Australia tour of West Indies 2021 News

A dominant performance from Australia with both bat and ball meant that they won the third and final game of the three-match ODI series against West Indies and thereby claimed the series as well, having already won the first ODI. Matthew Wade was the hero with the bat for Australia as he scored a crucial fifty to chase down a tricky total of 153 on a Kensington Oval wicket which was behaving very weirdly. In its chase of the target, Australia had lost its first three wickets at the team score of 65 when Waade joined captain Alex Carey at the wicket. The two added 34 runs together before Carey was adjudged leg before wicket off the bowling of Hayden Walsh Junior. Ashton Agar, who joined the wicket after Carey’s fall made sure that the Kangaroos didn’t lose any more wickets and finished the game with six wickets in hand. Agar remained unbeaten on 19. Earlier in the day, after winning the toss, West Indian Kieron Pollard had decided to bat first. Evin Lewis who was looking ion a good touch was forced to retire after a ball hit his helmet ricocheting off his bat. Other Windies batters just couldn’t deal with the assist that the bowlers had from the wicket and the Men in Maroon were down to 71-5 when Lewis decided to come back and bat again. He joined Jason Holder in the middle but soon found himself batting with the tail as Holder was removed by Adam Zampa soon and the Windies were 75-6. Thereafter Lewis built small partnerships and kept stretching further the innings until it crossed the 150 run mark and he reached his 10th ODI fifty. Sheldon Cottrell was removed as the last wicket. Agar, who took two wickets and also helped with the bat was adjudged Man of the Match, while Mitchell Starc who took 11 wickets in three matches along with his match-winning spell in the first ODI was adjudged Man of the Series.

With both West Indies and Australia putting average performances with bat and excellent with the ball, the ODI series, even after going through the Covid-19 turmoil has been able to produce some stellar performances and as a result, the third and final match of the series will actually be a decider as tow which team takes the trophy as well as 10 Cricket World Cup Super League points. The likes of Mitchell Starc, Nicholas Pooran and both captains in Alex Carey and Keiron Ploorad will back themselves to deliver in the final match in a series that has seen low scoring matches in both ODIs. West Indies vs Australia: Match Details Match Number- 03 Date and Time: July 27, 2021, 12:00 am IST Venue: Kensington Oval, Bridgetown Live Stream: Fancode Pitch Report The pitch has remained two-paced and caused serious threats to the batters in both the ODIs, it has helped both the fast as well as spin bowlers, making it a graveyard for batters. Will there be any change in the scenario in the final? Only time can tell. Weather Forecast With clear skies and temperatures ranging between 29-30 degrees, the weather in Bridgetown, Barbados poses no threat to the game. Australia Probable XI Josh Philippe, Ben McDermott, Mitchell Marsh, Moises Henriques, Alex Carey(w/c), Ashton Turner, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Wes Agar, Riley Meredith West Indies Probable XI Evin Lewis, Shai Hope(w), Darren Bravo, Jason Mohammed, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard(c), Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Hayden Walsh, Akeal Hosein, Sheldon Cottrell Fantasy XI Josh Philippe, Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Moises Henriques, Alex Carey, Kieron Pollard, Jason Holder, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Hayden Walsh, Akeal Hosein Captain: Mitchell Starc Vice Captain: Nicholas Pooran

West Indian skipper Kieron Pollard believes that even after the series-levelling win in the second ODI at Kensington Oval in Georgetown, his team really wasn’t where it should have been in terms of having a relentless approach towards the game. The Men in Maroon although went on to win the game by four wickets, but looked a shadow of themselves giving away chances after chances to Australia in the field. "Australia were [45 for 6] and getting to 190, we didn't put our foot on the X like we should have done and gave them opportunities to come into the game. Then our batters didn't make it easy, it seems like we don't like to do things the easy way. Thought 120 should have been the total,” complained Pollard during the post-match presentation ceremony. Even after being 45-6 and with all top-order batsmen out, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa and Wes Agar scored good enough runs to take Australia through to 187. While they let the last five Australian batters put on 142, the batting from the top order Windies batsmen themselves was disappointing, to say the least. At 72-5, they looked in all sorts of trouble until Nicholas Pooran and Jason Holder put together 92 runs to take their team home and level the series. "Pleasing to win, obviously, but to say I'm overall pleased with our performance throughout the entire game. We haven't been able to combat it how we want to, but having said that, this time around what was good was the fight. Nicholas Pooran with that half-century and Jason Holder. It was a bit scratchy tonight, but that's what you need in a game like this, someone to scrap, and they both scrapped well for us,” added the 34-year-old skipper. With a series two win, the two teams will now take on each other in the finale on Monday, July 26.

West Indies levelled the three-match ODI series against Australia in Barbados after winning the second clash by 4 wickets. Chasing a target of 188, the hosts had a disappointing start to the proceedings as they lost a couple of early wickets after Even Lewis and Darren Bravo were sent back in the hut by Mitchell Starc early. But wicket-keeper batsman Shai Hope and Jason Mohammad tried to resist and chipped in with a partnership of 36 runs before Mohammad was cleaned up for 11 by Adam Zampa. The right-hander’s dismissal once again pushed the home side on the backfoot as they lost a couple of more wickets in quick succession and were left tottering at 72/5. Nicholas Pooran and Jason Holder then came in for the rescue and stitched a stand of 93 runs. Both the batsmen notched up their individual fifties. Though Holder was eventually undone by Starc for 52 after getting trapped in front of the stumps while poor and remained unbeaten at 59 to take his side home in 38 overs. Starc continued his form in the series and returned with figures of 3/26 in 10 overs. Earlier, West Indies bowlers ripped through the Australian batting line up and bowled them out for 187 in the 38th over. Batting first, the Aussie team lost a few early wickets and were left struggling at 45/6 to eventually get bundled out for 187. Wes Agar top-scored with 41 off 36 that included a couple of sixes and three boundaries. For West Indies, Alzarri Joseph and Akeal Hosein bagged three wickets each. Skipper Kieron Pollard lauded the bowlers for their efforts. “When you start a cricket match you want to win. We have some work to do. I don't think we put our foot on the accelerator. Our batters didn't make it easy for us as well. Looks like we don't like to do things the easy way. The spinners were brilliant. The bowlers were brilliant. 180-190 was disappointing and that is how I would like to sum it up,” he said. The two teams will now lock horns on Tuesday in the decider at the same venue.

The ODI series between Australia and West Indies will resume on Sunday in Barbados where the two sides will play the second match which was earlier called off after a non-playing member of the West Indies squad had tested positive for Covid-19. Later, all the members of both the contingent had undergone the test and returned negative. “Cricket West Indies is pleased to announce that all 152 persons tested for COVID-19 on Thursday evening returned negative results,” it said in a statement on Friday. The visitors lead the series 1-0 at the moment after they thumped the hosts by 133 runs (DLS method) while chasing 257 in a rain-curtailed match. Pacers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood shared a total of eight wickets after Starc returned with a fifer while Hazlewood scalped three wickets. The West Indies batting unit would be seeking to turn fortunes for themselves in this match after they had a failure in the opening clash. Match Details Match: WI vs AUS, 2nd ODI (Rescheduled match), Australia tour of West Indies, 2021 Date: Sunday, July 25, 2021 Time: 12:00 AM (Jul 25) Venue: Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados The natch will be telecast on the FanCode app. Pitch Report The track would have something on offer to both batsmen and the bowlers. Though, the batsmen should try to get their eye in first and then look to accelerate. Nevertheless, if you win the toss, elect to bat first. Probable XI West Indies: Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Darren Bravo, Jason Mohammed, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Kieron Pollard (C), Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Akeal Hosein, Hayden Walsh Jr, Sheldon Cottrell Australia: Ben McDermott, Josh Philippe, Mitchell Marsh, Moises Henriques, Alex Carey (wk), Ashton Turner, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Wes Agar, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood Fantasy XI Alex Carey (C), Ben McDermott, Josh Philippe, Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Starc, Hayden Walsh, Josh Hazlewood, Sheldon Cottrell (VC), Adam Zampa

The members of the Australia and West Indies contingent have tested negative for the Covid-19, a day after the second match between the two sides was called off in Barbados. The clash was cancelled after a non-playing member of the West Indies squad tested positive. “Cricket West Indies is pleased to announce that all 152 persons tested for COVID-19 on Thursday evening returned negative results,” it said in a statement on Friday. The remaining two ODIs of the series will be played on Saturday and Monday (West Indies time). "We want to thank our counterparts at CA for their cooperation in this matter as we look to get the games going again," CWI president Ricky Skerrit said. "Special thanks to our CEO Johnny Grave, Chairman of Cricket Australia, Earl Eddings, his CEO Nick Hockley along with our respective medical and operations teams,” he added. "It has been a challenging two days and we have worked very swiftly and safely, following all the established medical protocols, to make sure that all necessary precautions are in place to ensure that we can go ahead to resume play safely, tomorrow. We will continue to monitor the situation and respond accordingly." The visitor lead the three-match series 1-0 at present after the Aussie pacers, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood rattled the West Indies batting line up to bundle them out for 123 while chasing 257 in a rain-curtailed match.