England return to the Caribbean with an eye on the Champions Trophy

About 12 months ago, at this point, England were in India for the 2023 ODI World Cup, which was easily the most embarrassing tournament in the format since the 2015 World Cup. If this tournament was an indication that a transition was coming in white-ball cricket, the 2024 T20 World Cup format provided a stronger argument for initiating that process. A first step in this direction was seen at home this summer during the white-ball series against Australia. This trip to the West Indies is another opportunity for England to prepare for the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Jos Buttler's last-minute exit due to unsatisfactory progress in his rehab means Liam Livingstone faces his first spell as England captain. Compared to the white-ball series against Australia last month, the team looks more familiar. The three new faces in this regard are Rehan Ahmed, Michael-Kyle Pepper and Jafer Chohan. All-rounder Sam Curran is also back in the ODI format after being ignored for the Australia series. While Chohan and Ahmed represent strong reinforcements in the wrist rotation department, England will be keen to see whether they have the temperament to succeed Adil Rashid in the long term.

Pepper's inclusion is more about its unorthodox gameplay, which turns heads with every click, be it in the T20 Blast or The Hundred. He could potentially line up against Phil Salt as an opener as England continue to explore their batting depth. With Harry Brook and Jamie Smith rested for this tour, this is an opportunity for England's fringe to stake a claim for first choice. The challenge will also be there for Livingstone, who is keen to cement his ODI future after appearing on and off for the side in recent years.

It is a constant battle for the West Indies to find the right pace of batting in this format. Given their natural preference for a T20 methodology, the batters have often been guilty of not improving in terms of temperament. The recent series in Sri Lanka was a good example of this. With the exception of Sherfane Rutherford, none of the batsmen batted in the first two ODIs of the series, which West Indies lost completely. The final game of the series was marred by rain and the West Indies eventually had a 23-over fightback, which they won with one over to spare.

Their inconsistencies in the longer formats are well documented, but Caribbean stars are known to improve their game against England, particularly in home conditions. The two teams played a hard-fought series in the West Indies in December last year, which England narrowly won 2-1. Shai Hope will once again be the glue around which West Indies' batting performance revolves, but the way Rutherford has adapted to the format will boost morale in the host camp.

Shimron Hetmyer makes a comeback in this series, strengthening the West Indies line-up, who also have an efficient bowling line-up for these conditions. A lot of it would also come down to the type of pitches shown in this series. Despite the vast experience in the West Indies ranks in contrast to England's rookie squad, it is difficult to call either team favorites.

When: Thursday, October 31, 2:00 pm local time, 11:30 pm IST

Where: Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua

What to expect: The highest ever total at the venue batting first is 325, which coincidentally was achieved by England in the last series between the two teams in December 2023. West Indies were also successful in ousting him. Apart from this game, the venue did not score quickly and did not generate large totals. Values ​​in the 275 to 300 range were competitive and this trend is likely to continue.

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