T20 World Cup 2021: Will Windies spoil Australia's semifinal chances?

Australia is well on course for a title-winning campaign in the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. As it eyes the semis berth, it takes on an already ousted defending champion Windies in their Group 1 Super 12 clash at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. A win is essential here for the Aussies, as a loss would virtually knock it out of contention. Here is the match preview of the same.

Current form
Australia has played four matches so far, winning three and losing one, while it won and lost a match each during the warm-ups. As for the Windies, it has lost three and won one, while it had lost both its warm-up games. Consequently, the momentum is clearly favouring the Aussies, making them the clear favourites to win this tie.

LIVE SCORECARD: ICC T20 World Cup 2021 - Australia vs Windies (Super 12)

Team strength & weaknesses, and players to watch out
As far as the teams are concerned, Australia possesses loads of extraordinary bowlers, while the slow pitches in the gulf make it an appropriate choice. However, its batting should not be taken lightly, considering that opener David Warner is back in form. The likes of Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are sure to make an impact.

In the meantime, Windies is considerably strong when it comes to batting. But, its unstable performance has derailed its campaign. Veteran opener Chris Gayle, along with Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, skipper Keiron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell and Nicholas Pooran, will aim to make a final impact and finish the campaign on a high. As for its bowling, it has been dubious too. Veteran pacer Ravi Rampaul is the only lad to watch out in the department.

ALSO READ: T20 World Cup 2021: Dwayne Bravo confirms retirement from international cricket post Windies exit

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Injury concerns, head-to-head, weather and pitch report
None of the teams has any injuries. The two sides have faced off 16 times in the format, with Windies leading 10-6, while in the competition, Windies leads 3-2 from five games. The weather in Abu Dhabi would be hot, with an expected temperature of 31 degrees and 58% humidity. The track would aid the batters, with a high-scoring match on the cards, while the sides winning the toss would opt to chase.

Probable XI
Australia: David Warner, Aaron Finch (c), Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood
Windies: Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard (c), Jason Holder, Dwayne Bravo, Akeal Hosein and Ravi Rampaul

ALSO READ: T20 World Cup 2021 - Sri Lanka plays spoilsport by defeating Windies by 20 runs, dents its semis hopes

Fantasy XI
Batters: Warner, Finch (vc), Lewis, Hetmyer- Warner and Finch would provide an explosive start, along with Lewis and number three, while Hetmyer can bat anywhere in the middle-order. Finch consistency makes him the deputy captain.
Wicketkeeper: Pooran- Pooran is the man who is in better form compared to Wade, thus making the cut.
All-rounders: Maxwell- Maxwell has been highly efficient in every department so far, thus making him a must-have here.
Bowlers: Hazlewood, Starc, Cummins, Zampa (c), Hosein- Zampa and Hosein have been consistent with their spin in the tournament so far, while the remaining three are no-brainers considering their deadly pace.

Match details
Date and day: November 6, 2021 (Saturday)
Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Time: 3.30 PM (IST)
Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 Hindi (Also available in HD, along with regional languages)
Where to watch (Online): Hotstar

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