West Indies vs. Australia, 1st Test: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview

Australia haven't played a Test match since early January, and with the Ashes upon us, they will be hoping to snap back into the five-day groove during their short series against the West Indies.

However, their hosts, who recently drew with England, boast a number of up-and-coming players and will be looking to spring a surprise and catch the rusty Baggy Greens off guard.

Let's take a look at how these two sides are shaping up ahead of the opening encounter of their two-Test series in Dominica.

Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Time:  10 a.m. local (3 p.m. BST)

Venue: Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica

Live stream and TV info: Sky Sports (UK), Ten Cricket (India), Star Sports (India), Fox Sports (Australia) and many more.

Weather: Consistent heat is expected in Dominica for the duration of the game with unblemished sunshine peaking at 28 degrees Celsius, forecast by BBC Weather.

Overview

Despite being labelled as "mediocre" by new ECB Chairman Colin Graves, replayed by BBC Sport, the Caribbean Islanders hinted at a bright future during their recent drawn series against England.

During that three-match tussle, Phil Simmons' charges played consistent and cohesive cricket with Jermaine Blackwood, Jason Holder and Jerome Taylor in particular impressing.

One man who won't be there this time around, however, is 40-year-old Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Some would say there is no room for sentiment in professional sport, and the Windies selectors appear to agree, dropping the veteran even though he's just 87 runs short of becoming the leading West Indian run-scorer in Tests.

In truth, the batsmen has been in poor form of late, averaging just 15.33 against England, but who else would you back to survive against the extreme pace of Mitchell Johnson and co.?

Joining Chanderpaul on the sidelines is Devon Smith and Carlos Brathwaite, with the trio being replaced by promising young batsmen Shane Dowrich and Rajendra Chandrika.

Of course, the list of long-term West Indies absentees reads like a who's who of Twenty20 cricket, with the likes of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell still missing from the Test team.

This lack of experience means it will be crucial that senior players such as Marlon Samuels and Denesh Ramdin play out of their skins if the Windies are going to go toe-to-toe with the Australians.

While Devendra Bishoo and Veerasammy Permaul will also need to perform if the wicket at Windsor Park takes spin, as it has on the previous three Tests the ground has hosted.

Australia may have forgotten what a red cricket ball looks like, having gorged themselves successfully on the white-ball formats for almost five months.

As well as winning the Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series and the 2015 World Cup, many of their players have played leading roles in the latest instalment of the Indian Premier League.

But limited-overs cricket and first-class cricket demand a significantly different set of skills and an entirely different mindset.

The Aussies were off the pace in their only warm-up game against the West Indies Cricket Board President's XI in Antigua.

Michael Clarke's men allowed the President's XI, which consisted primarily of up-and-coming players, to score 382 before being dismissed for 250 in a drawn three-day clash, prompting coach Darren Lehmann to admit that cobwebs remain, reported by ESPN Cricinfo.

Of course, the return of IPL participants Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Shane Watson, Steve Smith and David Warner will give the starting Test XI a much more familiar-looking lineup.

Although they will quickly have to get used to building an innings—OK, maybe not in Warner's case—again and bowling 20 overs in a day rather than the bite-sized requirements of T20 cricket.

One thing the warm-up game did prove is that the Australian team's seam-bowling stocks are blooming, with the highly rated Josh Hazlewood's match figures of 5/40 pushing his case for a starting place.

Another selection issue involves the slow-bowling department. Is there space for both Nathan Lyon and Fawad Ahmed, the latter completing his spectacular journey to Test cricket, in the team?

If only one makes the cut, it could be a difficult decision for Lehmann and Clarke, as neither man excelled in Antigua.

Either way, with the Ashes on the horizon, England and their groundsmen will be watching closely from the other side of the Atlantic.

The two sides have contested 96 Tests, with Australia winning 41 to the West Indies' 30. They also met at this venue in 2012, with the Aussies claiming a 75-run victory and 26 wickets falling to spin.

Form (Most Recent Results First)

West Indies: WLDLDL

Australia: DDWWLL

Squads

West Indies: Denesh Ramdin (captain and wicketkeeper), Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Rajendra Chandrika, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Veerasammy Permaul, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels and Jerome Taylor.

Australia: Chris Rogers, Shaun Marsh, Michael Clarke (captain), Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin (wicketkeeper), Peter Nevill, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Fawad Ahmed, Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Steven Smith and David Warner.

Key Players

West Indies

Although spin is likely to be important, the West Indies will need their leading paceman Jerome Taylor to find his range and make early inroads with the new ball. The Jamaican took 11 wickets in two Tests against England and will need to fire once more if the Windies are going to get into winning positions.

Australia

While Mitchell Starc has been stealing the limelight lately, it is his namesake Mitchell Johnson who still puts fear into the opposition's batsmen. The 33-year-old had a mixed IPL, taking just nine wickets and going for over nine runs an over, but the Test match format provides a better canvas for Johnson's aggression.

Prediction

While the Aussies are clearly undercooked, it is hard to see the West Indies pulling off a surprise like they did against England at Bridgetown. True, the lightly used wicket at Dominica adds a touch of mystery, but it is hard to see anything other than a regulation win for Michael Clarke's men.