The second Test between West Indies and Sri Lanka begins on Friday at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, the same venue where the hosts delivered one of their most dominant victories in recent memory.
Roston Chase's side crushed the tourists by an innings and 217 runs inside four days thanks to a double century from Amir Jangoo on his return to the side and a brilliant display from their battery of fast bowlers.
Kemar Roach finished with match figures of 6-83 and claimed his 300th Test wicket, becoming only the fourth West Indian quick to reach that milestone.
Chase fell six runs short of a double ton in a record-setting partnership with Jangoo that sets the West Indies on course to clinch their first home Test match series since 2022.
As for Sri Lanka, captain Dhananjaya de Silva's first-innings century was arguably the only positive to take from a match in which they were comprehensively outplayed.
West Indies v Sri Lanka Tips Summary
Best Bet - West Indies to win @ 5/6
Alternative Bet - Highest individual score - Over 137.5 @ 5/6
Bet Builder - Over 21.5 wickets caught, Roston Chase to score 70+ runs & Kemar Roach 5+ wickets @ 13/2
West Indies v Sri Lanka Prediction
Best Bet: West Indies to win @ 5/6
West Indies Test wins have been a rarity in recent times but, like London buses, a second one could be just around the corner.
The victory at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium was Chase's first as captain and Daren Sammy's first as coach and they will be desperate to secure the series now.
Chase's plan to give his pacemen first use of a greenish-looking pitch when he won the toss on day one paid off superbly as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 308 in their first innings.
Jangoo, who was only playing because of an injury to Shai Hope, took his chance with both hands as he crafted the innings of the match, 233 off 373 balls.
Scoreboard pressure and the evergreen Roach sealed the win on day four and it is hard to see how the Islanders recover from that in such a short space of time.
New-ball bowler Lahiru Kumara, a surprise inclusion given he had not played domestic cricket since January, broke down after bowling just one over in the first innings, leaving the captain with a depleted attack.
Only Milan Rathnayake had any success with the ball, claiming 5-124, as spinner Sonal Dinusha was left to pick up the slack and went for 234 runs.
The West Indies' fast‑bowling quartet is perfectly suited to Antigua's surface, which offered pace, carry and early movement.
Roach's experience, Jayden Seales' accuracy, Shamar Joseph's hostility and Alzarri Joseph's late‑session bursts form one of the most balanced pace attacks in world cricket.
Sri Lanka's batters, in contrast, looked uncomfortable from ball one. Their technique against the moving ball was exposed and their inability to rotate strike allowed pressure to build rapidly.
Alternative Bet: Highest individual score - Over 137.5 @ 5/6
There were two centuries and a double ton in the first Test, which suggests that batters can make big scores once they have played themselves in.
Sri Lanka's batting is better than their first‑Test collapse suggests.
Dinesh Chandimal looked composed during his knocks of 54 and 43, while Pathum Nissanka has a strong overseas record and captain De Sliva again demonstrated that is capable of long innings when settled.
Backing at least one batter to make a score in excess of 137 sounds reasonable given the fact that they should all be well-used to the pitch characteristics by now.
West Indies v Sri Lanka Bet Builder
Over 21.5 wickets caught
Roston Chase to score 70+ runs
Kemar Roach 5+ wickets
Pays 13/2
There were 17 catches taken in the first Test and almost as many drops, with the Windies shelling four catches on day one alone.
Wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva was guilty of several and will need to be much cleaner with his glove work if the hosts are to come out on top again.
Back Chase to continue his good form with the bat by scoring 70 or more runs in the Test match - as he has done in eight of his 23 appearances in the Caribbean.
And add Roach to claim another five-fer at North Sound, where he has claimed 60 of his 300 Test scalps at an average of 16.75.
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Key Match Stats
West Indies won the first Test by an innings and 217 runs
Sri Lanka were bowled out for 101 in 27.2 overs in the second innings
Kemar Roach became the fourth West Indian fast bowler to reach 300 Test wickets
Jayden Seales claimed his 100th Test wicket in the first Test
Roston Chase scored 194 - his sixth Test century
West Indies pacers took all 10 wickets in Sri Lanka's second innings
Tactics, Form & Team News
The hosts are unlikely to make any changes after such a commanding performance in the opening match of the series, but Shai Hope is back in contention after recovering from a shoulder injury.
Expected West Indies XI: 1 John Campbell, 2 Brandon King, 3 Kavem Hodge, 4 Amir Jangoo, 5 Justin Greaves, 6 Joshua da Silva (wk), 7 Roston Chase (c), 8 Alzarri Joseph, 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Shamar Joseph, 11 Jayden Seales.
Sri Lanka have been forced to make changes, with opening batter Pathum Nissanka ruled out by a wrist injury, leaving both Lahiru Udana and Pasindu Sooriyabandara hoping for an opportunity.
Their bowling options have also been hit by injuries to Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando, while Ramesh Mendis is sidelined by illness.
Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya is set to be recalled, while there may well be a Test debut for all-rounder Isitha Wijesundara.
Expected Sri Lanka XI: 1 Lahiru Udana, 2 Nishan Madushka, 3 Dinesh Chandimal, 4 Kamindu Mendis, 5 Dhananjaya De Silva (c), 6 Kusal Mendis (wk), 7 Isitha Wijesundara, 8 Milan Rathnayake, 9 Kasun Rajitha, 10 Prabath Jayasuriya, 11 Asitha Fernando.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
