West Indies Vs South Africa, Match Preview
South Africa came to the Caribbean very low on confidence, fought back with a Test series win, and is now leading the T20 series. How they lost the first T20 raised alarm bells and displayed the West Indies batting might, but South Africa fought well after that. They have a strong bowling line-up which allows them to defend scores, and the batting has looked decent. A win will seal the series and would be a massive boost for South Africa.
South Africa last won a T20 series in 2019 and is now on the verge of a series win. Ahead of them is the mighty West Indies, who on their day can be very powerful. West Indies have been kept in control Barring the first game, but their power can never be written off. The form of certain players is a concern, Chris Gayle and Andre Russel haven’t got going, while Kieron Pollard is also a touch out of form. Nicholas Pooran got a scratchy 26 in the third game but is far from his best. Fabien Allen has done an excellent job with the bat, but like Dwayne Bravo, he bats too low to make an impact.
Dwayne Bravo has been excellent with the ball, along with Obed McCoy. The young bowlers have done well, but the batting has pulled the West Indies down. The three games have seen a similar pattern in which South Africa makes scores of 160. The first game saw the chasing side win, but the second and third had South Africa show their bowling might win the game.
West Indies Vs South Africa, Team News
Jason Holder came in at number three in the third game but could be rested to manage his workload. His absence will allow West Indies to include Gayle and Hetmyer, while Pooran and Kieron Pollard from the middle-order. West Indies have announced a left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, as West Indies look at other options.
South Africa included Aiden Markram to strengthen the batting, and he did help the middle-order steady the innings. His inclusion also helped the bowling, as the captain had more options for a sixth bowler. The eleven look balanced, but South Africa may look to include their all-rounders at some stage.
West Indies Vs South Africa, Predicted XIs
West Indies (probable): 1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Shimron Hetmeyer, 5 Kieron Pollard (capt), 6 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Fabian Allen, 10 Akeal Hosein, 11 Obed McCoy
South Africa (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 Aiden Markram, 6 David Miller, 7 George Linde, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Anrich Nortje, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi
West Indies Vs South Africa, Players to Watch out For
Tabraiz Shamsi
Tabraiz Shamsi has been a silent hero for South Africa. With a lot of attention going to Rabada, Nortje, and Ngidi, Shamsi has managed to grab some to himself. He is first on the T20 rankings and has consistently applied the brakes on the West Indies. While Imran Tahir is still not retired from T20I, he may not need the World Cup if Shamsi keeps putting up brilliant performances.
Obed McCoy
The left-arm seamer is the leading wicket-taker of the series and has found success with his variations. He has formed a good partnership with Dwayne Bravo at the death and is becoming a versatile option for Kieron Pollard.
West Indies Vs South Africa, Pitch Report
The weather has been a little wet, and that could affect the surface. So far, scores of 160 odd were par, but the damp weather may cause some sluggishness and could reduce the scores. The pitch may have a little less for the spinners but could slow down and help them as the game progresses. Batting first may be the better choice in a possible low-scoring match unless the middle-order fires for either team.
