Hosts West Indies take on Australia in the third T20 of the 5-match series at the Darren Sammy National Stadium in Saint Lucia on Monday evening.

West Indies would be charged up after their impressive win in the second T20 against Australia. They have a 2-0 lead in the series. Being put in to bat, Shimron Hetmyer starred, hitting a quick-fire half century, and he was supported by Dwayne Bravo’s excellent cameo. In the run chase, the bowlers took charge as leg-spinner Hayden Walsh produced an excellent performance, which saw the hosts bowl Australia out for the second consecutive game. Kieron Pollard will continue to miss out and Obed McCoy is expected to come in place of injured Fidel Edwards.

On the other hand, Australia now have to play catchup as they go into this crucial third game of the series. After being dismissed for just 127 in the first T20, they did not fare much better in the second one, being bowled out for 140 this time as their struggles with the bat continued. Mitchell Marsh was the only Australian player who impressed, scoring a second consecutive half century, with the rest of the batting line-up failing to make big runs. A few changes are expected in a bid to try and strengthen the batting and bowling departments.

Although West Indies' confidence will be high after their two commanding victories, Australia find themselves in a position similar to the New Zealand series and know that a rebound is very much possible here. Nonetheless, it will be another exciting game of T20 cricket at the Darren Sammy Stadium.

Match Details

• Match: West Indies vs. Australia, 3rd T20
• Venue: Daren Sammy National Stadium, Saint Lucia
• Date & Time: Jul. 13, 2021, at 5 AM IST/7:30 PM Local

Probable Playing XI

West Indies

Lendl Simmons, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran (C & WK), Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Obed McCoy, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Australia

Aaron Finch (C), Matt Wade (WK), Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Moises Henriques, Ashton Turner, Daniel Christian, Mitchell Starc, Riley Meredith, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Weather and Pitch Report

The weather is expected to be mostly clear in St. Lucia during the match. The temperature will be around 27 degrees during the game.

The pitch at the Darren Sammy Stadium has been a good batting wicket. While the pacers will get some early movement, the batters will be able to play their shots with ease. As the match progresses, the spinners are expected to play a big role with the slowness of the surface coming into play. The average first-innings score in the five T20Is played here has been 160 runs.

Given the recent record at this venue and the trend in this series, expect the captain winning the toss to opt to bat first. A first-innings score of around 170 runs can be a competitive one on this surface.

Top Fantasy Picks

West Indies

• Lendl Simmons got quick starts in the previous two T20s but has not been able to convert them into big ones. He has managed to score 57 runs in two matches at a strike rate of 116.32, with the highest score of 30. Expect him to put up a big score here.
• Andre Russell has been an impact player in the series so far. Continuing from his knock in the first match, he scored 24* runs off 8 balls and gave a perfect finish to the innings. Overall, he has made 75 runs at an average of 75 and has picked up 2 wickets in the series.
• Hayden Walsh has been, by far, the best bowler in the series. He has picked up 6 wickets in two matches at a brilliant economy of 6.5 and best figures of 3 for 23. His variations have been crucial in getting breakthroughs at regular intervals.

Australia

• Matthew Wade's performances have been decent at best since his return to the national team during the series against India. He has scored 277 runs in 10 matches, including two half centuries. He was dismissed for a duck in the second T20 and will look to bounce back here.
• Mitchell Marsh has been the only Australian player to look at ease on this surface and against the West Indies bowlers. He scored a T20I half century in the second consecutive game and took 3 wickets with the ball. He will be looking to continue his good run here.
• Josh Hazlewood is the highest wicket taker for Australia in the series so far. His consistent lines and lengths have not been easy to score off. He has taken 4 wickets in two matches at an economy rate of 6.37, with best figures of 3 for 12.

Howzat Dream Team

• Wicketkeepers: M Wade, N Pooran
• Batsmen: L Simmons, C Gayle, M Henriques
• All-rounders: A Russell, D Bravo, M Marsh
• Bowlers: H Walsh, O McCoy, J Hazlewood

• Captain: C Gayle/L Simmons
• Vice Captain: M Marsh/M Henriques

NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can make your fantasy 11 and play fantasy cricket matches. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.

Get fantasy cricket tips on your favorite fantasy sports app and select your own team, Howzat!