England win toss, elect to bat in third Test

Bridgetown, Barbados: England captain Alastair Cook won the toss and chose to bat first on the opening day of the third and final Test against the West Indies at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Friday.

All-rounder Ben Stokes passed a late fitness test to leave the visitors unchanged from the team that won the second Test in Grenada last week by nine wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the series and guarantee retention of the Wisden Trophy.

In contrast, the West Indies have made three changes, including giving a debut to 21-year-old Barbadian batsman Shai Hope at the expense of opener Devon Smith.

Jerome Taylor returns to the final 11 in place of out-of-form pacer Kemar Roach after missing the second Test because of a shoulder injury.

Veerasammy Permaul, who took 67 wickets in the domestic season, comes in as the specialist spinner as fellow Guyanese Devendra Bishoo has been ruled out because of a cut sustained to a finger on his bowling hand in the latter stages of the match in Grenada.

West Indies - Denesh Ramdin (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jermaine Blackwood, Jason Holder, Jerome Taylor, Veerasammy Permaul, Shannon Gabriel.

England - Alastair Cook (captain), Jonathan Trott, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Chris Jordan, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.

Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZL), Bruce Oxenford (AUS), Match Referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
(AFP)