West Indies vs Australia, 1st T20I, Fantasy Preview

West Indies versus Australia has been an intriguing yet unexplored rivalry in T20 internationals. In over 16-year old history of the format, the two teams have clashed in only 11 T20Is, out of which Australia have won five while West Indies clinched six. Fair to say, it is neck and neck. A run-in to the T20 World Cup, both sides would be eager to get back on winning ways, as both lost their previous series - West Indies against South Africa last week while Australia lost to New Zealand in March. This tour kicks-off with the first T20I in St. Lucia and we are here with some helpful tips for you to make the most efficient Fantasy team.

Ground Details and Team Combination

St. Lucia’s Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium has hosted only one T20I game in the last eight years. It has also not hosted any T20 games since the 2019 edition of the Caribbean Premier League. 

However, the pitches in the Caribbean this year have been on the slower side. In 2019 and 2020 combined, the average strike rate against spinners in T20Is in West Indies was recorded at 137.6. In the eight T20Is this year so far, that has plummeted to 114.2.

If Australia’s intra-squad games are any indication then the scores of 160 will continue being a norm in this series, as they were in West Indies’ recently-concluded series against South Africa. Thus, we would like to keep the strategy the same as it was during the West Indies-South Africa clash - top-order batsmen, spinners and death bowlers. 

Suggested Team

While you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your own team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. Based on algorithms, we have come up with one team.  

Captaincy Suggestion

Evin Lewis was West Indies’ highest run-scorer in the five-match series against South Africa. He scored 178 runs at an average of 35.6 while striking at 160.4. The next best by a Caribbean batsman was Lendl Simmons with 72 runs. The wide gap indicates how far ahead Lewis is in comparison to his teammates. 

Our Criclytics Players Projection projects Lewis could score 25-37 runs in this match

X-Factors

Mitchell Marsh is a left-field choice as an all-rounder, especially when picked above Andre Russell. However, Marsh has averaged 30.3 in T20s since 2020 in a large sample size of 34 innings. In addition, the Australia head coach, Justin Langer has confirmed that Marsh will take the number three position which will allow him to cause a greater impact. Not to forget, he can contribute with the ball as well, even though Australia don’t have a shortage of all-rounders in their line-up. 

Our Criclytics Players Projection projects Marsh could score 14-22 runs and pick 0-1 wickets in this match

Adam Zampa is the leader of Australia’s spin attack. Tabraiz Shamsi, the Player of the Series in the West Indies-South Africa clash, showcased what the wrist-spinners can do and Zampa is totally capable of repeating that. He has 16 wickets in 13 T20s this year and will aim to trap the West indies' batsmen with his leg breaks. 

Our Criclytics Players Projection projects Zampa could pick 0-1 wickets in this match

Obed McCoy has been brilliant in his short T20I career thus far. He has 14 wickets in nine innings, showing his range as a death-overs bowler. His back-of-the-hand slower ones has been hard to tackle even for the best of the hitters. Consequently, a majority of this wickets - eight out of 14 - have come at the death. 

Our Criclytics Players Projection projects McCoy could pick 0-1 wickets in this match