It sounds too unrealistic to be true, but Australia have never defeated West Indies in a T20I series at their home. However, this could change in St. Kitts, as the visitors are already 2-0 up in the series, and another win will secure the series in their favour.
Sabina Park didn’t have many good memories in store for the Windies. It can be argued that the venue has a soft spot for teams batting second, which, incidentally, in both games were Australia. But that doesn’t change the fact that the hosts have largely been dismal in their play. In the second T20I, the batters showed vulnerability to even a whiff of turn, giving spinners as many as five wickets.
Since the conclusion of the T20 World Cup last year, only Zimbabwe (among Test-playing nations only) have had a worse average batting against spin than West Indies, which is quite telling of why the host batters couldn’t do justice to the true batting conditions at Sabina Park on Tuesday.
Team Overview:
Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell were the prime offenders who tore apart West Indies’ top order in the second game. But that wasn’t the only barely believable thing Maxwell was seen doing at Sabina Park on Tuesday. He was sent to open alongside Mitchell Marsh to keep the spinners at bay, though he couldn’t quite do the job, having departed for only 12 in the second over.
Cameron Green and Josh Inglis, however, stuck to the role they were sent to play. Inglis came off a middling IPL season with Punjab Kings, but his unbeaten 78 bore no mark of his struggling time in India. Perhaps it was the sort of momentum Green has accustomed himself to bringing lately that prompted Inglis to go big as well. Either way, Australia have got a solid batting option, with Green in decent form.
West Indies batters have been mercurial with their approach, especially the top four. Such approach hardly ever gets any success, similar to what they are experiencing. As hard as it is to believe, the top order is their best bet. Their No. 5 onward have hardly scored this series (barring Andre Russell’s 36 off 15 in the last game).
Head-to-Head Matches:
Australia have won 13 games against West Indies, which has disrupted the balance both sides had, being par with each other in wins.
Weather and Pitch Report:
The series moves to St. Kitts, which hasn’t hosted any international T20I game since 2022. But the pitches, like many other surfaces here, are exceedingly batting-friendly. Another high-scoring affair is on the cards, and bowlers will have to earn whatever dominance they are able to hold over batters. The weather is predicted to stay clear of any rain involvement, with breeze helping batters guide the ball easily to the boundary.
Prediction:
History doesn’t favour Australia one bit, but form has a different opinion, and this once, the latter might hold sway.
Where to Watch:
West Indies: ESPN, Disney+ Platforms
Australia: Foxtel, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV
Pakistan: Tapmad
India: Fancode App
UK: TNT Sports Network
South Africa: SuperSport
USA: ESPN+
