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BAN vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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BAN vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

BAN vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BAN vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | Bangladesh vs Australia 1st T20I Key Players | Dhaka Pitch Report

We are in rare territory this August. It’s not often we see a Bangladesh–Australia matchup, and it’s even rarer in T20I circles. Never before have these two teams met in a T20I outside of the World Cup, and this five-match series has plenty riding on it as players look to stake their claims for a spot in their respective team’s T20 World Cup squad.

What an opportunity this is for Bangladesh. The last time Australia toured these shores was in 2017, where the Tigers created history by winning the first Test of that series. Shakib Al Hasan was the chief destroyer on that occasion, and Bangladesh will be hoping he has a similar impact here in the absence of Tamim Iqbal (injury) and Mushfiqur Rahim (COVID-19 quarantine).

Bangladesh are coming off a competitive series in Zimbabwe, where they achieved their second-highest successful chase of 194 to seal that series 2-1. While they need to improve on certain aspects of their game, they’ll consider themselves a chance against an Australia side reeling from a 4-1 series defeat in West Indies. Aaron Finch joins a list of experienced names unavailable, with Matthew Wade to lead a team desperate to build some confidence and momentum ahead of the T20 World Cup.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Bangladesh:

  • Shakib Al Hasan has enjoyed success against Australia before and he will no doubt be key here. The star all-rounder has scored 143 runs in the four T20Is against Australia (avg. 35.75, SR 123.27), including a score of 66 on this ground in the 2014 T20 World Cup. Plus, he has taken five wickets, including 3/27 in India back in 2016.
  • Also, Shakib has significant T20 experience at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur. He has played a total of 100 matches on this ground, with 1,759 runs and 135 wickets to his name.
  • Soumya Sarkar was outstanding in Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh will want him to replicate that form vs Australia. In the three recent T20Is, Sarkar scored two half-centuries (50, 8, 68) and took three wickets.
  • However, Soumya will be out to improve his T20 numbers on this ground (83 matches, 1,486 runs, avg. 20.64, SR 121.70).
  • Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah could be a key factor in this series. No player has scored more runs in T20Is on this ground than him (20 inns, 477 runs, avg. 53.00, SR 137.86), plus has a score of 49* in three T20Is vs Australia.
  • Watch out for Shamim Hossain, the finisher. In his two games in Zimbabwe, Shamim smashed 60 runs at a strike rate of 214.29.
  • Mohammad Saifuddin will be key for Bangladesh in the death overs. He is a wicket-taker, as his T20 record at Shere Bangla Stadium suggests (48 matches, 61 wickets).
  • Bangladesh will be hoping that Mustafizur Rahman is fit. He took 2/30 in his only T20I vs Australia so far (in 2016), and has taken an impressive 81 wickets in 58 T20s on this ground.

Australia:

  • Mitchell Marsh was the bright spot in a terrible T20I series for Australia in West Indies. Marsh enjoyed a dream series batting at number three, striking 219 runs in five T20Is at an average of 43.80 and strike rate of 152.08. He also took eight wickets.
  • Eyes will be on Josh Philippe who has not made a mark in T20I cricket yet. He is set to open, which is his preferred position in this format. When opening, Philippe has struck 1,249 in 44 T20s at an average of 31.23 and strike rate of 136.80.
  • Can Matthew Wade make an impact in the middle order? He has historically found it tough in positions four, five and six in T20s, scoring a total of 467 runs in 24 innings at an average of 19.45 and strike rate of 115.88 combined in these positions.
  • Ashton Agar will be key in these conditions. He has come of age since the start of 2020, taking 22 wickets in 13 T20Is, including two five wicket hauls.
  • Mitchell Starc was recently player of the series in the ODIs vs West Indies. If picked, he will be aiming to replicate such form at both crunch stages of the innings (powerplay and death overs). Starc took 1/25 in his only T20I vs Bangladesh to date, back in 2016.
  • Adam Zampa was player of the match in Australia’s last T20I vs Bangladesh in 2016 (3/23).

Stats and Facts

  • Australia have won all four T20Is against Bangladesh.
  • This will be the first T20I between the two sides outside of T20 World Cups.
  • Shakib Al Hasan needs five wickets to become the second men’s player to take 100 T20I wickets.
  • Mitchell Starc needs two wickets to become the first Australian to 50 T20I wickets. Adam Zampa needs three to reach this mark.

Possible Playing 11

Liton Das, Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim are all unavailable for Bangladesh. Also, Mustafizur Rahman is in doubt with injury.

Bangladesh: 1. Soumya Sarkar, 2. Mohammad Naim, 3. Shakib Al Hasan, 4. Mahmudullah (c), 5. Afif Hossain, 6. Shamim Hossain, 7. Nurul Hasan (wk), 8. Mohammad Saifuddin, 9. Mahedi Hasan/Nasun Ahmed, 10. Taskin Ahmed, 11. Mustafizur Rahman/Shoriful Islam

Matthew Wade said he will be batting in the middle order to try help Australia shore up that troublesome area of their game. The number four spot could be between Alex Carey (who has a poor T20I record) and Moises Henriques (who struggled in West Indies).

Also, it remains to be seen if Australia wish to play Mitchell Starc right away after he played all eight matches in the recent West Indies tour.

Australia: 1. Josh Philippe, 2. Ben McDermott, 3. Mitch Marsh, 4. Alex Carey, 5. Matthew Wade (c & wk), 6. Ashton Turner, 7. Dan Christian, 8. Ashton Agar, 9. Mitchell Starc/Nathan Ellis, 10. Adam Zampa, 11. Josh Hazlewood

Shere Bangla National Stadium Mirpur Dhaka Pitch Report and Weather

Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo said that he expects a classic Dhaka pitch that won’t spin too much. That being said, expect the pitch to be on the slower side. Since 2019, the team batting first has won three of five T20 Internationals. In the recent Dhaka Premier League, the team batting first won the last three games of the tournament.

There are some thunderstorms forecast for Dhaka in this rainy season. However, according to AccuWeather, most of the rain will be in the morning with not much forecast for the evening. This game will begin at 6pm local time.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

BAN vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BAN vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | Bangladesh vs Australia 1st T20I Key Players | Dhaka Pitch Report
BAN vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

BAN vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BAN vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | Bangladesh vs Australia 1st T20I Key Players | Dhaka Pitch Report
BAN vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

A competitive match in the making here. It is Australia’s bowlers who hold the key in this one against a Bangladesh side missing a few key batsmen. For that reason, Australia will get the victory.

Why India should recall R Ashwin to their T20I side

Debashish Sarangi
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Why India should recall R Ashwin to their T20I side

Should India recall R Ashwin to their T20I side? | Looking at whether India should pick Ravichandran Ashwin in the T20I team

We are getting closer to the T20 World Cup with each passing day and all teams are trying hard to resolve whatever issues they have in their T20I side.

India are definitely one of the top contenders for the title, but they also have some areas to work on; their spin department being one of their biggest concerns now. As the World Cup is taking place in the UAE, it is important to have a good spin attack. Now the question arises whether India should recall their most experienced spinner R Ashwin into the T20I team or not. In this article, I have tried my best to find a solution to this question considering several factors as mentioned below.

Recent performances of Chahal and Kuldeep in T20Is:

Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav were India’s most dependable spinners a few years ago. However, they both suffered a slump of form after the 2019 World Cup and their performances have only declined at international level since then. The batsmen are picking their variations quite well and they both haven’t been impactful in recent times. I have presented a table below, which gives an idea of their miserable returns in T20Is since 2019 World Cup.

 MatchesWicketsAverageStrike rateEconomy
Chahal181736.5824.708.88
Kuldeep5621.5149.21

It’s pretty clear from these stats that they both have been struggling to pick wickets and control the flow of runs as well for quite a while now. In such a scenario, the case becomes stronger for someone like Ashwin to make a comeback and lead the Indian spin attack.

The problem with the other available options:

Apart from Chahal and Kuldeep, India have several other spin bowling options with Washington Sundar, Rahul Chahar, Varun Chakravarthy and Krishnappa Gowtham being ahead in the pecking order in the current scenario. Sundar has blown hot and cold recently as he has conceded runs at an economy of more than 8 in four out of his most recent 5 T20I series. Also, his average of 33.16 and SR of 24.25 suggest his inability of picking wickets regularly. The other bowlers have a combined experience of 8 T20I games. Some of these guys can be the backup spinners, but certainly they are not going to lead the attack. Ashwin brings the experience with him. So, he can perform as well as guide the other spinners by mentoring them.

Ashwin’s current white ball form:

Ashwin was brilliant in IPL 2019 and 2020, in which he picked 28 wickets and bowled at a good economy rate of 7.46 in both the tournaments combined. He bowled some really impressive spells in IPL 2020, which was played in the UAE. Also, he is not just an off spinner. He possesses all the varieties in the world and has the capacity of bamboozling the best in the business. So, India have their most experienced “mystery spinner” in front of their eyes. Thus, his inclusion brings a different dimension to the Indian spin bowling department, which majorly contains wrist spinners.  

The only concern regarding Ashwin’s inclusion is his fitness issue in recent times. As he is almost 35 years old, many of you might want him to focus only on Tests for the rest of his career, but I see things from a different perspective. In my opinion, it’s a matter of just this World Cup which is a few months away.

So, it won’t be a bad call to recall the most experienced Indian spinner for the sake of this mega event. It is obviously subjected to Ashwin’s performance in the second leg of the IPL 2021, which is also scheduled in the UAE. If he performs admirably, I do not see any reason for not including him in the list of World Cup probables.

Have your say!

Written by Debashish Sarangi. Follow Debashish on Twitter today.

India player ratings from T20I series vs Sri Lanka

Vaibhav Tripathi
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India player ratings from T20I series vs Sri Lanka

India player ratings from T20I series vs Sri Lanka | Rating each India player out of 10 from their T20I series defeat against Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka overcame the disappointment of losing the ODI series by winning the 3-match T20I series handsomely by 2-1 to register their first bilateral series win in 21 attempts over India across formats since 2008.

After winning the first T20I comfortably, the Men In Blue had to dig deep to field a playing eleven for the final two T20Is against Sri Lanka due to the COVID-19 scare in the visiting camp. While the second T20 was a close affair, India were completely outplayed in all the departments of the final fixture of the series. For the 3 match series, India had to use the pool of the 19 players to complete the COVID-19 affected series.

Here is the report card of the Indian players, who played a minimum of two matches:

Shikhar Dhawan: 5/10

86 runs @ 28.66, SR: 108.86

The captain had a great start to the series both as a captain and as a batsman at the top. However, with tracks wearing out, it became difficult for him to score freely also the captaincy pressure was there which made things tough for him in the series.

Sanju Samson: 2/10

34 runs @ 11.33, SR: 94.4

This probably was the last chance for Sanju Samson to do justice of his ability, but once again he failed to deliver at international level. He was pretty ordinary on slow decks with the bat and gloves in the series.

India player ratings from T20I series vs Sri Lanka | Rating each India player out of 10 from their T20I series defeat against Sri Lanka
India player ratings from T20I series vs Sri Lanka: Sanju Samson was not able to replicate his best IPL form.

Devdutt Padikkal: 3/10

38 runs @ 19.0, SR: 100

After missing the ODIs, Devdutt Padikkal got his chance in the T20I series and despite having a great run in the 20-over format this year, he failed to make any impression though in the two games.

Ruturaj Gaikwad: 3/10

35 runs @ 17.0, SR: 125

Not a dasher, but his style of play was most suited to play in spin-friendly conditions. He looked good, was timing the ball well but the sluggish nature of the wicket meant he couldn’t go big in any of his two games.

Nitish Rana: 2/10

15 runs @ 7.5, SR: 55.5

Rana is a top-order player but because of heavy trafficking at the top, he was forced to bat in the middle which made life tough for him in his first T20I series as he struggled for timing in the two innings he batted in Colombo.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 8/10

5 wickets @ 10.4, Eco: 5.47

It was an important series for Bhuvneshwar as a player and also being the vice-captain of the team he needed to take the extra responsibility of leading the young pace unit. The pacer was impressive with his control and lines with the ball. His good form is a plus for India from this series.

India player ratings from T20I series vs Sri Lanka | Rating each India player out of 10 from their T20I series defeat against Sri Lanka
India player ratings from T20I series vs Sri Lanka: Bhuvneshwar Kumar is enjoying a good 2021.

Kuldeep Yadav: 7/10

2 wickets @ 23.0, Eco: 7.6

The series was a great chance for him to make a comeback into the first-choice white-ball side, but he may not be too happy at the end of it. He had a decent series with the ball in helpful conditions. The tally of wickets would have easily been more had India reviewed a decision or the fielders hadn’t dropped catches.

Rahul Chahar: 9/10

4 wickets @ 10.5, Eco: 5.25

The pick of the Indian bowlers in the series, Chahar proved to be a wicket-taker for India whenever he was called upon to bowl. He took major strides towards sealing a T20 World Cup spot with his superb variations and consistency.

Varun Chakravarthy: 6/10

2 wickets @ 30.5, Eco: 5.3

While it wasn’t the best series for the mystery spinner, he showed glimpses of the effectiveness of his bowling. One can say he was a tad short with the lengths he bowled but an economy rate of 5.3 is very good for someone who also has bowled in the slog overs.

Chetan Sakariya – 2/10

One wicket @ 34.0, Eco: 9.27

Sakariya took part in the last two T20Is of the series but only had just one opportunity with the ball in hand. He couldn’t replicate his IPL heroics as he only managed to bag a single wicket and was expensive in his debut T20I game.

Written by Vaibhav Tripathi. Follow Vaibhav on Twitter today.

WI vs PAK 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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0
WI vs PAK 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

WI vs PAK 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs PAK 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction | West Indies vs Pakistan 3rd T20I Key Players | Guyana Pitch Report

Pakistan’s terrific T20I record against West Indies continued with a hard-fought, confidence-boosting victory in yesterday’s second T20I. The bowlers, led by the wily Mohammad Hafeez, kept the powerful Windies lineup in check for the most part. Incredibly, the home side, packed power hitters, could only muster 84/3 in their first 15 overs to leave Pooran and co. with too much to do despite his best efforts.

It is clear to see that the Windies batsmen don’t yet have the answers against Pakistan’s bowlers. Nicholas Pooran led the way with some extraordinary late hitting to give his side a sniff after the run rate barely got above six throughout the first three quarters of the innings. However, they need more from their top order if they wish to keep the series alive.

It is not a Pakistan game without some drama. Looking comfortable for the most part, thanks to more reliable batting from their main duo and some excellent bowling, the tourists only had to weather the Pooran storm to achieve a solid victory. The middle order and finishing still leaves a bit to be desired, but the manner in which they restricted the Windies to an incredible 47 dot balls is cause for encouragement.

Now, the Windies must win to keep the series alive with two matches to play. For Pakistan, it is a chance to achieve a massive confidence boost ahead of the World Cup.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

West Indies:

  • How good was Nicholas Pooran yesterday? The left-hander is in some decent form, with a recent half-century in the second ODI vs Australia and a brilliant 33-ball 62* yesterday.
  • Pooran really enjoys batting at the Providence Stadium. The keeper-batsman now has 342 runs to his name in 12 T20 knocks at a superb average and strike rate of 57.00 and 175.38 respectively. However, he has never made two consecutive 30+ scores in T20Is.
  • Eyes will be on Chris Gayle who continues to struggle in T20Is in 2021 (14 inns, 214 runs, avg. 16.46, SR 115.67). West Indies will be hoping he improves on his worrying record against Pakistan (5 inns, 34 runs, avg. 6.80).
  • Watch out for Shimron Hetmyer on his home ground. He couldn’t quite get going yesterday (17 off 18 balls), but he has plenty of T20 experience at Providence Stadium (14 inns, 401 runs, avg. 33.42, SR 133.22).
  • Kieron Pollard remains a dangerous finisher for West Indies, especially if Andre Russell is unavailable again. He scored a 9-ball 22* in the first T20I, part of 170 runs vs Pakistan (avg. 24.28, SR 111.11). Can he improve on these numbers?
  • Jason Holder will be key in the death overs, once again. After his fruitful outing yesterday (4/26), Holder now has seven wickets in five T20s on this ground, as well as six scalps in six matches vs Pakistan.
  • Dwayne Bravo, before yesterday (2/24), had just one wicket in six matches vs Pakistan at an average of 120. Like Holder, Bravo will be key with the ball in the death overs. Also, Bravo has the most runs for any current WI player vs Pakistan (6 inns, 190 runs, avg. 31.66, SR 103.26).
  • Hayden Walsh was recently player of the series vs Australia. He was outstanding, with 11 wickets in five T20Is at a strike rate of just 10.

Pakistan:

  • After his latest half-century, Babar Azam now has four 50+ scores in 11 knocks vs West Indies. No player has more runs in WI-PAK T20Is than Babar, with an impressive haul of 454 at an average of 56.75 and strike rate of 125.41.
  • Mohammad Rizwan was looking solid once again before getting run out (46 off 36 balls). This is part of a great 2021 for Rizwan, where he has scored 1,252 runs in 27 T20s at an average of 65.89 and strike rate in the region of 135.
  • Mohammad Hafeez won his first ever player of the match award as a bowler. His spell of 1/6 was remarkable given the power in the Windies’ lineup, and there is little doubt that Babar will turn to Hafeez with the ball again today.
  • If Hafeez can deliver with the bat too, then Pakistan will benefit greatly. Hafeez historically struggles vs West Indies (6 inns, 56 runs, avg. 9.33) and also has a poor batting record on this ground in T20s (just 90 runs in nine innings at an average of 11.25).
  • Shadab Khan has the most wickets in WI-PAK T20Is (9 inns, 15 wickets, avg. 11.20, econ. 5.27). He is wicketless so far in five overs this series, but his economical spell of 0/22 put Pakistan in a good position. He could be in the wickets today if the Windies batsmen look to go after him.
  • Hasan Ali continues to have a good 2021, with 30 wickets in 19 T20s. He now has 13 scalps in 10 matches vs West Indies (avg. 19.71, SR 14.7), and will be key as he bowls in the crunch overs. As does Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Stats and Facts

  • Pakistan dominate the head-to-head vs West Indies. They have won 12 of 16 matches, with one no result.
  • Pakistan have won the last four completed T20Is between these two teams.
  • West Indies played out 47 dot balls in the first T20I, which is nearly eight overs without scoring.

Possible Playing 11

Evin Lewis retired hurt with an abdomen/stomach issue yesterday, which puts him in doubt for this one. This could mean that Chris Gayle moves to opener, should Lendl Simmons also miss out. If that’s the case, and the likes of Andre Russell and Fabian Allen miss out again, then the Windies could be forced to play an extra bowler.

West Indies: 1. Andre Fletcher, 2. Chris Gayle, 3. Shimron Hetmyer, 4. Nicholas Pooran (wk), 5. Kieron Pollard (c), 6. Jason Holder, 7. Dwayne Bravo, 8. Romario Shepherd, 9. Hayden Walsh, 10. Akeal Hossain, 11. Kevin Sinclair/Fidel Edwards

Pakistan could look to play the same XI that won yesterday, even though Usman Qadir was given just one over.

Pakistan: 1. Sharjeel Khan, 2. Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 3. Babar Azam (c), 4. Fakhar Zaman, 5. Mohammad Hafeez, 6. Sohaib Maqsood, 7. Hasan Ali, 8. Shadab Khan, 9. Mohammad Wasim, 10. Usman Qadir/Imad Wasim, 11. Shaheen Shah Afridi

Providence Stadium Guyana Pitch Report and Weather

Slower balls and spin continues to reign supreme in West Indies. In CPL 2019, the average first innings score in seven matches on this ground was 161.43, with the team batting first winning four of those. Pakistan showed yesterday that a score in that region is certainly a competitive one. It remains to be seen if the same pitch will be used for this match.

Approximately 8mm of rain is forecast for the morning in Guyana, with less expected in the afternoon. Hopefully there should be enough play to decide a result in this one.

Dream11 Prediction

Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.

Option 1:

WI vs PAK 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs PAK 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction | West Indies vs Pakistan 3rd T20I Key Players | Guyana Pitch Report
WI vs PAK 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

WI vs PAK 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

Bat first and score in the region of 160. This kind of score has been very effective in West Indies in recent times, and such a score here can be a winning one.

WI vs PAK 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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0
WI vs PAK 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

WI vs PAK 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs PAK 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies vs Pakistan T20I Key Players | Guyana Pitch Report

A number of West Indies players have poor head-to-head T20I records against Pakistan. More of the same took place in the first T20I, even though it is hard to judge the players given the innings was reduced to just nine overs on a slow Barbados track.

Now, the series moves to Guyana and will be a best-of-three as the first encounter was unfortunately ruined by the weather. Babar Azam and Kieron Pollard shook hands and shared smiles as the Barbados rain refused to relent, and now both will be looking to be relentless in the quest for a 1-0 series lead.

Pakistan, predictably unpredictable, have enjoyed past success in West Indies. However, a focused Windies ahead of a T20 World Cup is a whole different challenge, but the Pakistanis equipped themselves well with the ball in the nine overs against the home side’s plethora of power hitters. They will be hoping for more of the same with the ball, as well as strong performances from their batting lineup; particularly the middle order, if needed.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

West Indies:

  • Evin Lewis has the potential to take the game away from Pakistan. His battle with Hasan Ali should make for interesting viewing. However, West Indies will be hoping he improves on a shocking T20 record at Providence Stadium, Guyana (7 inns, 80 runs, avg. 11.43, SR 63.49).
  • Also, Lewis has a poor record vs Pakistan (121 runs, avg. 17.28, SR 135.95). These 121 runs come in seven knocks, which includes one score of 91. Can Lewis build on some good recent form to turn these numbers around?
  • Incredibly, Chris Gayle is yet to cross 10 in a T20I vs Pakistan (4 inns, 18 runs, avg. 4.50). Also, Providence Stadium is not one of Gayle’s favourite stadiums in T20 cricket (8 inns, 165 runs, avg. 20.63, SR 105.10). Like Lewis, can Gayle turn some poor numbers around?
  • Kieron Pollard got the Windies out of some trouble in the first T20I, with a 9-ball 22. Pollard now has the second-most runs of any current WI player against Pakistan (9 inns, 157 runs, avg. 26.16, SR 112.94), and has a steady-but-unspectacular T20 record at Providence Stadium (8 inns, 168 runs, avg. 28.00, SR 135.48). He also has eight wickets on this ground.
  • Dwayne Bravo has the most runs of any current WI player against Pakistan (6 inns, 190 runs, avg. 31.66, SR 103.26). However, he’s historically struggled with ball vs Pakistan, with just one wicket in six matches at an average of 120. He has 11 wickets in nine T20s on this ground.
  • Hayden Walsh was recently player of the series vs Australia. He was outstanding, with 11 wickets in five T20Is at a strike rate of just 10. Also, Walsh has taken two wickets in two T20s on this ground.

Pakistan:

  • Babar Azam has a enjoys playing the West Indies. No player has more runs in WI-PAK T20Is than the Pakistani skipper (10 inns, 403 runs, avg. 57.57, SR 125.15). Also, he scored the most runs in Pakistan’s T20I series in West Indies in 2017 (137 runs, avg. 34.25, SR 103.78).
  • Mohammad Rizwan has amassed 1,206 runs in 25 T20s this year at an average of 67.00 and strike rate of 135.20. This is set to be his first ever T20I innings vs West Indies.
  • Sohaib Maqsood struck over 400 runs in PSL 2021 at a strike rate in excess of 150. He will be key in solving Pakistan’s middle order/finishing. As will Mohammad Hafeez, who has a poor past record vs WI: 5 inns, 50 runs, avg. 10.00, SR 80.64. Also, Hafeez has struggled in T20s at Providence Stadium, with just 84 runs in eight innings at an average of 12.00.
  • Shadab Khan has a fine record vs West Indies. No bowler has more wickets in WI-PAK matches (15 in eight matches, avg. 9.73, SR 11.1, econ. 5.24). Also, he took 10 wickets in four T20Is in West Indies in 2017, and has seven wickets in three T20s on this ground.
  • Hasan Ali looked in fine touch in the first T20I. His slower ball will be key again in such conditions.

Stats and Facts

  • Head-to-head: Matches 15, West Indies 3, Pakistan 11, 1 N/R.
  • Andre Russell’s 70 T20 runs at Providence Stadium come at a strike rate of 159.09 (avg. 23.33).
  • Obed McCoy took four wickets in his only T20 so far at Providence Stadium in Guyana.

Possible Playing 11

Lendl Simmons is in some doubt. He retired hurt in the first T20I after he was struck on the neck. Also, it remains to be seen if Fabian Allen and Obed McCoy are fit enough to play here after missing the first match due to injuries.

West Indies: 1. Lendl Simmons/Andre Fletcher, 2. Evin Lewis, 3. Chris Gayle, 4. Shimron Hetmyer, 5. Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6. Andre Russell, 7. Kieron Pollard (c), 8. Jason Holder/Obed McCoy, 9. Dwayne Bravo, 10. Hayden Walsh, 11. Akeal Hosein

Pakistan should stick with the same XI.

Pakistan: 1. Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 2. Sharjeel Khan, 3. Babar Azam (c), 4. Fakhar Zaman, 5. Mohammad Hafeez, 6. Azam Khan, 7. Shadab Khan, 8. Hasan Ali, 9. Mohammad Wasim, 10. Usman Qadir, 11. Shaheen Shah Afridi

Providence Stadium Guyana Pitch Report and Weather

Some showers are forecast throughout the day in Guyana, but hopefully there should be enough play for a result. In terms of the surface, the last T20I played here was in 2019 where India chased West Indies’ 146 with ease. In CPL 2019, the average first innings score in seven matches on this ground was 161.43, with the team batting first winning four of those.

Dream11 Prediction

Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.

Option 1:

WI vs PAK 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs PAK 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies vs Pakistan T20I Key Players | Guyana Pitch Report
WI vs PAK 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

WI vs PAK 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs PAK 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies vs Pakistan T20I Key Players | Guyana Pitch Report
WI vs PAK 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

Tough game to pick, given Pakistan’s good record against West Indies. If the Pakistan bowlers can restrict the Windies batsmen in the powerplay and death overs, then Pakistan are a great chance of winning.

ENG vs IND: 5 major challenges for India to overcome

Tarkesh Jha
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ENG vs IND: 5 major challenges for India to overcome

ENG vs IND: 5 major challenges for India to overcome | 5 major challenges for Kohli-led India in the England vs India Test series

The Indian cricket team is set to kick off a long English summer, as they will face the Joe Root-led England side for a five-match long Test series.

It will also mark the commencement of the coming cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC). Such is the nature of the competition that a team cannot afford to be a complacent even for a moment, given that it can have remarkable repercussions with respect to their qualifying chances two years down the line.

On that note, the Indian team will be edging for a successful series against the Englishmen, and here we note down five major challenges that Kohli’s men will have to face in that course of action.

1. Opening Conundrum

ENG vs IND: 5 major challenges for India to overcome | 5 major challenges for Kohli-led India in the England vs India Test series
5 major challenges for India to overcome: Who will partner Rohit?

Amidst the historic Australian tour, one got the impression that the Indian team had found their ideal opening combination for foreign conditions. Shubman Gill looked to have come of age at that time, with Rohit Sharma steadily doing the job demanded of him quite well too.

The duo delivered fairly well in the first innings of the WTC finale as well. However, Gill’s injury means that we might be staring at another rejig at the top for now. Mayank Agarwal opened with Rohit in the practice game whereas KL Rahul struck a fluent century from the middle-order in the very same match.

There’s also the option of slotting in a consistent domestic opener like Abhimanyu Easwaran in the XI, though it might be very unlikely to happen.

Furthermore, someone like Cheteshwar Pujara could also be asked to open with Rohit, with Rahul being slotted in the middle along with skipper and vice-captain Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane. The route that the Indian team opts to take might as well determine their fate in this series.

2. The Tailend Challenge

A persistent issue troubling the Indian team across many years is the tailend challenge. The side tends to concede an additional amount of runs to the opposition’s backend and falls short of holding their ground with the willow when push comes to shove for their own tailend.

This creates a disparity in the overall totals and ends up being detrimental to the Indian team’s chances, especially on foreign soil. This was apparent in the WTC final too, wherein the Kiwi pacers scored a handful with the duo of Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee notching 51 runs between them.

In a low-scoring encounter, those contributions turned out to be extremely decisive, with the Indian tail-enders being unable to match up to the Kiwi’s proficiency with the bat.

The bowling unit might have to come up with certain specific strategies to prevent that from happening, with the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin offering extra cushion with the willow towards the fag end of the batting order.

3. KL Rahul. Does he fit in or not?

ENG vs IND: 5 major challenges for India to overcome | 5 major challenges for Kohli-led India in the England vs India Test series
5 major challenges for India to overcome: KL Rahul to play a factor?

For far too long, KL Rahul has been an exceptional player unlucky to cement a permanent slot in the Indian team. More often than not it has been a result of mounting competition that has pushed him to stay on the sidelines.

However, there have been murmurs of the flamboyant batter making it to the Indian XI in the England series, though the spot that he might play in is quite uncertain as of now.

Perhaps, the Indian side is looking to add further steel in their lineup following the WTC finale and hence would go for an extra batsman in place of either Jadeja or Ashwin. In such an instance, Rahul could possibly get a spot in the middle-order, in place of someone like Hanuma Vihari.

The Punjab Kings skipper scored an excellent century in the practice match recently, further amplifying calls for his inclusion in the XI.

There’s also a spot vacant at the top, where he might face tough competition from Mayank Agarwal. Nevertheless, to adjust the right-hander in the XI and his subsequent performances will be an interesting point to ponder upon for the Indian team management.

4. The Mohammed Siraj factor

Mohammed Siraj has been an absolute revelation for the Indian team ever since debuting in the Border-Gavaskar series last year.

Having toiled it hard in the domestic circuit for years, the pacer seamlessly slotted into the thick of things and spearheaded the bowling attack in the wake of injuries to many senior players to lead India to a historic series victory.

However, Ishant Sharma’s return meant that Siraj had to sit out of the WTC finale XI, in which many predicted him to actually make it to the final team. Regardless of that, the coming five-match series will present captain Kohli countless opportunities to factor a pacer of Siraj’s caliber into the XI.

His bowling style will perhaps suit the English conditions quite as well, and his tireless attitude ensures that the other premier bowlers could catch a break whenever required. By the end of the series, one can arguably witness some key alterations in India’s bowling unit, courtesy of Mohammed Siraj.

5. Collective batting effort

The Indian team would require much more than individual heroics to capture a memorable victory in the English shores this time around. A five-match long series demands consistent, collective efforts from key batsmen and the experienced, seasoned heads in the camp surely realize this.

At times, one has witnessed fragmented displays of peerless batting from different players in the Indian unit, which has saved the day for the team.

However, this tour would require the key men to stand up and front the challenge together, as they would face a skillful English bowling unit that is peerless in home conditions.

The Indian bowlers will be up for the challenge and have demonstrated their abilities time and again. The Indian batsmen have done so too, but now it’s time for all of them to do it simultaneously, match after match.

Written by Tarkesh Jha. Follow Tarkesh on Twitter

Twitter reactions as Wanindu Hasaranga leads SL series win over India

Charbel Coorey
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Twitter reactions as Wanindu Hasaranga leads SL series win over India

Twitter reactions as Wanindu Hasaranga leads SL series win over India | Wanindu Hasaranga produces great performance to lead SL to T20I series win over India

Wanindu Hasaranga, the world’s second-ranked T20I bowler, produced yet another terrific display to lead Sri Lanka to a drought-breaking bilateral series win over rivals India.

The classy leg-spinner continues to grab attention of T20 league scouts around the world as he spun webs around the Indian batsmen, who were limited to just 81 despite not even being bowled out. Birthday-boy Hasaranga’s 4/9 are the sixth-best T20I figures for any Sri Lankan, and the best ever figures by any bowler against India in men’s T20Is. One feels that will soon join Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath and Lasith Malinga as Sri Lankans with a five-wicket haul in T20I cricket.

India felt the full force of fielding a depleted batting lineup. 81/8 is their third-lowest total in T20Is, and their lowest against Sri Lanka. Also, it is the second-lowest total by a full member nation while batting their entire 20 overs, behind only the West Indies’ 79/7 against Zimbabwe in 2010.

Here are some of the Twitter reactions to Harasanga’s great performance, as well as the fact that Sri Lanka have achieved their first T20I series win over India.

And, of course, there is always room for banter.

Also, a big thank you went to India for continuing the series despite having eight players unavailable due to isolation, including from Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka.

Lessons India can take from WTC Final for England series

Tarkesh Jha
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Lessons India can take from WTC Final for England series

Lessons India can take from WTC Final for England series | Key lessons India can learn from the WTC Final defeat to perform better in the England series

The World Test Championship (WTC) Final now seems like something that occurred a long time ago, such is the fast-moving world of sport.

All is not lost in a defeat, as such a result is a given in any sport. Being a team of thorough professionals, Virat Kohli’s men will be eager to take certain learning from the WTC Final too.

Actually, to the contrary belief amongst the masses, there were some key positives for the Indian side from their defeat in Southampton, which we will elaborate upon here.

Rohit Sharma has proven his mettle as an opener in limited-overs cricket across different conditions over the years. He started playing at the top in the whites only from late-2019 onward and had played in that role in familiar playing conditions so far.

Hence, his performance in the WTC finale was keenly awaited, as New Zealand’s opening bowling pair of Tim Southee and Trent Boult posed a stunning challenge in front of the Mumbai Indians skipper.

However, Rohit looked well at ease against New Zealand’s ensemble of excellent pacers. Even in testing conditions, Sharma’s technique looked solid, his intent was positive, always looking to keep the board ticking and also got a few boundaries to his name in the way.

People are well aware that the opening hour is always the toughest for any batsman in English conditions. Rohit could have possibly built upon his starts well in both the innings.

However, his brief innings on both the occasions gave a solid disclaimer that the Indian team could rely on a formidable, reliant top-order for the England series. That would take a lot of weight off the back of the middle-order spearheaded by skipper Kohli and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane.

Rohit Sharma showed good signs for India in the WTC Final

On the other hand, off-spinner and senior pro Ravichandran Ashwin’s performance was a major positive too. Ashwin looked right on the money in both innings, even opening the gateway for a possible Indian comeback for a brief time by providing two quick breakthroughs during the final Kiwi chase as well.

Ashwin has been in top form right from the Australian series. His execution of plans have been spot on, even neutralizing Steven Smith’s impact Down Under. He looked in absolutely fine touch in the WTC final too; something that would be key for India throughout the English series.

His gutsy batting late down the order will also help India match up with the batting proficiency of the opposition’s tail-enders, something that has historically troubled the Indian team in overseas conditions in the past.

Injuries had arguably prevented the spinner from operating at full throttle during the 2018 tour, but India will need him firing on all cylinders this time around. All-round performances from the seasoned player will be instrumental for the Indian team’s success this time around.

Moreover, Ashwin’s definite inclusion and a much refined batting display in recent times opens the opportunity for the team to either play an extra batsman in Hanuma Vihari or go with the all-round capabilities of Ravindra Jadeja at number 7.

R Ashwin continues to go from strength-to-strength

Jadeja has delivered solid all-round performances multiple times in important games and he along with Rishabh Pant could give the attacking spark and impetus that further augments the capabilities of an already dependable middle-order.

In terms of lessons, perhaps the single biggest learning for the Indian batsmen would be to make the most of the starts that they accumulate.

At least in the first innings, most of the batsmen had set their eye in but got undone by the skill of the Kiwi pacers and some shrewd captaincy by Kane Williamson. It is likely that India could go with a 6-5 formula in the XI with Jadeja and Ashwin as the main all-rounders. In such a situation, the role of the top five increases furthermore and it would be critical that at least of the key batsmen manage to stay on the crease for a long period of time to steer the inning along.

Another key point of concern would be to ensure that India’s pace attack operates at full throttle. In the WTC finale, the bowlers perhaps didn’t have enough on the board to defend against. However, the famed Indian pace trio too arguably might have to up their game across the lengthy England series.

It might perhaps help that someone like Jasprit Bumrah will have adequate match-practice to get into his rhythm by the time India sets foot at Trent Bridge on 4th August. Moreover, across a comprehensive series like this one, India might also prefer slotting in Mohammed Siraj in some of the games to see how he manages to deal with the challenge that the English conditions throw at him.

Siraj has impressed one and all with his fantastic skillset in a short-lived international career so far. He has excelled in both Indian and Australian conditions, and certainly seems to have the abilities to stand up the challenges that he might face in England. His relentless attitude and the unique ability to bring something unfamiliar to the Englishmen on the fore will certainly enable India to gain an edge at some critical point in the series.

The Indian team might also have to deal with some dynamic challenges due to some recent developments. It remains to be seen whether Rishabh Pant will participate in the initial part of the series after having tested positive for Covid-19. Even Wriddhiman Saha was undergoing quarantine as a precautionary measure, though he could likely be fit if Pant is unavailable at least for the opening Test.

This would be a major issue, considering Pant was arguably India’s best batsman in the second innings of the WTC finale. Furthermore, his match-winning abilities and growing confidence in recent times have been a major positive for the Indian team in recent times.

Nevertheless, the current circumstances are largely dynamic and uncertain, as India have found in their limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka. Only the most flexible and strengthened of teams, with ample bench-strength, and the ability to adapt seamlessly will succeed in different playing situations.

This series will mark the beginning of the 2021-23 WTC cycle. India has no time to fret over the inaugural WTC result now, as it already has a mounting challenge to scale in one of the toughest countries to visit for teams from across the cricketing world.

Written by Tarkesh Jha. Follow Tarkesh on Twitter

SL vs IND 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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SL vs IND 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

SL vs IND 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SL vs IND 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | Sri Lanka vs India 3rd T20I Key Players | Colombo Pitch Report

It was a T20I buildup like no other. In fact, it was one of the most chaotic buildups to any cricket match ever. Unsure of whether the match would actually go ahead, Sri Lanka prevailed in a tough contest yesterday against an India side decimated by isolation.

Krunal Pandya tested positive for COVID-19, and seven others deemed as close contacts were ruled out of the remainder of the series. This includes this deciding third T20I, where the Indians will once again play with a depleted batting lineup that may once again force the top order to play with more caution than freedom.

On a sluggish pitch, it was Sri Lanka’s middle and death overs’ effort that got them out of trouble, with India’s fielders making crucial mistakes. Dhananjaya de Silva and C Karunaratne struck crucial blows to see the home side over the line in a tough chase, but the Sri Lankans will be hoping for a more clinical display this time around.

Given India’s fighting spirit and Sri Lanka’s desire to win the series, this third T20I shapes up to be another interesting contest.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Sri Lanka:

  • Dhananjaya de Silva overcame his struggles against slower bowling to produce a crucial player of the match performance in the second T20I (40* off 34 balls). No current SL player has more runs than de Silva in T20Is on this ground (7 inns, 204 runs, avg. 34.00, SR 109.67), plus he has a decent record against India in T20Is (4 inns, 123 runs, avg. 41, SR 132.25).
  • Avishka Fernando has a key role to play at the top. Sri Lanka will be hoping he can finally perform in a format he’s struggled in throughout his career (18 inns, 238 runs, avg. 13.22, SR 97.54, 0 50s).
  • Wanindu Hasaranga will no doubt be a threat in these spin-friendly conditions. He has taken 11 wickets in five matches across the West Indies and India campaigns played on surfaces conducive to spin.
  • Akila Dananjaya produced one of his best performances in T20Is vs India. He took 2/29 in the second T20I, which is as many wickets as he took in his previous seven T20Is against the Indians. His experience of this ground (19 T20s, 22 wickets) can count for plenty.
  • Dushmantha Chameera has picked up seven wickets in his last three T20Is, and 13 in 11 matches overall vs India. He will be key at both crunch stages (powerplay and death) of the innings.

India:

  • The 40s is a common theme for Shikhar Dhawan. He averages 41.66 vs Sri Lanka, 40.57 on this ground and 43.00 in this series.
  • No player has more runs than Dhawan’s 375 in IND-SL T20Is. India will be hoping Shikhar produces a big score with India’s batting lineup decimated by isolation.
  • Ruturaj Gaikwad (21 off 18 balls) and Devdutt Padikkal (29 off 23 balls) looked promising before getting out. Both have shown terrific form in the IPL (Gaikwad scored 65, 33, 75 and 4 in his last four matches and Padikkal has 668 IPL runs with six 50+ scores in 21 matches).
  • Will Sanju Samson deliver or disappoint? With so many players missing, Samson can make a claim for India to continue to persist with him going forward. He has the big innings in him, but will today be the day?
  • Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4/22 and 1/21 this series) will be crucial in both the powerplay and death overs. His slower ball will be handy on such pitches. Plus, given he is batting at six, he also has a crucial role to play with the bat.
  • Kuldeep Yadav, on average, takes two wickets per innings vs Sri Lanka (6 inns, 12 wickets, avg. 15.33, econ. 7.66, SR 12).

Stats and Facts

  • Sri Lanka will be looking to break a run of five straight T20I series losses. Their last bilaterial T20I series win was against Pakistan in 2019.
  • Dasun Shanaka has a bowling strike rate of just 13.7 against India (seven wickets).
  • India have won 11 of the last 13 completed T20Is vs Sri Lanka. However, they have never faced circumstances like this.

Possible Playing 11

With Charith Asalanka in isolation, Sri Lanka could look at playing the same XI that won the second T20I yesterday.

Sri Lanka: 1. Avishka Fernando, 2. Minod Bhanuka (wk), 3. Sadeera Samarawickrama, 4. Dasun Shanaka (c), 5. Dhananjaya de Silva, 6. Wanindu Hasaranga, 7. Ramesh Mendis, 8. Chamika Karunaratne, 9. Isuru Udana, 10. Dushmantha Chameera, 11. Akila Dananjaya

India do have the likes of Sandeep Warrier in the squad. According to reports, Navdeep Saini has been ruled out with injury. Sandeep Warrier is likely to replace him.

India: 1. Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2. Shikhar Dhawan (c), 3. Devdutt Padikkal, 4. Sanju Samson (wk), 5. Nitish Rana, 6. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 7. Sandeep Warrier, 8. Kuldeep Yadav, 9. Chetan Sakariya, 10. Rahul Chahar, 11. Varun Chakravarthy

R Premadasa Stadium Colombo Pitch Report and Weather

The surface was slow and quite sluggish in the second T20I. The match will be played on a fresh pitch, but given the evidence so far in this series, spin and slower balls into the surface is hard to get away.

The chasing team has won nine of the last 12 T20Is on this ground, with the average first innings score 160. Any total in that region here will be a challenging chase in what should be a full game thanks to clear weather.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

SL vs IND 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SL vs IND 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | Sri Lanka vs India 3rd T20I Key Players | Colombo Pitch Report
SL vs IND 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

SL vs IND 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SL vs IND 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | Sri Lanka vs India 3rd T20I Key Players | Colombo Pitch Report
SL vs IND 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

Another competitive match is on the cards, but India need a lot from their top four to stand a strong chance. Sri Lanka start as favourites and should win given India’s decimated batting.

WI vs PAK 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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0
WI vs PAK 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

WI vs PAK 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs PAK 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies vs Pakistan 1st T20I Key Players | Barbados Pitch Report

The cricket continues to come thick and fast as preparation for the T20 World Cup ramps up. In fact, the cricket comes so thick and fast for West Indies that this series is set to begin less than two days after their ODI series defeat to Australia, of which they will be looking to rectify here against the predictably unpredictable Pakistan.

However, a number of stars will return to the Windies T20I side, providing another reminder of their prowess in this format. After a disappointing and somewhat surprising 3-2 defeat to South Africa, West Indies then demolished Australia 4-1 as confidence continues to rise ahead of their quest to defend their T20 World Cup crown later this year. Kieron Pollard, who missed the Australia T20I series, as well as Gayle, Russell and Bravo, will all be available for selection here.

However, a number of the Windies batsmen have poor head-to-head records against Pakistan. For Pakistan, this is a great opportunity to find form in conditions that offer assistance to spin. In fact, a number of their players have strong CPL experience.

But, it is hard to predict which Pakistan will show up here, as well as in the T20 World Cup later this year. Their T20 issues are well known, and to stand a chance in this series, as well as in the World Cup, Babar Azam’s men will be keen to iron out those concerns in this four-match series against one of the T20 powerhouses.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

West Indies:

  • Evin Lewis has been in damaging form in the Windies’ home season to date. In 11 T20Is this year, Lewis is striking at a superb 175.89, with 343 runs at an average of 31.18. In five T20s at Kensington Oval, Lewis has struck 146 runs at an average of 36.50 and strike rate of 160.44.
  • However, Lewis has largely struggled against Pakistan in the past. Apart from one score of 91, Lewis’ other five knocks yielded just 24 runs.
  • Lendl Simmons was West Indies’ highest run-scorer in the recent series vs Australia (165, avg. 33.00, SR 122.22). However, West Indies will be hoping Simmons improves on a substandard record vs Pakistan that reads: 8 inns, 112 runs, avg. 16.00, SR 107.69.
  • Simmons has good knowledge of Kensington Oval, with 18 T20s of experience. In these matches, he has struck 414 runs at an average of 25.88 and strike rate of 112.81, so West Indies will be hoping for an improvement.
  • Chris Gayle found some form late in the Australia series in what’s been a tough year in T20Is for the Universe Boss (12 inns, 191 runs, avg. 17.36, SR 120.88). Also, he’s played just the three T20Is vs Pakistan (back in 2013-2014), with no success (11 runs, avg. 3.66). In 10 T20s at Barbados, Gayle has struck 282 runs at an average of 35.25 and strike rate of 133.02.
  • Dwayne Bravo has spent some time batting at five in recent times. He has the most runs for any current WI player vs Pakistan (6 inns, 190 runs, avg. 31.66, SR 103.26). However, he’s historically struggled with ball vs Pakistan, with just one wicket in six matches at an average of 120.
  • Hayden Walsh was recently player of the series vs Australia. He was outstanding, with 11 wickets in five T20Is at a strike rate of just 10.
  • Obed McCoy is set to return. He has been superb in the Windies’ home season, with 14 wickets in seven matches (econ. 7.04, SR 10.70). His slower balls can be lethal on what is expected to be a slow Barbados surface.

Pakistan:

  • Babar Azam has a fine record vs West Indies. In fact, no player has more runs in WI-PAK T20Is than Babar (10 inns, 403 runs, avg. 57.57, SR 125.15). Also, he scored the most runs in Pakistan’s T20I series in West Indies in 2017 (137 runs, avg. 34.25, SR 103.78).
  • Mohammad Rizwan is enjoying a fine year in T20s. He has amassed 1,206 runs in 25 matches at an average of 67.00 and strike rate of 135.20. This will be his first ever T20 vs West Indies.
  • Sohaib Maqsood struck over 400 runs in PSL 2021 at a strike rate in excess of 150. He will be key in solving Pakistan’s middle order/finishing. As will Mohammad Hafeez, who has a poor past record vs WI: 5 inns, 50 runs, avg. 10.00, SR 80.64.
  • Shadab Khan has historically enjoyed playing against West Indies. No bowler has more wickets in WI-PAK T20Is than Shadab’s 15 in seven matches (avg. 9.20, SR 10.7, econ. 5.14). He took 10 wickets in four T20Is in West Indies in 2017.
  • Imad Wasim also has a fine record vs WI (7 inns, 11 wickets, avg. 12.54, econ. 5.30, SR 14.1). Hasan Ali is not far behind with 10 wickets in eight T20Is vs West Indies (avg. 20.60, econ. 7.92, SR 15.6).
  • Shaheen Shah Afridi has taken 25 wickets in 20 T20s this year. He will be key in both the powerplay and death overs for Pakistan, which increases his wicket-taking potential.

Stats and Facts

  • Head-to-head: Matches 14, West Indies 3, Pakistan 11.
  • Andre Russell is yet to score a run in two T20Is vs Pakistan. He has two wickets, though.
  • The last T20I at Barbados was between these two teams, back in 2017. Pakistan chased 113 with six wickets to spare.

Possible Playing 11

Kieron Pollard missed the Australia T20I series due to injury. If he returns, it will be interesting to see who misses out.

West Indies: 1. Lendl Simmons, 2. Evin Lewis, 3. Chris Gayle, 4. Nicholas Pooran (wk), 5. Kieron Pollard (c)/Shimron Hetmyer, 6. Andre Russell, 7. Fabian Allen, 8. Jason Holder/Fidel Edwards, 9. Dwayne Bravo, 10. Hayden Walsh Jr, 11. Obed McCoy

Pakistan could look to rotate throughout the series. However, given the likes of Shadab have performed well vs West Indies in the past, Pakistan could look to go with him first over Usman Qadir.

Pakistan: 1. Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 2. Babar Azam (c), 3. Fakhar Zaman, 4. Sohaib Maqsood, 5. Mohammad Hafeez/Sharjeel Khan, 6. Azam Khan, 7. Shadab Khan, 8. Imad Wasim, 9. Hasan Ali, 10. Mohammad Hasnain, 11. Shaheen Shah Afridi

Kensington Oval Barbados Pitch Report and Weather

Kieron Pollard heavily criticised the Barbados surfaces for the ODI series against Australia (details here). In CPL 2019, the average first innings score here was 149.2, and one feels that any score in that region here will be a tough chase given that conditions will likely suit spin. The team batting first won three of those five matches.

Some rain is forecast in Barbados. Hopefully it should clear up enough to allow for a result.

Dream11 Prediction

Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.

Option 1:

WI vs PAK 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs PAK 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies vs Pakistan 1st T20I Key Players | Barbados Pitch Report
WI vs PAK 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

WI vs PAK 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs PAK 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies vs Pakistan 1st T20I Key Players | Barbados Pitch Report
WI vs PAK 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

This shapes up as an intruiging clash simply due to how unpredictable Pakistan is. A number of the Pakistani players possess strong head-to-head records vs Windies, but the home side looks more focused now for a World Cup around the corner. Windies to win.

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