Australia got a major shot in the arm when they annihilated Bangladesh in the previous match and now, when they take on West Indies, they have a great chance of making it through to the semi-finals.
West Indies, on the other hand, could not chase down Sri Lanka’s 190 and have been ousted from the tournament. The defending champions never got going in the tournament and even when they were in a must-win situation, their famed batting order capitulated.
The two teams on the opposite side of the spectrum will lock horns in Abu Dhabi on Saturday – while the defending champions have already been ousted from the tournament following another loss to Sri Lanka, Australia come into this match after having smashed Bangladesh in their last fixture.
Australia have a solid chance of beating West Indies and making it to the semi-finals, but the West Indies have always found that extra stride when they lock horns with Australia.
Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Adam Zampa have been the star performers with the ball for Australia and they will hold all the aces against an under firing West Indies batting order.
Abu Dhabi pitch report:
The pitch in Abu Dhabi could pose plenty of challenges to the batters in this match and hence, the slower bowlers could well come in handy. In the matches gone by, stroke makers have found ways to score runs, but they need to be prepared to scrap hard and play the waiting game before accelerating. Dew is expected to play a big role which could prompt the captain winning the toss to bowl first.
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi records (T20):
Total matches played: 59
Matches won batting first: 27
Matches won bowling second: 32
Average 1st Inns score: 141
Average 2nd Inns score: 128
Highest total: 225/7 (20 Ov) by IRE vs AFG
Lowest total: 84/10 (18.2 Ov) by BAN vs RSA
Highest score chased: 166/4 (19 Ov) by NAM vs NED
Lowest score defended: 129/6 (20 Ov) by ENG vs PAK
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