FANTASY
Follow UsZimbabwe and West Indies will lock horns in the second Test match of the two-match series in Bulawayo. The first Test was a drawn affair which makes this a series decider. The Test match at the Queens Sports Club will begin on Sunday (February 13).
Ground Details and Team Combination
In Tests since 2011, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, has witnessed seven matches and it has been in favor of the batsmen. Batting teams have averaged 37.1, and in both first and in every innings of the match, 200+ runs have been scored on an average.
Adding further, bowlers have bagged a wicket every 75.7 balls in the aforementioned time. At venues where 150+ wickets have been taken by the bowlers, this venue has been the worst among all for bowlers.
In any case, the spinners have a slight edge over the pacers. The pacers have bagged 48.5 percent of the wickets as compared to 51.5 percent by spinners.
So you can load your team with tight batters and spin bowlers which both sides have in fair proportion.
Suggested teams
While you could go for the above team, you can also choose your team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.
Captaincy suggestions
For small leagues: Kraigg Brathwaite ( c ), Gary Ballance (vc)
For grand leagues: Alzari Joseph ( c ), Tagenarine Chanderpaul (vc)
Stats That Matter
> Kraigg Brathwaite has been one of the most consistent performers in Test cricket in recent months. For West Indies, his tally of 894 runs is 480 more than the next best, Jermaine Blackwood. He has five fifties and three hundreds in 16 innings in this period. He likes to bat long which makes him the perfect batter for this pitch.
> Brandon Mavuta pouched a 5/140 and then scored 56 with the bat in the first Test, becoming only the fourth Zimbabwean to score a fifty and pick a five-for in the same Test innings.
> Kyle Mayers has a unique record in home and away Tests. At home, he is a fantabulous bowler. He has a wicket every 15 runs and 39.4 balls. However, in away Tests, he has a lone wicket at an average of 131 and a strike rate of 282. But, while batting he has a better average in away matches (43.6) as compared to 31.5 at home. His all-round skills make him a vital player for this Test.
Grand League Punts
- Alzarri Joseph is one pacer who can be effective on this track which favors spinners. He put Zimbabwe in bother in the first Test too, picking three wickets in the first innings. If West Indies have to clinch this game, and hence the series, Joseph will have to play a big part with the ball.
- Left-arm spinners have the second best bowling average among all bowling types in Tests in Bulawayo since 2011. That makes Gudakesh Motie a promising player to lead your Fantasy fortunes. He picked six wickets in the first Test for 160 runs.
Here are the Top 10 Criclytics Projections
Probable XIs
Zimbabwe: Innocent Kaia, Tanunuraw Makoni, Chamu Chibhabha, Craig Ervine ( c ), Gary Ballance, Tafadzwa Tsiga (wk), Wellington Masakadza, Brad Evans, Brandon Mavuta, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi
West Indies: Kraig Brathwaite (c), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Raymon Reifer, Jermaine Blackwood, Kyle Mayers, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Gudakesh Motie
