BBL 8, Match 3, Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Stars, Match Prediction: Who will win the Match?

A lot of debutants are set to take the field in Canberra.

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Glenn Maxwell
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Glenn Maxwell. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

A day after Melbourne Renegades registered an impressive victory on the title favourites Perth Scorchers, their namesake Melbourne Stars would be hoping to get off to a similar start. The Big Bash League (BBL) is well and truly arrived and is here to stay. It will be a neutral game for both the teams as Sydney Thunder will face the Stars at the Manuka Oval in Canberra, Australia‘s capital city.

The Thunder didn’t have the best of the seasons last time around as they ended at the sixth position in the points table. They are boosted with the presence of Jos Buttler and Joe Root in the line-up while the new coach Shane Bond also brings a lot to the table. The skipper Shane Watson will be hoping that the team starts the tournament on a decent note.

The Stars endured one of their worst editions in the BBL. They finished eighth in the table with only a couple of wins in 10 matches. They have named Glenn Maxwell as their skipper for this season and he will be tipped to lead from the front even as the other T20 specialists will look to make an impact. Dwayne Bravo is the veteran in this format and a lot will depend on him on how the team does in this tournament.

Pitch and Conditions

Manuka Oval hosted only a solitary T20 game in the last BBL season and it was a high scoring game. A similar kind of pitch is expected again for this encounter as the fans would be hoping for the same. This game will witness pertinent showers as the forecast is not so good. Rain is likely to fall the whole day with more than 50 percent chances of the heavens opening up during the match time.

Team Combinations

Sydney Thunder

Shane Watson and Jos Buttler are expected to open the innings with England’s Test skipper Joe Root to come next. Callum Ferguson brings a lot of experience to the batting line-up. However, after him, there are a plethora of newbies in Jason Sangha, Nathan McAndrew who are decent all-rounders. Fawad Ahmed and Gurinder Sandhu are seasoned campaigners in BBL and will play a crucial role while Chris Green is an exceptional spinner.

Jono Cook is rated highly and might be preferred ahead of Arjun Nair. There are two left-arm pacers in the squad in Sam Rainbird and Daniel Sams and only one of them will play.

Probable XI: Shane Watson (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Joe Root, Callum Ferguson, Jason Sangha, Nathan McAndrew, Fawad Ahmed, Gurinder Sandhu, Jono Cook, Chris Green, Sam Rainbird/Daniel Sams.

Melbourne Stars

Even the Stars have a relatively new line-up with Nick Larkin assisting Ben Dunk at the top of the order. Travis Dean is also an opener but might bat at three given that Larkin scored a century in the Sheffield Shield in the previous game. The skipper Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Bravo follow then who will most probably look to guide the innings through until the end.

Evan Gulbis is also a talented all-rounder while the likes of Scott Boland and Jackson Coleman will look after the pace bowling attack. Sandeep Lamichhane and Adam Zampa are the two spinners in the side and a lot will depend on them.

Probable XI: Nick Larkin, Ben Dunk, Travis Dean, Glenn Maxwell (c), Marcus Stoinis, Dwayne Bravo, Evan Gulbis, Scott Boland, Jackson Coleman, Sandeep Lamichhane, Adam Zampa.

Probable Top Performers

Jos Buttler – Sydney Thunder | Marcus Stoinis – Melbourne Stars

Broadcast Details

TV – Sony Six and Sony Six HD

Live Streaming – Sony LIV

Match Timings – 13:45 IST; 19:15 local

The prediction is for the Sydney Thunder to win their first game of the season.

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