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Defending Cricket World Cup champions Australia will take on West Indies in Match 10 of the ICC Cricket World Cup on June 6, 2019, at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.
Australia opens its title retention bid on June 1 against Afghanistan in Match 4 at the County Ground in Bristol while West Indies will start their World Cup bid one day earlier on May 31 against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.
The cricket betting odds for this match aren’t out yet but we will still preview both teams, the game and give you our prediction as to who wins the match.
Australia (62-20-1-1 World Cup record)
The winners of the Cricket World Cup four years ago are out to defend their title but it won’t be easy. Australia struggled for form since winning the last time out but seem to have gotten back on track lately. The return of Steve Smith and David Warner are going to make them contenders again this year.
The squad: Aaron Finch (c), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa
West Indies (42-30-2 World Cup record)
West Indies enter the Cricket World Cup brimming with confidence after smashing 421 against New Zealand in their final warm-up match. The victory over New Zealand puts the team in high spirits especially with Chris Gayle not being the center of action which means they can be much better when he hits his form.
The squad: Jason Holder (captain), Andre Russell, Ashley Nurse, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Gayle, Darren Bravo, Evin Lewis, Fabian Allen, Kemar Roach, Nicholas Pooran, Oshane Thomas, Shai Hope, Shannon Gabriel, Sheldon Cottrell, and Shimron Hetmyer.
Who Wins?
From June 2017 to March 2019, the Aussies only managed to win 4 ODIs out of 26 stars. That’s the worst record for any team participating in the upcoming 2018 ICC Cricket World Cup. But after winning an ODI series in India and defeating Pakistan on their home turf, the so-called experts began mentioning Australia’s name among the contenders again.
Australia may be peaking at the right time and the month-long lay-off since their last outing should’ve provided their players with the time to refresh and get hungry for the world title again. The return of Steve Smith and David Warner have only made the Aussies even more confident about themselves.
But while Australia’s win over India and Pakistan have rejuvenated the entire team, don’t forget that the win over India came against an Indian squad that was already mentally fatigued and who were experimenting different line-up combinations. On the other hand, Pakistan rested six players when they lost to the Aussies. So while we can say that they enter the competition in good form, I still don’t how good they are to win it all again.
As always, fast bowling is the strength of the Australian team. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc are well backed-up by the likes of Nathan Coulter-Nile, Kane Richardson and Jason Behrendorff. Starc will be Australia’ barometer as no other fast bowler on the has played more than 50 matches.
Andre Russell will be the player to watch for the West Indies. The 31-year old is coming from a successful campaign in the Indian Premier League where he was adjudged as the league’s Most Valuable Player after amassing 52 sixes in 14 matches. If Russell fires, then there’s no telling how far this team could go.
Chris Gayle has declared that he will be retiring from one-day internationals after this World Cup. And while the 39-year old has slowed down in recent years, don’t be surprised if he puts on one last show. The left-handed veteran owns 25 ODI hundreds and given the small ground in England, there’s a good chance he can add to that tally.
The West Indies squad has a mixture of experience and form but they will need their senior players to step up for them. With veterans Andre Russell, Chris Gayle, Kemar Roach and the Bravo brothers on hand to help captain Jason Holder and the rest of the youngsters, there should be enough for them to put up a fight. Their batting order has enough talent and if the fielding can hold the fort, this team is capable of giving Australia a surprise. All things considered though, the Aussies have a better team and appear to be in better form heading to the World Cup. Prediction: Australia
