Match News and Current Form
The West Indies certainly played good cricket in parts on Sunday night and demonstrated a capability of turning this series around, should they be able to put it all together for 40 full overs. But instead, the team that is now on a seven-game losing streak against top-ten T20I nations crumbled at the second sign of pressure from the Australian bowlers.
The top four batters contributed 171 runs to a score that was on track for well beyond 200 but there was no support from the middle and lower order to push them to a winning score, with Mitch Owen’s inaugural T20I wicket (Shai Hope sliced one to point) prompting a devastating collapse. Once Hope fell, the side could barely press on and added just 30 runs for the loss of five wickets from the next 27 deliveries. It was very much a case of what could, or even should, have been.
It was such a typical performance from Australia, who never shy away from pressure nor give up belief in their ability to win from any situation. They were in a spot of bother not just when the Windies batters were sitting pretty on 152/2 after 15 overs, but at 79/4 after nine overs they were starting to run out of resources and proven finishers.
Cameron Green and Mitch Owen would have other ideas. Owen turned the game on its head by spanking Andre Russell for two sixes in the tenth and then Akeal Hosein for three in the 12th. It shows not just the threat that the one-gamer already possesses at international level, but just how close the West Indies could have come to winning the contest had they been able to neutralise Owen early, or had Jewel Andrew not dropped Sean Abbott late in the piece. With a bit of improvement, it makes for an even rematch in Jamaica on a Tuesday night.
Head-to-Head History
Australia took a 12-11 all-time lead with victory on Sunday, though it has been alarmingly one-sided in more recent years.
The Aussies were victors in six of the seven games to be played since the start of the 2021 T20 World Cup, although that followed a 4-1 series win to the West Indies in Saint Lucia.
Hot Stats and Streaks
• The all-time run rate in Sabina Park T20Is is 8.27rpo
• West Indies have scored a total of 64 sixes from five T20Is this year
• Rovman Powell has accumulated only 67 runs from four T20I innings in Jamaica
• Ben Dwarshuis has figures of 9-106 from 12 overs across his last three T20Is
Key Players to Watch and Missing Players
Roston Chase joined his colleague Brandon King as the second of two men to record half-centuries in two separate T20Is in Jamaica, where he now has 159 runs from three innings to his name - including two not outs. Jake Fraser-McGurk continues to fail to live up to his potential on the international scene, falling in the second over to Jason Holder. He went beyond 20 in only one of his eight T20I innings so far.
Aussie opener Matt Short is out of the series with a side strain, whilst captain Mitch Marsh remains unable to bowl. Wicketkeeper Josh Inglis is expected to be rested at some point in the series.
Betting Analysis
With a slightly more polished performance, the West Indies are capable of winning this at a good price. Take some value and back the West Indies to win.
