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West Indies face an uphill task in the third and final Test of the series in Birmingham. Hosts England have momentum on their side and will be eager to make it a 3-0 clean sweep.
West Indies find themselves in a challenging position, trailing England 0-2. With the series heading to its final match at Edgbaston, the Caribbean side will be desperate to salvage some pride and avoid a humiliating whitewash.
While the visitors have shown glimpses of potential, they will need to significantly improve their overall performance to compete with the dominant English side.
England starts as firm favorites but it will be upon Kraigg Brathwaite and his men to try and salvage some pride. Looking at the bigger picture, they also have the World Test Championship points to play for, apart from wanting to end the series on a positive note.
Here are the three things the West Indies need to do right to avoid a whitewash against England:
#3 Build strong foundations with the bat
The visitors have shown glimpses of their batting prowess, particularly in their first innings at Trent Bridge where they amassed 457 runs. However, their ability to convert these starts into substantial totals has been inconsistent. Kavem Hodge's maiden Test century was a standout performance, but the team needs more contributions from the top order.
Kraigg Brathwaite, as captain, must lead from the front and provide stability. Alick Athanaze and Joshua da Silva have shown promise and need to build on their performances. To avoid another collapse, the West Indies must focus on building solid partnerships and applying themselves for longer periods at the crease.
#2 West Indies need to exploit England's weakness - bowling
Despite England's impressive batting lineup, their bowling attack has shown vulnerabilities.
While Mark Wood has been a standout performer with his raw pace, the other bowlers have been relatively less threatening. The West Indies must capitalize on these weaknesses by building pressure and targeting England's less experienced bowlers.
They have shown glimpses of what they can do with the bat and need to build on the momentum gained despite having lost the previous two games.
#1 Tighten the lines and lengths
A key area for improvement for the West Indian bowlers is their accuracy. To put pressure on England's aggressive batting lineup, they must bowl tighter lines and lengths. This will dry up the runs, build pressure, and create opportunities for wickets.
The Edgbaston pitch is expected to be relatively flat, so the West Indies bowlers will need to rely on their skill and discipline to create chances. By bowling consistently in good areas, they can make it difficult for England's batsmen to score freely and increase the likelihood of breakthroughs.
Gudakesh Motie, if fit, can play a crucial role in exploiting any turn on offer. The West Indies bowlers need to be disciplined and patient, setting traps and enticing England's batsmen into making mistakes.
Brathwaite and Co. certainly face an uphill battle to avoid a whitewash against England. However, by focusing on building strong foundations with the bat, exploiting England's bowling weaknesses, and bowling with greater accuracy, they can increase their chances of salvaging some pride in the final Test.
