Watch Windies vs England live on Sky Sports Cricket from 1.30pm
Saturday 9 February 2019 14:26, UK
Ahead of the third and final Test getting underway - live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 1.30pm - we bring you all the key reading, including the views of the two captains and England batting coach Mark Ramprakash...
England have rung the changes with Jonny Bairstow set to keep wicket for the dropped Ben Foakes and Keaton Jennings recalled to the 12-man squad.
Ben Stokes could play as a specialist batsman as he battles a bruised heel while his Durham team-mate Mark Wood is also in the 12. Read the full team news HERE...
Jennings discussed being left out of the England side for the second Test and how scoring runs in county cricket would be key to his recall - but he could be in line for a return to the red-ball side far earlier than expected. Read Jennings' full column HERE...
After England secured a series win in Sri Lanka, Joe Root was in an understandably bullish mood as he stated his desire to make his side the best in the world, explains Sam Drury.
By completing a whitewash of Sri Lanka, they rose to No 2 in the ICC rankings and there was optimism that Root's goal could be achieved sooner rather than later.
However, fast-forward a couple of months and England are preparing for the third Test against Windies having already lost the series and slipped to fifth in the rankings, behind an Australia side shorn of its two star batsmen for the past 11 months; even a win in St Lucia wouldn't be enough to overhaul their Ashes foes.
What has gone wrong in the Caribbean is no secret. Joe Root aside, England lack top-order batsmen of the required quality for Tests. Read more from Sam HERE!
England batting coach Mark Ramprakash says 'inexplicable' county pitches are not helping create top-order batsmen for Test cricket.
England have been bowled out for 77, 246, 187 and 132 in the first two Tests against Windies to slip to a series defeat and will now try to avoid a whitewash in St Lucia.
Asked by Sky Sports' Ian Ward whether domestic surfaces were allowing top-order players to hone their craft, Ramprakash said: "In a word, no." Read Ramprakash's full interview HERE...
And, England and Somerset spinner Jack Leach echoed Ramprakash's sentiments, saying playing on a variety of pitches in England would help the national side become a force away from home. Read the full interview with Leach HERE...
After starring in the first two Test matches in Barbados and Antigua as Windies wrapped up the series, captain Jason Holder told Sky Sports that the hosts "surprised" England.
The Barbadian's side batted for 131 overs in their first innings on a spicy Antigua pitch in the second Test - Darren Bravo digging in for 50 from 216 balls - with England lasting a combined 103.1 in both as they tumbled to a 10-wicket defeat, a week after going down by 381 runs in Barbados.
Holder feels that with battling batsmen, a "fiery" pace attack and a young squad that there is no reason Windies cannot surge up the rankings from their current position of eighth. Read more HERE...
After Jason Holder's over-rate ban, Benedict Bermange looks at some of the stranger reasons players have missed matches. Take on the challenge HERE...
Meanwhile, Joe Denly is out to prove he is more than a short-term fix for England ahead of what could be his last chance at an Ashes audition.
The 32-year-old made his Test debut in place of Keaton Jennings last week, the oldest specialist batsman to do so for England in the 21st century, but could not prevent a thrashing by the Windies.
England will be looking to salvage some pride in the third and final Test, starting in St Lucia on Saturday, but for Denly the stakes are even higher. Fail and his flirtation with the five-day format could be over before the first ball of the domestic season; succeed and he could find himself lining up against Australia later this summer. Read what Denly has to say HERE...
And, with a five-match one-day international series to follow the culmination of the third Test match, 'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle is back in the hosts' 50-over side, live on Sky Sports Cricket.
Before then England will be looking for a consolation win in the third Test against the Windies live on Sky Sports Cricket from 1.30pm on Saturday.You can also follow over-by-over commentary and in-play clips on our rolling blog on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app.
