Australia’s preparation for the T20 World Cup starts off with a 5-match T20I series against West Indies. The first of those T20Is will be played on Saturday, July 10 in St.Lucia. Both teams have won two out of their last five T20Is.
The hosts West Indies are coming into the match on the back of a well-fought series against South Africa. After having a fabulous start in the first T20I, they scrambled a bit and eventually lost the series 2-3. They have a couple of positives to take into this series however. Opener Evin Lewis is one of them. He showed glimpses of his big-hitting prowess in the first T20I. Skipper Kieron Pollard had a telling say in the fourth T20I with a blistering fifty. The other batsmen will have to step up in order to cement their spots for the T20 World Cup. Dwayne Bravo, who made a comeback against South Africa, was excellent as usual with the ball. West Indies will continue to bank on his experience in the death overs.
Australia have been off the field for a little over three months now. They will be playing without David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Pat Cummins, who made themselves unavailable. Skipper Aaron Finch was surprised by this decision. He also sternly stated that there may not be a direct route back in the squad for the aforementioned players. While Steve Smith is out due to injury, his protege Marnus Labuschagne was unable to find a place in the squad. Veteran Dan Christian will be making a well-deserved comeback. The ones who got a chance due to the seniors backing out will be itching to get out and perform.
Match Details
Match: West Indies vs Australia, First T20I
Date and Time: 10th July 2021, 5:00 am IST (7:30 pm local time)
Venue: Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St.Lucia
Pitch Report
Dan Christian stated that a score of around 170 would be par. The teams batting second here have won more than 60% of the matches. On average, the track has seen scores around 154. The previous match played here saw England beat West Indies by chasing a target of 160. It is far from a batting paradise so the team that wins the toss is expected to bowl first.
Predicted Playing XI
West Indies: Kieron Pollard (c), Lendl Simmons, Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo, Akeal Hosain, Obed McCoy, Fidel Edwards
Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Josh Philippe, Matthew Wade (wk), Mitchell Marsh, Moises Henriques, Ashton Turner, Dan Christian, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa
West Indies vs Australia 2021: First T20I – Dream11 Suggestions
Fantasy Suggestion 1: Evin Lewis, Aaron Finch, Chris Gayle, Mitchell Marsh, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Ashton Agar, Dwayne Bravo, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Fidel Edwards
Captain: Kieron Pollard | Vice-captain: Mitchell Starc
Fantasy Suggestion 2: Evin Lewis, Matthew Wade, Aaron Finch, Moises Henriques, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Dan Christian, Dwayne Bravo, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc, Fidel Edwards
Captain: Andre Russell | Vice-captain: Dwayne Bravo
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