West Indies vs Sri Lanka – 2nd T20 International Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is West Indies vs Sri Lanka taking place? Friday, March 3rd, 2021 – 22:00 (UK)
Where is West Indies vs Sri Lanka taking place? Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua
What is the expected weather for West Indies vs Sri Lanka? 28c with sunshine forecast
What channel is West Indies vs Sri Lanka on? The match will be televised live on BT Sport 2
Where can I stream West Indies vs Sri Lanka? The match can be streamed live the BT Sport app and website
LAST MEETING
West Indies beat Sri Lanka by 4 wickets
THE TEAM NEWS
WEST INDIES
- West Indies won the opening T20 match in a bizarre game which saw them win by four wickets with almost seven overs to spare as they went on an all-out assault in the run chase as they surpassed the visitors’ disappointing 131/9.
- The bowlers really did lay the foundations for this victory as Jason Holder led the way with 1/19 from his four overs and Obed McCoy and Dwayne Bravo were almost as economical as the Sri Lankan batsmen struggled with their variations.
- Skipper Kieron Pollard led the way with some ferocious hitting as he stole the headlines with six sixes in an over as he bludgeoned 38 from 11 balls but the run chase was not as smooth as they would have hoped against the Sri Lankan spinners so they will need to refocus in this second match.
SRI LANKA
- Sri Lanka were hugely disappointing in the opening T20 game and while they were not helped by rain disruption during their innings, they could only muster 131/9 and that was nowhere near enough on that track.
- Skipper Dasun Shanaka’s visa problems continue and he is expected to miss the entire three-match series so Angelo Mathews continues to deputise and it is clear his team will have to improve with the bat and with their catching, while he will have to come up with some creative ways to counter this powerful Windies batting line-up.
- After Akila Dananjaya and Wanindu Hasaranga combined to take all six wickets, the tourists may even contemplate bringing in another spinner given how poorly the Windies batsmen dealt with it so one or two changes may well be on the cards.
THE PREDICTION
West Indies were comfortably the better team in the first T20 on Wednesday but while they were smashing the Sri Lankan bowlers to all parts, they were still guilty of some poor batting at times. It was difficult to tell whether complacency was creeping in or they were legitimately struggling to cope with the spin but if they bowl as well once again themselves, it is hard to make a case for Sri Lanka troubling them. It looked like they were almost batting on different pitches given how the Windies batsmen were launching six after six and the tourists were struggling for boundaries in comparison. Unless Sri Lanka can markedly improve and get to grips with the hosts’ talented bowling unit, another tough match lies in store and expect the Windies to seal the series with another win here.
