Published: Jun 04, 2016, 11:48 PM (IST)
Edited: Jun 05, 2016, 10:00 AM (IST)
West Indies host Australia in Match 2 of the tri-nation series at Providence Stadium in Guyana on June 5. After over 3 months of Twenty20 (T20) cricket, the cricketing world finally got a taste of Test cricket when England hosted Sri Lanka last month. It is now time for One-Day International (ODI) cricket as well with this tri-nation series. West Indies started off the Ballr Cup series with a win under their belt against the Proteas as they defeated them by 4 wickets. The hosts know they have their task cut out when they will face World Champions Australia in the second match but will have some edge as they will be playing their second match on the same venue. Full Cricket Scorecard: West Indies vs Australia, 2nd ODI Match, Australia and South Africa in West Indies Tri-Series, 2016
In the first match of the series, AB de Villiers won the toss and elected to bat first. They started off well but never recovered after the fall of their first wicket. West Indies’ trump card and comeback man, Sunil Narine, picked up 6 for 27 that restricted the famed batting lineup of the Proteas to a below par score of 188. In reply, West Indies showed their inexperience in chasing but eventually got over the line with efforts by Kieron Pollard’s unbeaten fifty. The hosts will be much aware of the challenges that could be possible faced by Australia and will like to deal with it effectively. Full Cricket Scorecard: West Indies vs South Africa , Live Score, 1st ODI Match, Australia and South Africa in West Indies Tri-Series, 2016
Since the comeback men from the Caribbean were on song against favourites — South Africa, all eyes will be on Australia’s top bowler, Mitchell Starc who is making a comeback into the national side after a long break. He had suffered a freak ankle injury during the historic day-night Test hosted by Australia against New Zealand at Adelaide Oval, last November. He is all geared up and will look to dominate the West Indies batsmen with his toe-crunching yorkers and variations.
The other players from Australia to remain at the radar of the hosts will be David Warner coming back from the Indian Premier League (IPL) victory and ending this tournament with over 800 runs. Aaron Finch will like to go all guns blazing as he was also in good touch in the IPL for his franchise (Gujarat Lions). The Australian skipper, Steve Smith, bowed out of IPL due to injury and will like to start fresh in this new season for his national team.
It will be interesting to see if reigning 50-over champions, Australia, will like to play three spinners in the form of Adam Zampa, Nathan Lyon and part timer, Glenn Maxwell as the pitch will have something for the spinners like it did in the opening match of the series. On the other hand, Sunil Narine, will like to bamboozle the Australians who are wary of the spin attack and try to keep the winning momentum intact for his side. The middle-overs will definitely play an crucial role in deciding the fate of the match. Having a settled top-order with Johnson Charles and Darren Bravo contributing with 20-30 runs, it is unlikely for West Indies to go for a changed side.
The middle-order is ruled by Pollard and his massacre skills. If Carlos Brathwaite tags along, it might only get difficult for Aussies. Apart from the batting prowess shown by the hosts, they have also left one in awe of their bowling techniques. Australia might surely be caught in fix if Australia’s all-round performance gets the better of West Indies once again.
The home advantage gives West Indies an edge but it remains to be seen whether they can deliver consistently and that too against the mighty Australians who know how to play anywhere.
Squads:
West Indies: Jason Holder (c), Denesh Ramdin (wk), Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Kieron Pollard, Marlon Samuels, Andre Fletcher, Suleiman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Shannon Gabriel, Sunil Narine, Jerome Taylor, Ashley Nurse.
Australia: Steven Smith (Captain), David Warner, George Bailey, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch,Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell,Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa
Time: 13:00 local | 17:00 GMT | 22:30 IST
(Aditya Sahay is a journalist with CricketCountry who is completely into sports and loves writing about cricket in general. He can be followed on Twitter at adisahay7)
