West Indies Wins Toss, Elects to Bowl First Against Sri Lanka in Antigua Test

The West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl first against Sri Lanka in the opening Test of a two-match series at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on June 25, 2026. The decision reflected both teams' assessment of pitch conditions, which displayed a mild green tinge, suggesting early assistance for fast bowlers. West Indies captain Roston Chase led the team's bowling attack featuring four fast bowlers: Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph, and Alzarri Joseph. Sri Lanka countered with four front-line quick bowlers of their own—Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha, and fast-bowling allrounder Milan Rathnayaka—while leaving out their senior spinner Prabath Jayasuriya.

The West Indies squad suffered a significant injury setback when opening batter Shai Hope was ruled out with a left shoulder injury sustained during training. Amir Jangoo replaced Hope in the lineup, making his second Test appearance. Joshua da Silva returned as wicketkeeper-batter after missing Test cricket since December 2024, providing depth to the batting lineup that included John Campbell, Brandon King, Kavem Hodge, and Justin Greaves.

Head coach Daren Sammy emphasized the importance of tactical discipline in exploiting pitch conditions and opposition weaknesses. He highlighted the team's focus on maintaining consistent bowling lengths and executing strategic plans developed through film analysis. Sammy acknowledged that batting consistency had been a recurring vulnerability for the West Indies and remained an area requiring improvement throughout the series.

The match marked the West Indies' first Test of 2026 as they sought their first World Test Championship victory after seven defeats in eight matches. For Sri Lanka, the encounter represented their first Test since a 1-0 series victory over Bangladesh, with the team displaying confidence in their balanced squad composition that included left-arm spinning allrounder Sonal Dinusha as their primary slow-bowling option.