Time: July 23, 12 AM IST
Venue: Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
Pitch report
Playing your shots freely can be a challenge on this wicket. Australia were 114 for 4 at one stage and West Indies bundled out for a mere 123 runs. A pacer and a wrist-spinner took five-wicket hauls in the opening ODI. To put things into perspective, a target of 250 runs would be enough to keep the chasing team on its toes. To make matters worse, rain is forecasted during the match.
Teams
Roston Chase, Fabien Allen, and Shai Hope are likely to rest due to injuries.
Probable XI for West Indies: Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Darren Bravo, Jason Mohammed, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Kieron Pollard (c), Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Akeal Hosein, Hayden Walsh Jr, Sheldon Cottrell
Australia’s batting order depends on Aaron Finch’s fitness.
Probable XI for Australia: Ben McDermott, Josh Philippe, Mitchell Marsh, Moises Henriques, Alex Carey (wk), Ashton Turner, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Wes Agar, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Fantasy tips
We have opted for a fantasy cricket team based on the recent performances, overall impact, and credit points.
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Players to watch out for
Mitchell Starc is at his mightiest in 50-over cricket. He has taken 189 wickets at 22.8 in 97 ODIs. His five-for on Tuesday was evidence of the fact: he took three wickets with the new ball and two in his second spell.
Hayden Walsh Jr likes feeding on the Australian batters. His 12 wickets were the most in the T20I series and he followed it up with a five-wicket haul in the opening ODI.
Mitchell Marsh has been the best fantasy player since the T20Is. He could add only 20 runs but later made amends with a wicket. Overall he has only one single-digit score on the tour.
Kieron Pollard’s fifty was a saving grace in what was a poor batting effort by West Indies. As a matter of fact, his form in ODIs has been staggering. In his last 10 innings, he has top scores of 74*, 53*, 46, 49, and 40.
Alex Carey played a captain’s innings. It was his 67 off 87 that brought Australia back in the game. Ashton Turner too was instrumental in the resurgence, scoring a brisk 49 off 45.
Josh Hazlewood has two three-wicket hauls on the tour. Given the pitch and conditions, he is likely to bag more wickets.
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Prediction
Australia’s batting performance, without the knocks of Carey and Turner, was ordinary. The openers did lay a good foundation against disciplined bowling by West Indies, but losing quick wickets broke their momentum. West Indies, on the other hand, played terrible strokes, especially by the experienced Darren Bravo and Jason Holder. The absence of Shai Hope’s composure at the top seems to have affected their approach.
All in all, Australia have the upper hand. It is the ODI format they have been at their best in the past 2 years. Meanwhile, West Indies have a lot to figure out.
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