West Indies vs Australia – 3rd One-Day International Match Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is West Indies vs Australia taking place? Monday, July 26th, 2021 – 19:30 (UK)
Where is West Indies vs Australia taking place? Kensington Oval, Bridgetown
What is the expected weather for West Indies vs Australia? 29-30c with bright sunshine and a moderate breeze
What channel is West Indies vs Australia on? The match will be televised live on BT Sport in the UK
Where can I stream West Indies vs Australia? BT Sport subscribers will be able to stream the match live via the BT Sport website and app
LAST MEETING
West Indies beat Australia by four wickets
THE TEAM NEWS
WEST INDIES
- After bowling Australia out for 187, West Indies made hard work of the chase, but did enough to get home with four wickets remaining, levelling this three-match ODI series at 1-1 heading into the decider.
- A strong team performance from the bowling unit saw five of the six Windies bowlers utilised picking up at least one wicket, before an unbeaten 59 from Nicholas Pooran helped guide his team to their target with Jason Holder also hitting a half-century.
- Captain Kieron Pollard expressed his frustration at his side’s performance despite securing victory, well aware that their batting over the course of this ODI series has been poor.
AUSTRALIA
- Australia left themselves with too much of a mountain to climb after being reduced to 96/7 whilst batting first, although the tail helped them to a competitive score of 187 as both Adam Zampa and Wes Agar showed the batters how it was supposed to be done to an extent.
- Opener Aaron Finch was absent again in the second ODI and neither Josh Philippe nor Ben McDermott impressed at the top of the order, although both should get another opportunity.
- Regular captain Aaron Finch is expected to fly home and undergo knee surgery ahead of the T20 World Cup later in the year and will miss this final ODI, leaving wicketkeeper batter Alex Carey to deputise once again.
THE PREDICTION
West Indies managed to level the series, but didn’t make an easy fist of it, allowing Australia back into the contest a number of times before finally finishing the job. The tourists certainly have positives to take from defeat, although they will need to make a better fist of it with the bat in this decider against the new ball. However, the Australian bowling attack will always give them a good chance when they boast the likes of Mitchell Starc and Adam Zampa among their ranks and against a Windies top order that has shown cracks over the course of this series, Australia’s class with the ball may be the difference in this third ODI and what leads them to a series victory.
