The West Indies enter the third and final Test of the series against Australia facing a daunting task. Having already conceded a 2-0 lead to the visitors, Roston Chase’s side will be desperate to avoid a whitewash when they take the field at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica, from July 12 to 16. This pink-ball fixture also holds historical significance—it marks the first-ever day-night Test match in the Caribbean, adding extra pressure and intrigue to the contest.

The bowling has at times shown potential for the Caribbean side's bowling. Pacers Shamar Joseph, Alzarri Joseph, and Jayden Seales have at times troubled the Australian batters based on their raw pace and swing. However, the West Indies' biggest concern throughout the series has been their inconsistent and underperforming batting lineup. Top-order collapses have exposed the middle order too early, leading to subpar totals that Australia has easily chased down or outmatched.

With the final Test being played under lights with a pink ball, West Indies might slightly alter their combination based on the conditions. If fit, Kraigg Brathwaite can be expected back at the top, replacing Mikyle Louis. There should be no changes in the middle order, with the top three of Keacy Carty, Brandon King, and Shai holding key roles. Captain Roston Chase will offer spin and leadership, and the last bowling combination could be determined by whether they choose a spinner in Jomel Warrican or all-pace via Anderson Phillip.

See Also: WI vs AUS: Probable playing XI for Australia ahead of 3rd Test at Sabina Park

West Indies’ Probable Playing XI for 3rd Test vs Australia

• Kraigg Brathwaite / Mikyle Louis
• John Campbell
  
• Keacy Carty
  
• Brandon King
  
• Roston Chase (c)
  
• Shai Hope (wk)
  
• Justin Greaves
  
• Alzarri Joseph
  
• Jomel Warrican / Anderson Phillip
  
• Shamar Joseph
  
• Jayden Seales
  

Having already lost the series, this final Test offers West Indies a chance to rebuild confidence and finish strong in front of their home crowd. With Sabina Park hosting a pink-ball Test for the first time, conditions will be challenging and unfamiliar. For the Windies, it’s not just about avoiding a whitewash—it’s about showing fight, belief, and direction heading into the next phase of the WTC cycle.

Australia has begun the new cycle for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) in a brilliant fashion, securing a 2-0 series lead over the West Indies, having won the first two tests comfortably. Now, the visitors will be looking for a clean sweep as they prepare for the third and final test. Set to be played at the historical Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica, between July 12 and 16, this match carries added significance: this will be Australia's first-ever pink-ball Test outside of their home country.

Despite being unfamiliar with overseas day-night Tests, Australia goes into the game with the most international experience in pink-ball conditions, having featured in 11 encounters previously. Their success rate under lights, especially with a bowling unit that does so well in seaming conditions, provides them with a decisive advantage going into this historic clash. Meanwhile, The West Indies have been competitive with the ball but still struggled with the bat. Their top-order collapses have made it nearly impossible to mount any serious challenge to Australia’s dominance in the series.

With the momentum clearly in their favor and a 2-0 lead already secured, Australia is expected to make minimal changes to their lineup. However, the major talking point remains the selection call between veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon and seamer Scott Boland. Given the conditions and the pink ball’s tendency to aid seam movement under lights, there’s a strong chance Australia might go with a four-pronged pace attack. Still, Lyon’s form—having claimed nine wickets in two Tests—makes his omission a tricky call.

See Also: WI vs AUS: Probable playing XI for West Indies ahead of 3rd Test at Sabina Park

Australia’s Probable Playing XI for 3rd Test vs West Indies

• Usman Khawaja
  
• Sam Konstas
  
• Cameron Green
  
• Steve Smith
  
• Travis Head
  
• Beau Webster
  
• Alex Carey (wk)
  
• Mitchell Starc
  
• Pat Cummins (c)
  
• Nathan Lyon/Scott Boland
  
• Josh Hazlewood
  

With a 2-0 series lead in hand, Australia is firmly placed to complete a 3-0 whitewash and wrap up their Caribbean tour on a high. For the West Indies, it’s one final opportunity to restore pride and offer resistance on home soil.

Preparations at Sabina Park are in their final stages as the venue gets ready to host its first-ever day-night Test match during Australia’s current tour of the Caribbean. The historic fixture, scheduled to begin on July 12, has faced multiple delays, especially in the installation of floodlights, which were originally expected to be completed earlier this year but only went up recently. One section near the Kingston Cricket Club stand was still found to be poorly lit during recent testing.

Despite these challenges, the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) is confident everything will be ready on time. Final approval from the International Cricket Council (ICC) will come after an inspection, which is expected to take place a few days before the match. Meanwhile, a scoreboard and replay screen upgrade, funded by India, also faced setbacks after issues were found during the removal of the old structure, causing further delays.

Dr. Donovan Bennett, president of the JCA, spoke about the situation: “I’m pretty sure about that [being ready]. I’m a little bit uneasy because I would have hoped that everything would have been completed by now, but when you’re doing construction, as you go along there are a lot of unforeseen circumstances that you’re challenged with, which will push you back, and that’s exactly what has happened with the lights and the scoreboard,” he told the Jamaica Observer, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Final Touches Underway Before ICC Inspection

Dr. Bennett added that he still feels confident about the July 12 timeline. “But we’re on target. I’m confident that we’ll be okay with both the lighting and the scoreboard for the 12th, when the games are scheduled. I’m sure we’ll be okay. Certain areas of the field are way above the international requirements, but there’s one area that we need to work on to get it up… The English, who supplied the lights, will be coming in on the seventh [Monday] with a laser beam to do the final fine-tuning.”

See Also: IND vs ENG 2nd Test: Can India win? chances, prediction & possible result

Cricket West Indies (CWI) also expects the match to go ahead as a day-night Test as planned. Sabina Park is also set to host the first two T20 Internationals of the series under lights after the Test concludes. This will be the second day-night Test ever played in the Caribbean; the first was between the West Indies and Sri Lanka in Barbados back in 2018. Australia, known for their dominance in pink-ball Tests, has won 12 out of 13 matches in this format, with their only loss coming against the West Indies at the Gabba last year.