Factors which could decide the outcome of the Windies-England Test series

Home Side’s Bowling Strength

Jason Holder's performance with the ball last year was very impressive

Last year, there were two West Indian bowlers who impressed everyone in the home season with their performances and are now seen as their strike bowlers – Jason Holder and Shannon Gabriel.

The West Indian captain had been under pressure for not getting enough wickets as a leading bowler in the team. Last season, he finally rose to the occasion and had a successful outing against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. A five-wicket haul later that year on an Indian pitch further proved how far he had come as a bowler.

What made Holder effective was his ability to swing the ball. He bowled a fuller length and got the ball to move in the air. On the other hand, Gabriel used his pace and ability to hit the deck hard to trouble the visiting batsmen in home series. Together, these two could cause some problems to the English batsmen.

Will Bairstow Hold on to the No. 3 Spot?

Jonny Bairstow would be looking to make the no. 3 spot his own

Unlike West Indies, England don’t have a massive batting problem, but they do have issues to settle and that too, serious ones. To begin with, the order in which the batsmen are going to bat is undecided.

The search for a regular no. 3 continues with various batsmen having tried and failed to book the spot for themselves. The experiment with Moeen Ali at that position failed miserably and Jonny Bairstow was given that spot in the final Test in Sri Lanka. The Yorkshireman responded with a brilliant hundred which has made that spot his for the time being. Whether he will remain consistent in that position is the thing to watch out for in this series