WI vs AUS Preview | West Indies aim to stay alive in T20I series with win against Australia in third T20I

After taking the 2-0 lead with wins in the first and second T20I, the Aussies will take on the West Indies in the third T20I of the five-match series. The fate of the entire series depends on this game, as it will decide whether Australia will take an unassailable lead or the West Indies stay alive and take the fight to the fourth T20I.

Australia have enjoyed some promising performances in the two games of the ongoing T20I series so far. It also included the dream debut of the star batter Mitchell Owen, who smashed a half-century in the series opener. On the other hand, the West Indies are still waiting for their first win in this series.

Form Guide

WI:  A A W L L

West Indies haven’t been in an expected run of form in their last five T20 internationals as they have won only one game, including two defeats. Apart from this, two of their last five games were also abandoned without a ball bowled during the T20I series against Ireland last month.

AUS:  W W W W W

Mitchell Marsh-led Aussies have been enjoying an amazing winning spree in their last five T20Is. Before the most recent two consecutive wins against the West Indies, Australia outmuscled Pakistan in a clean-sweep win by 3-0 in a three-match T20I series. They will aim to continue their winning run with success in this game against the West Indies.

WI vs AUS Head-to-Head in T20S

In T20 Internationals, West Indies and Australia have faced each other in 24 games. They have almost an equal contest, with slight dominance by Australia with 13 wins against the Caribbean side’s 11 wins. In Australia, both teams have played 8 games against each other, with the West Indies winning only two games while the hosts winning six. Speaking of their clash on the Caribbean soil, the hosts have dominated with six wins while the Aussies have won five. On the neutral, which also includes the major international tournaments, the West Indies have won three games, alongside Australia’s two wins in a total of five clashes.

Pitch and Weather

The surface at Warner Park in St Kitts is a balanced track, with slight assistance for the batters in the first innings. However, the bowlers might get some at this deck as the game progresses to the second half. The average score at this surface has been 126 runs, which might make the toss-winning skipper decide to bat first and trouble the opponent with a tricky run-chase.

It will be a warm evening in St Kitts, with a slight breeze assisting the bowlers in the second innings. The minimum temperature will be 27 degrees Celsius, with the maximum temperature of 31 degrees Celsius, without any rain interruption during the entire game.

Team News

West Indies’ middle-order batter Sherfane Rutherford has failed miserably in first two T20 internationals. He has been dismissed on ducks in both games, playing one and two balls, respectively. So, the Caribbean team management might replace him with the bowling all-rounder Romario Shepherd in the third T20I, who can contribute both with the bat and the ball.

Australia might go ahead with the same playing XI they played with in the second T20I, considering the factor of winning combination.

WI Probable XI: Brandon King, Shai Hope (C & WK), Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Akeal Hosein

AUS Probable XI: Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh (C), Josh Inglis (WK), Cameron Green, Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Adam Zampa     

Broadcasting Platforms

The third T20I of the five-match series between West Indies and Australia will be streamed live on the FanCode app and website.