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Gros Islet in St. Lucia will host the first of two T20Is between Australia and the West Indies and we’ll bring you the live scores and commentary of the action starting at 5.00am AEST this morning.
After Australia and West Indies played out a hard-fought ODI series that ended 2-2, it will be a change in format as they feature in the T20Is. It a form of game that West Indies should like even more, and could close the gap between the two teams further.
Not that the ODI series showed there was much between the two teams.
Australia’s batting, barring the fifth ODI, showed signs of missing Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke – two stalwarts who will not be a part of the T20Is either.
Fortunately for Australia, they have the batting line-up to perform in this condensed form of the game; the three Ws, Watson, Warner and Wade to be at the forefront of driving the side to a good position.
There will be a change in captaincy as well, with George Bailey taking over from Shane Watson. Funnily, Watson will now be Bailey’s deputy after leading him in the ODIs!
Of the rest of the line-up, Daniel Christian could get a look-in while James Pattinson, who missed the ODIs because of an injury, may get a nod as well.
West Indies have blended youth and experience in their squad. While Chris Gayle continues to miss out, pace bowlers Fidel Edwards and Krishmar Santokie, batting all-rounders Dwayne Smith and Nkrumah Bonner and left-arm spinner Garey Mathurin join the squad.
Smith, after his solid performances in the Bangladesh Premier League, could be expected to get a look-in while Edwards should replace Kemar Roach. The rest of the 11 could bear a similar look to the one that played in the ODIs.
The two teams have played each other five times in T20Is and after their first two wins, West Indies have lost three in a row.
The most recent defeat came in the World T20 game of 2010 at the same ground when a Gayle-led West Indian side was bowled out for a paltry 105 – a target that Australia achieved with ease.
Expect this game to be a lot closer than that one.
We will bring you the coverage throughout this first T20I of the series between West Indies and Australia from Gros Islet and hope to receive your opinions as the action unfolds from 5.00am AEDT.
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