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Australia will look to make it two finals in a row at the World T20 when they take on West Indies on Friday for the second semi-final at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The match starts 11.30 pm Australia time.
The last time Australia and West Indies met in this tournament, rain played a big role in deciding the result. West Indies battered the Aussie bowlers before Shane Watson returned the compliment.
Inclement weather stopped play after nine overs of the Australian innings, at which stage they were ahead of the West Indies. Duckworth-Lewis decided the fate of that game in Australia’s favour.
Since then, Australia dispatched their opponents in two successive Super Eights games and went down in the third match.
Chasing moderate scores against India and South Africa, Watson delivered with the bat in both matches to help Australia notch up big wins.
In match they didn’t actually have to win to make it to the semi-final, Australia lost to Pakistan by aplenty. Coincidentally, it was also the only game where Watson was dismissed early.
George Bailey denied there was any correlation between Watson’s no-show with the bat and the Australian loss. Bailey’s statement apart, calling Australia highly dependent on Watson with the bat and the ball is a no-brainer.
Michael Hussey’s batting against Pakistan assured that Australia would go through to the semi-finals without too many hiccups. With the middle-order having not been tested, his form will reassure the dressing room, but how the others go could decide the game.
The Australian bowling should remain the same. With the tracks showing signs of dying out, Xavier Doherty and Brad Hogg will be crucial against a batting line-up that loves to go hard at the ball.
Among the four semi-finalists, West Indies is the only one to have gotten there with only two wins in their five games. They won nothing in the first round, started with a victory against England in the Super Eights, before going down to Sri Lanka.
Needing a win to enter the semi-finals, they were taken to the Super Over by New Zealand but Chris Gayle batted the West Indies into the last-four stage.
It has been the case of two halves for West Indies. The batting has done its job in most games, but the bowling has leaked runs.
Gayle has been ably supported by Johnson Charles at the top, Marlon Samuels in the middle and the rest of the lower-middle order has gotten themselves that quick-fire few to get themselves into strong positions.
The bowling has been a tad iffy. Sunil Narine, after a couple of lacklustre games, came into his own against New Zealand. How the others bowl around him is a question-mark.
West Indies will look to go into the game with two spinners, Samuel Badree will support Narine. Marlon Samuels bowled with a lot of pace last game and might want to slow it down against a side that relishes speed.
Australia enter the game as favourites.
Action begins midnight and we will bring you the live coverage of the match.
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