AUS vs WI 1st T20 Match Prediction

AUS vs WI Team Previews

Australia

Australia lost its most recent series against India but it gave a very tough fight even without four of its first-choice players being available. All of those players are available for selection for this series against the West Indies. Also, the loss to India was Australia's first T20 series loss since 2021 (during which it also won the T20 World Cup). 

Picking the right combination is going to be a challenge for Australia. Cameron Green played brilliantly against India and has certainly given Australia something to think about. We still expect Finch and Warner to open the inning but Steve Smith's position could be under a lot of threat. 

Australia's biggest strength is its batting strength. There is a lot of depth, power, and raw six-hitting potential. You could potentially have Finch, Warner, Marsh, Smith, Maxwell, Wade, David, and Cummins lining up for the first match. 

That is genuine batting ability till number 8. Even Adam Zampa and Mitchell Starc can smack the ball if needed. 

The bowling attack is well settled. With a number of all-rounders, Australia can pick its best four bowlers (Starc, Zampa, Hazelwood, and Cummins) and get the fifth bowler's quota from a combination of Maxwell, David, and Marsh. 

This is a serious lineup with all bases covered. 

West Indies

West Indies will take heart from the fact that it has won four out of the six T20 matches it has played against Australia since 2021. However, all four of those victories were back in the West Indies. Beating Australia in Australia is a whole different task altogether. 

West Indies is led by Nicholas Pooran and is coming into this series just after the CPL. That means performances from the CPL will be given a lot of importance and that is probably why Shamarh Brooks was picked as a replacement for Shimron Hetmyer. He is not really a like-for-like replacement, though, as Brooks likes to bat in the top-3 and Hetmyer is one of the best middle-order players going around. 

The West Indies also has a lot of excellent batters. Brandon King is in good form, the experienced Evin Lewis is back in the fold, and Kyle Mayers has developed into a genuine all-rounder. Rovman Powell and Nicholas Pooran will be integral to the batting lineup with a number of hard-hitting all-rounders to follow. 

The problem for the West Indies is likely to be getting its combination right, something the team has struggled with in the past, and also finding an effective bowling attack. Obed McCoy is the designated death bowler and Akeal Hosein is quite dependable but apart from that, all other bowlers can go for a lot of runs.