blair Tickner, who dislocated his shoulder during second match, while Blundell returns after recovering from the hamstring tear that ruled him out of the second Test.
Blundell’s comeback sees Mitchell Hay released from the squad.
New Zealand head coach Rob Walter was quick to highlight the value of having the experienced gloveman back in the fold.
“Tom has recovered very well, and we’re grateful to have someone of his calibre back,” Walter said. “His experience is invaluable, especially with several newer faces in our squad. He is a leader in the group, and we’re very pleased to see him back.”
The inclusion of Patel is perhaps the most intriguing selection, particularly from a West Indies perspective. The left-arm spinner, who was named Player-of-the Match in his most recent Test appearance in November 2024, is set to play his first home Test since February 2020.
Walter indicated that the nature of the Bay Oval pitch played a significant role in the decision.
“Ajaz is someone we can trust to come in and do a job if required,” he explained. “Bay Oval has typically taken more turn, and the fact that he turns the ball away from the right-hander is very appealing.”
For a West Indies batting line-up already under scrutiny, Patel’s inclusion adds another layer of complexity, particularly as New Zealand look to complement their seam attack with greater variety.
“Taking another spinner gives us more variance in our bowling attack alongside our seamers, who have been outstanding this series,” Walter added.
The remainder of the New Zealand squad remains unchanged, with the Black Caps firmly focused on clinching the series outright on home soil.
SQUADS:
West Indies: Roston Chase (Captain), Jomel Warrican (Vice-Captain), Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Brandon King, Johann Layne, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Ojay Shields.
New Zealand: Tom Latham (Captain), Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Kristian Clarke, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Daryl Mitchell, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rae, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Will Young.
