WI vs SL 2026: Shai Hope declared fit for second Test

West Indies' star batter Shai Hope has been declared match fit for the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, set to commence on Friday, July 03.

Hope missed the first Test after suffering a shoulder strain in the practice session on the eve of the match. However, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has now confirmed the batter's availability, stating that he was able to complete the training session with the team for the upcoming encounter. 

“Shai Hope has recovered from the left shoulder strain that ruled him out of the first Test and is now available for selection. Hope participated in the team’s final training session this afternoon ahead of the second Test, which gets underway on Friday at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium,” CWI said in a press release, as qouted by Jamaica Observer.

The Caribbeans come into the second Test with a 1-0 lead, having completed a dominating victory by an inning and 217 runs. Left-hander Amir Jangoo, filling in for Hope and playing his second Test match, scored a stellar 233 off 373 balls and stitched a 401-run stand for the sixth wicket with skipper Roston Chase, who scored a brilliant 194 off 324 balls. Their stand was the highest sixth-wicket partnership in Test history, breaking the record set by Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, who scored 399 runs in Cape Town in 2016.

Jangoo, Chase script history with record partnership

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Jangoo, Chase script history with record partnership

Jangoo scored his maiden Test century and third in first-class, all of which have been double hundreds. This was Chase's first century as captain of the side and first Test hundred since 2019. On the back of the partnership, the Windies put on a mammoth 626 for 9 in response to Sri Lanka's 308 after being put into bat. Dhananjaya de Silva scored a well-made 120 for the Lankan team.

The Lankan Lions were bowled out for 101 in the second innings, with Kemar Roach finishing with figures of 4 for 51 and becoming the fifth West Indies seamer to pick up 300 Test wickets.