WI vs SA | 5th T20I Preview: Two giants take the ring for one final bout with all on stake

There is a reason why West Indies are considered to be one of the strongest and the most ruthless sides when it comes to T20I cricket. The side comprises of players in the line up who have vast experience of the shorter format and have unleashed some brilliant performances in the past not just for West Indies but in the T20 leagues across the world. 

From Dwayne Bravo to Kieron Pollard and from Chris Gayle to Andre Russell, the Caribbean side is well equipped and an instance of this was witnessed during the fourth encounter of the five-match series against South Africa in Grenada when the two experienced customers chipped in with some valuable contributions and got their team out of trouble. 

First captain Kieron Pollard scored a brisk and unbeaten half-century and later Bravo scalped a four-wicket haul to anchor the side to a convincing 21-run win against the Proteas. 

But this was all about just one game. The hosts are facing issues with their middle order as they haven’t really gone all guns blazing barring one or two players. 

Aggressive batsman Chris Gayle and probably the most important man in the line up for West Indies in the T20 format has been struggling with form and hasn’t really been among the runs. This is surely one of the major issues that the West Indies side would focus on. 

Rest, the bowling department is pretty sorted for the Calypso side with Obed McCoy picking up some wickets in this series. 

On the other side, South Africa too have faced some similar issues. The middle order failed miserably in the last match. Opener and wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock is in some decent form while the fast bowlers are looking in some good shape. 

Apart from this, spinner Tabraiz Shamsi’s economical bowling would also come as a boon for the team if he is able to replicate the match’s performance. 

Match details:

Match: WI vs RSA, 5th T20I, South Africa tour of West Indies, 2021

Date: Saturday, July 03, 2021

Time: 11:30 PM IST

Venue: National Cricket Stadium, St George's, Grenada

Pitch Report

The tracks in Grenada had something on offer for both the bowlers and the batsmen but the run drought and fall of wickets at regular intervals in the middle overs is something that the teams would look to rectify.

Spinners would play a massive role in the middle overs. If you win the toss, bat first and post a good total on the board. 

Team News

West Indies: Fabian Allen who has been in some good form had sustained an injury on his right shoulder while fielding in the fourth match didn’t return to the field. 

An update on his availability is still awaited but if he misses out in the XI, it would be a huge blow for the home side. Allen has chipped in with some quick runs at the death that has certainly helped West Indies to reach a decent total. 

Apart from this, the side looks pretty stable at the moment and the only cause of concern as mentioned above is Gayle’s form. The two of the most important players Pollard and Bravo are back in some good form. 

South Africa: South Africa have suddenly lost momentum in the series after etching wins in two matches on the trot. They have encountered a much similar situation as the West Indies. The Proteas’ middle-order performance pushed them on the backfoot in the penultimate clash and that is probably the missing piece in the puzzle. 

Probable XI

West Indies: Evin Lewis, Lendl Simmons, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Kieron Pollard (c), Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Dwayne Bravo, Obed McCoy, Fidel Edwards

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Temba Bavuma (c), Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi

Fantasy XI

Quinton de Kock, Evin Lewis, Temba Bavuma, Chris Gayle (VC), Rassie van der-Dussen, Jason Holder, Andre Russell (C), Obed McCoy, Kagiso Rabada, Dwayne Bravo, Anrich Nortje