Published: Nov 08, 2015, 12:41 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 08, 2015, 12:41 PM (IST)
West Indies will take on Sri Lanka in the first Twenty20 International (T20I) of the two-match series on Monday at Pallekele. West Indies have had a miserable time in the Test and the One-Day International (ODI) series against the hosts as they were whitewashed in both. Cricket in Sri Lanka at this point of the year is usually affected by rains and something similar happened in all the three ODI games. Rains have played spoilsport and one can expect a similar scenario in the T20 series too. Winning the toss will always be crucial when rain is around the corner. The pitch at Pallekele has some help for the seam bowlers but once a batsman gets his eye in, runs will surely start flowing. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Sri Lanka vs West Indies 1st T20I at Pallekele
The good news for West Indies is that the troika of Darren Sammy, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard has been included in the T20 squad. This will inject immense confidence and firepower in their line-up as each one of them is well equipped to win a game single-handedly for their side. All three are utility cricketers who can bowl as well as bat effectively and are livewires on the field. Their inclusion will give them the freedom to choose couple of recognised batsman or bowler. On the contrary, Andre Russell will be a cherry on the cake. The West Indies have their bases well covered and have an explosive batting line-up who can bat deep. And if Jason Holder is also included in the playing XI, it would be needless to say that the visitors will have five all-rounders. ALSO READ: SL complete a series sweep against WI with 19-run win in 3rd ODI at Pallekele
West Indian bowling department too looks solid as they now have an in form mystery spinner Sunil Narine back. Devendra Bishoo has replaced Samuel Badree as the latter has pulled out due to illness. It’s a huge loss for the Caribbean side as Badree is widely reckoned for his effectiveness in the shortest format of the game. But West Indies have enough back up options to make up for this loss. Their pace battery looks formidable with the likes of Bravo, Russell and Jerome Taylor. Bravo has proved his worth in gold in such format of the game. He’s a difficult customer to get away with in the final overs and along with Narine operating from the other end, Sri Lankan batsmen will definitely have a challenging time.
For Sri Lanka, they will be high on confidence after crushing the visitors in both the series. The team has done well in the absence of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayewardene and the T20 series will again be a litmus test for them. The World T20 champions have the momentum with them and most of their players are in form. The onus of getting their team to a flying start will be highly dependent on Kusal Perera and Tillakaratne Dilshan. Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera in the middle provide some stability. Lasith Malinga will be interesting and the player to watch out for, as the visitors have some explosive batsmen, who will be engaged in battles with on of the most formidable bowlers in T20 cricket. Sri Lanka have a decent spin attack too but lack experience and this what the visitors will look to exploit.
On paper, West Indies wear a more fearful look but performance on the field is what matters. At this venue, both the teams have cross swords with each other on a single occasion which saw the home side emerging victorious in the contest. An electrifying contest in on the cards at Pallekele on Monday when these two team clash, expect a run-fest.
Squads:
Sri Lanka: Lasith Malinga (c), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kusal Perera (wk), Shehan Jayasuriya, Angelo Mathews, Milinda Siriwardana, Chamara Kapugedera, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Kithuruwan Vithanage, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Sachithra Senanayake, Jeffrey Vandersay, Binura Fernando, Thisara Perera
West Indies: Darren Sammy (c), Samuel Badree, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Dinesh Ramdin (wk), Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor.
Time: 19:00 IST | 13:30 GMT | 19:00 Local
(Suraj Choudhari is a reporter with Criclife and CricketCountry. He is an avid follower of the game, and plays the sport at club level. He has a radical understanding about the subtle nuances and intricacies of cricket, and tries to express it through paper and pen)
