Australia eye final spot, West Indies look to settle scores
Last updated on Monday, 13 June, 2016, 12:26 AM
Australia have lost Warner due to fractured finger ahead of their second game against West Indies. © Getty
Having evened the scores against South Africa, Australia will be eager to book their spot in the final of the tri-national One-Day International (ODI) series when they take on hosts West Indies at Warner Park in St Kitts on Monday (June 13).
The world champions already have one foot in the final, having won two out of their three matches - one of which got them an extra bonus point. The only way they will miss out on a final spot from hereon is if West Indies manage to beat them and bag a bonus point, and South Africa inflict the same result on the hosts in the final group game. Even then, Australia will go through if their Net Run Rate is better than either West Indies or South Africa.
What holds them in a good stead is not only the additional win, but also the bonus point they earned from their previous encounter against West Indies. On a slow track, Australian pacers and spinners took complete advantage of the conditions, coupled with a lack of application from the West Indian batsmen, to annihilate the hosts. But a primary area of concern is that the Australian batters, barring David Warner, weren't any better.
However, with Warner ruled out with a fracture finger, Australia has a major reason to worry. Even as Aaron Finch, Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja have a half-century each to their credit in this series, they haven't been as consistent as the management would have liked. Both Glenn Maxwell and George Bailey could make it to the playing XI in the absence of Warner, even though their form hasn't been any better lately.
At St Kitts, conditions are expected to be friendlier for batsmen, with smaller ground and harder pitches. While West Indies' batsmen, who struggled in Guyana can breathe a sigh of relief, it could take a bit away from the threat that Sunil Narine posed.The mystery spinner stood out in both the encounters the hosts have played so far in this tournament. But given the conditions will be more favourable to the batsmen, Narine might not look as threatening.
On the batting front, Johnson Charles and Darren Bravo have got off to starts, but failed to convert them into big scores. A good performance from couple of top-order batsmen could help West Indies' chances greatly. With short boundaries on offer, the big-hitting West Indian late-order batsmen such as Kieron Pollard and Carlos Brathwaite can have a gala time.
Having suffered a heavy defeat against Australia in the previous encounter, another loss could dent their of a spot in the final massively. They would look settle scores after the humiliating thrashing they received by the world champions earlier in the tournament.
When: June 13 at 01:00 PM Local Time (10:30 PM IST)
Where: Warner Park, St Kitts
What to expect: It is expected to be a sunny day with the temperature hovering between late 20s to early 30s.
Team news:
Australia: David Warner has been ruled out of the tri-series due to a finger fracture.
Who said what:
It's obviously disappointing to be sidelined given the form I've been in and given the important stage the tri-series is at, but it's always important to look at the positives. This downtime, however long or short it is, will give me the chance to freshen up and spend quality time with my family after an intense period of action -David Warner
I think it's going to be a high-scoring ground. It's a small ground, a very good pitch for batting. There's not much room for error on the bowlers' part - Denesh Ramdin
Squads
Australia (From): David Warner, Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith(Captain), George Bailey, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Wade(w), James Faulkner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Travis Head, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell
West Indies (From): Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin(w), Kieron Pollard, Carlos Brathwaite, Jason Holder(Captain), Sulieman Benn, Sunil Narine, Jerome Taylor, Jonathan Carter, Shannon Gabriel, Ashley Nurse
