West Indies take on Australia in the third T20I looking to avoid a clean sweep. The visitors lost the first two T20Is and lost the series in the process. Since drawing the Test series, West Indies have lost the ODI series and are on the brink of losing the T20I series.
In both the T20Is so far, the Windies bowlers have conceded more than 200 runs. They lost the first T20I by 11 runs and the second by 34 runs. Windies who will host the T20 World Cup later this year have been undone in their favorite format.
Rovman Powell leads the side with their specialist T20 players back in the side. The likes of Andre Russell and Nicholas Pooran joined the side after playing ILT20 in the UAE. They were expected to perform better in the first two games but have underplayed themselves.
The return of the T20I specialists surely strengthens the side. Akeal Hosein and Alzarri Joseph provide the necessary experience to the bowling lineup. Shimron Hetmyer is not a part of the T20I side. The two teams have played 148 ODIs with the Aussies winning 78 matches and West Indies 61. In 21 T20Is, Australia have won 11, games while West Indies 10.
However, the team has not been able to play as a unit with all their big names returning. They now have a chance to avoid a clean sweep and finish the series on a high. They need to especially focus on their bowling unit and ensure that they do not ask their batters to chase heavy targets every time.
West Indies Playing 11 vs Australia, 3rd T20I, 2024
Kyle Mayers
Kyle Mayers can come in for Brandon King in the final T20I. King scored 53 in the second T20I but Mayers brings the all-round factor in the side and is a more attacking batter than King.
Johnson Charles
Charles will be the other opener. He scored 42 and 24 in the first two games. However, he has not been able to convert his starts which he should look to do in the final T20I.
Nicholas Pooran (WK)
Poora will bat at three. He scored 18 each in the first and the second T20I. The southpaw should be a longer inning if West Indies are to win this final T20I. He is approaching 2000 T20I runs and has played 87 matches.
Rovman Powell (C)
Powell should bat at four. He scored 63 in the previous game but to no avail. The Windies skipper needs to be consistent with his knocks leading up to the T20 World Cup.
Sherfane Rutherford
Rutherford is another big hitter. He played both the games and scored 7 and 0. All these big hitters need to justify their quality leading up to the T20 World Cup. Rutherford has scored just 145 runs in 11 T20Is so far.
Andre Russell
Russell scored 1 and 37 in the first two T20Is and was very expensive with the ball. The all-rounder has scored 884 runs in 72 T20Is and one short of 50 T20I wickets. He is targeting to play in the T20 World Cup 2024.
Jason Holder
The former skipper will slot in at seven. He [played two unbeaten knocks in the first two games and picked up wickets as well. He is another who is targeting to play in the T20 World Cup 2024. Holder skipped the Test and the ODI matches.
Romario Shepherd
Shepherd will slot in at eight. He scored 2 and 12 in the two games and picked up one wicket each in the first two games. He is another all-rounder with brute force as a batter and can bowl quality slower deliveries.
Akeal Hosein
Hosein can bat at nine and is the specialist T20I spinner for West Indies. He has remained wicketless in the series so far. He has picked up 37 wickets from 46 T20Is.
Alzarri Joseph
Joseph will lead the pace attack. He picked up two wickets in the first T20I and one in the second. So far in 21 T20Is, he has picked 35 wickets. The pacer is key to the team’s T20 World Cup dreams.
Gudakesh Motie
Motie concludes the likely XI for West Indies in the first T20I against Australia. He played in the ODI series as well. He has played just five T20Is so far picking up five wickets. he did not play in the first two games.
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