Australia’s World Cup campaign this time is the complete opposite of how they played the last World Cup. Having won two out of two games, the Mitchell Marsh-led team is the nearest of all to book a Super 8s berth for themselves. Unless something extremely unexpected occurs (zombie apocalypse, alien attack, an upset by Namibia, etc), Australia can get the task done for themselves in this very match quite easily. This win could fetch them another 2 points, pushing them to the top of the table with 6 points in front of their name. They have been able to get into this position after their brilliant outing against England where they defeated the title defenders almost to the brink of disqualification in what was an Ashes appetizer.
Namibia are not in as worry-free a state as Australia. Currently occupying the third position on the table, they have two tough opponents to face; Australia and England. Their qualification scenarios are full of ifs and buts, however, that should not stop them from giving their best against Australia. Namibia have shown the world many a time how capable they are when it comes to this game we all love and a win against the favorites, though very far-fetched, is not entirely unachievable for a team like theirs. Both teams will be playing their first game at teh Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and that could be a cause of worry for Namibia more than Australia.
Team Overview:
Australia not only has a very complete team but every player donning the yellow uniform is enjoying the form of their lives. A solid start is really a match half-won. Australia got to experience it in their game against England. David Warner and Travis Head played knocks that had written ‘take the total to 200’ all over them. And so the rest of the Aussies obeyed and crossed the 200-run mark. Although the kangaroos would very much fancy Glenn Maxwell doing magic with his willow, you care little about that when your openers are striking at more than 200. The bowling lineup, too, has been top-notch. Adam Zampa has this funny habit of reminding the world after every while how good of a T20 bowler he is. To top these performances is the player who has been steering the team toward victory in other formats lately; Pat Cummins. His delivery to get the better of Moeen Ali in the previous game was as peach as it gets.
Scotland were pleased to have beaten Namibia and found their place at the top of the table but Namibia would rue this missed opportunity, seizing which would have left them in a better place than what they are currently in. Gerhard Erasmus was brilliant in the Scotland outing, both with the ball and the bat but in vain. The runs on the board were enough to be defended but Namibian bowlers were having a bad day. This does not change the fact that the African has apt bowlers who can passionately change the scenario in their team’s favor. All Erasmus needs to do is hope that his main players David Wiese and Ruben Trumpelmann do well.
Head-to-head Matches:
Australia and Namibia have never played a T20I match against each other. They would meet to play in an International T20I for the first time in Antigua.
Weather and Pitch report:
Rain is likely to stay away from teh Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, however, the sky will be covered with clouds. The pitch there offers assistance to everyone. Pacers would find seam movement off the deck during the early stages while spinners would be able to wreak havoc later in the game. The ground is also known for its quick flow of runs,
Predictions:
Australia will enter the ground as the clear favorites despite Namibia’s knack for going against the stream. Although a comfortable win can’t be promised, the Mitchell Marsh-led team would find triumph anyway.
Where to Watch:
You can watch the games on the following platforms as per your region:
- India – Star Sports
- Pakistan – PTV Sports, Ten Sports, Myco (Live streaming) and Tamasha app (Live streaming)
- USA and Canada – Willow TV
- England – Sky Sports Network
- Caribbean – ESPN Caribbean
- New Zealand & Australia – Sky Sports NZ, Prime Video
- Other regions – SuperSport, Sirasa, CricLife, STARZPLAY
