Australia v West Indies First Test Tips: Khawaja a tonic to ton-up

• Inexpeienced Windies in for a beating

• Adelaide pitch same as two years ago

• Khawaja can go big

Australia v West Indies
Tuesday 16 January, 23.30
TV: Live on Sky Sports

Australia v West Indies First Test team news

Steve Smith will open the batting after David Warner retired. Cameron Green will bat at No 4. It's a curious move for Smith, pedestalled as one of the greats.

For a while he has looked as though decline is setting in so a move to take on the new ball doesn't make sense. Mind you, he may only be tested against more ferocious attacks in time than the one he faces here in a two-Test series

The hosts line up with Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood again. One of the latter two is likely to be rested for game two.

Probable XI: Khawaja, Smith, Labuschagne, Green, Head, M Marsh, Carey, Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon

Only five players survive from the beating that West Indies took in a two-Test series in December 2022. Skip Kraigg Brathwaite, new vice-captain Alzarri Joseph, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Josh da Silva and Kemar Roach.

They form the spine of the team. Look out for young tyro Shamar Joseph, who has only five first-class wickets. In a warm-up against a Cricket Australia XI they struggled, managing a 'losing' draw.

Possible XI: Brathwaite, Chanderpaul, McKenzie, Athanaze, Hodge, Greaves, Da Silva, Joseph, Motie, Roach, Joseph

Australia v West Indies First Test pitch report

Rather handily the groudsman has said the Adelaide surface is exactly the same as the contest these two played in December 2022. Australia won by 419 runs after posting 511 for seven. West Indies were rolled for 214 and 77.

A short of West Indies runs is on, then. They've busted 275 in their first-innings just six times in their last 18 (four years) against the Big Six. Laying 275 or more at around the 2.305/4 mark may be a possibility. We would expect an Australia first-innings par line to be up around that 475 mark. .

Australia v West Indies First Test match odds

Australia are 1.091/11, West Indies 25.024/1 and the draw 23.022/1. It's a total and utter mismatch. We knew that two years ago so why they're doing it all again is anyone's guess.

West indies haven't won a Test in Australia since 1997 and such an inexperienced group is on a hiding to nothing. There are too many ifs, buts and maybes to even consider a trade on the big prices.

If more liquidity turns up there's currently even money that the match doesn't last to day four.

Australia v West Indies First Test player bets

Usman Khawaja is our go-to win-rate option at 10/34.33 for top Aussie in the first-innings. But we have to be wary that on a flat pitch against a poor attack, there's no guarantee you'd feel secure with 150 on your man. Surely a century will be required to win this market so 7/24.50 about Khawaja saluting in first dig has appeal. He's even money for a fifty and that could be a gimme. Smith is 11/43.75 for a ton.

For the Windies, Brathwaite is ultra reliable but the 2/13.00 isn't giving much away against a superb new-ball attack. We're also a little disappointed that we're not getting bigger than 40/141.00 about the likes of Gudakesh Motie top scoring.

Read Big Bash analysis here