The West Indies will be without the services of Kemar Roach and Shane Dowrich for the second test against New Zealand, which begins Friday at Basin Reserve in Wellington.
They both return to the Caribbean: Roach due to the death of his father and Dowrich for personal reasons.
Roach, the West Indies senior fast pitcher, claimed figures of 3 of 114 in Test 1, which New Zealand won by one inning and 134 runs. Wicketkeeper Dowrich suffered a hand injury on the first day and did not hit in any innings.
Joshua Da Silva, 22, from Trinidad and Tobago, has been added to the 14-man squad and is in line to make his international debut as a replacement for Dowrich behind the stumps. Da Silva has a top-class 100 in 17 first-class appearances, but impressed when he made 133 * and 56 * in an in-team preparation match in Manchester on the West Indies tour of England earlier this year.
In addition to the loss of Roach and Dowrich, the West Indies are concerned about the physical form of Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul. Hetmyer suffered a concussion during the T20Is series and is still being monitored, as Paul recovers from a groin strain, and both will be evaluated closer to the start of the test.
The capless Chemar Holder is the most obvious similar replacement for Roach, although the availability of the Paul off-roader, whose most recent appearance in testing came in February 2019, would strengthen the hitting.
West Indies Test Equipment: Jason Holder (captain), Roston Chase (vice catcher), Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Chemar Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Keemo Paul
Be placed: Nkrumah Bonner, Preston McSween
.
