Tri-Series 2016, Match 5 Preview: Windies run into Australian roadblock

After fighting their way to the top spot on the table, Australia has seemingly become invincible once more in the Tri-Series 2016. However, the West Indies are perhaps at their dangerous best when they are backed into a corner. A lot will certainly depend on the toss, something Aussie skipper Steve Smith has been very lucky in calling for the most part in this tournament. With St. Kitts proving to be less diabolical as compared to Guyana, a mouthwatering encounter is certainly on the cards.

Pitch Conditions

As witnessed in the previous ODI, the St. Kitts wicket is a much better wicket to bat on as compared to the one at Guyana. While the spinners will have their say in proceedings, the batsmen will be in a position to play these conditions well. With the backdrop of mountains, fog and dew are set to play a factor in proceedings.

Team Analysis

West Indies

With a win and a loss under their belt, the West Indies will be hoping to get up to speed in the series. However, they have now seemingly run into an Australian roadblock that seems to be holding strong at the moment. Things went from bad to worse when the WICB decided to release five players to take part in the CPL, a silly move, especially during the series.

However, the silver lining for the Windies certainly is that they do not have any injuries at the moment. Moreover, their top players Carlos Brathwaite, Sunil Narine, and Kieron Pollard are performing extremely well with the ball. It remains to be seen whether Suleiman Benn features as the second spinner ahead of Ashley Nurse.

Australia

The 36-run victory over the South Africans saw the Aussies underline their credentials as the best ODI side in the world. Moreover, David Warner and Aaron Finch are also proving to be a deadly opening combination as they feature among the players who are leading the run-scoring charts at the moment.

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However, the Aussies are currently in a selection conundrum. With Mitchell Starc, Nathan Coulter-Nile, and Josh Hazelwood, they have three world class bowlers. However, the batting selection remains to be seen as there is a competition for places between Glenn Maxwell and George Bailey. With the former out of form with the bat, Bailey was drafted into the side. However, Bailey failed to make an impact with the bat.

Playing XI (Probable)

West Indies: Jason Holder (C), Denesh Ramdin (WK), Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard, Carlos Brathwaite, Sunil Narine, Jerome Taylor, Suleiman Benn

Australia: Steve Smith (C), Matthew Wade (WK), David Warner, Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, George Bailey/Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, James Faulkner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc/Nathan Coulter-Nile, Josh Hazelwood

StAttack:

1. Denesh Ramdin needs 54 runs to complete 2000 runs in ODI cricket.

2. David Warner has the highest runs in the current Tri-Series with 165 runs to his name. Warner, Hashim Amla, and Aaron Finch are the only players to have crossed the 100-run mark in this series.

3. The leading wicket-takers include spinners with Sunil Narine, Aaron Phangiso, Imran Tahir, and Adam Zampa.

4. David Warner and Usman Khawaja have the highest partnership in the series with 136 runs for the second wicket.