Nottingham: Riding on confidence after their emphatic win over Afghanistan, Australia will face an uphill task against the buoyant West Indies when the two teams meet in their World Cup fixture at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
Both the teams were at their menacing best in their opening World Cup encounters and literally thrashed their opponents.
Aaron Finch-led Australia had registered a convincing seven-wicket win over Afghanistan. The bowlers, especially the pacers, were on song as they restricted Afghan Tigers to 207. While chasing, Finch and David Warner showed signs of being in great form as both scored half centuries and rang alarming bells for the opposition teams.On the other hand, Windies had demolished the Pakistani batting line-up with a barrage of short-pitch deliveries and ultimately bowled them out for mere 105 in their opening encounter in the ongoing World Cup. Oshane Thomas had finished with 4-27, while captain Jason Holder and Andre Russell shared five wickets between them before Windies clinched a seven-wicket win over Pakistan. Australia are wary off the fact that Windies line-up boast of having some of the biggest hitters in world cricket at the moment and it would really require some effort from the Aussie pacers to control the likes of Chris Gayle, Russell and Carlos Brathwaite.
Head coach Justin Langer has already said that Australia would need to adjust their mindset to take on the West Indies quicks and other fast bowlers at the tournament in England and Wales. “We have to adapt to West Indies no doubt, who have got a number of good, fast bowlers. South Africa will be same. England will be the same. Have to adapt our game plan and adapt pretty quickly,” Langer said on Tuesday.
“They’re a very dangerous side and I think that whichever team comes out and executes it from the start of the game, I think it’s important that you start really well, whether you bat or bowl first,” Finch told reporters at Trent Bridge on Wednesday.
“Those first 10-over periods are going to be really crucial because we know how damaging the West Indies can be during that period.,” the opening batsman added.
Thursday’s match sees Australia back at a Trent Bridge ground where England posted a one-day international record 481 for six against them last year. (IANS)
