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Can the hosts West Indies overcome the world champions Australia in the second ODI of this tri-series today? Follow the live scores and blog of this match from 3am AEST here on The Roar.
It’s a long series, with each team playing the other three times before the final. That should give the supposed top two teams in the competition, Australia and South Africa, enough time to recover from any shock results and march into the final ahead of West Indies.
There could be a catch though – the slow and low nature of the pitches in the Caribbean.
South Africa might not have been the most in-form team but with the kind of record they have against the West Indies, they were expected to steamroll the opposition in their opener. Instead, Sunil Narine’s six-wicket haul carved a big dent in their batting, before Kieron Pollard blasted a run-a-ball half-century that had six sixes to pull the West Indies out of a batting mire.
Having seen what transpired in that first match, Australia could be a touch wary.
Batting against spin hasn’t been Australia’s most comfortable suit, but they will have a bit of an advantage of expecting what they could be coming up against. The pitch at Providence won’t be getting any quicker and if anything, it will only assist the spinners even more.
Which is why Australia will not only need to get their batting in order but also will rely heavily on their spinner – or spinners as the case might be – for this encounter.
There are enough indications to suggest Australia will play two spinners in this game but will Glenn Maxwell be their second tweaker or will both Adam Zampa and Nathan Lyon make the playing XI is the question.
Zampa’s stocks have already sky-rocketed following an excellent IPL season and could even nudge Lyon out of the side if Australia decide to feature just one of them. But on that Providence surface, it might make for an attacking move to play both.
Mitchell Starc’s return to the side will be much-followed after the star bowler raced off to 90 ODI wickets from 49 games at an average of 19.65. He hasn’t played any competitive cricket since November 2015 and passing through this game without any fitness scares will be his primary concern here.
Australia will begin favourites in this game but then so did South Africa in their opener. It’s going to be a matter of how well they adapt to the conditions, which could well decide if they live up to their top billing.
Follow the live scores and blog of this match from 3am AEST here on The Roar.
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