West Indies’ 2020 Tour of Sri Lanka has moved to its latter half and now, the two teams will lock horns in a two-match T20I series. SL vs WI 1st T20I will be played on March 4 (Wednesday) at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. The home side dominated the ODI leg of the series and whitewashed the Caribbean side 3-0. However, one should not forget that West Indies are the defending World T20 champions and hence, can’t be taken lightly. Well, one thing is sure that the upcoming series will witness a tight contest between the bat and ball, and below, we’ll look at some of them. Sri Lanka Vs West Indies, Cricket Score 1st T20I Match.
The return of Shimron Hetmyer and maverick all-rounder Andre Russell is certainly a great boost up for the visiting side and they must be fancying their chances of clinching the opening T20I. In the bowling department, Sheldon Cottrell and Oshane Thomas will have to put their hands up.
On the other hand, a lot will depend upon skipper Lasith Malinga to put on a significant show and guide the Lankan lions to victory. Other than him, Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera will have the onus to do the job with the bat in hand. Now, let’s look at some individual battles which one could witness in the next game.
Lasith Malinga vs Andre Russell
This is one battle which certainly will excite several cricket fans around the world. Russell possesses the ability to hit the ball a long way and has played many jaw-dropping cameos in his career. On the other hand, Malinga is a master of executing deadly Yorkers and hitting him at the death will take some beating.
Wanindu Hasaranga vs Nicholas Pooran
Pooran is in great hitting form at the moment and is definitely a player to watch out for in the first T20I match. The southpaw tends to attack the bowlers from the outset and could take the game away from the opposition in no time. However, he will be challenged by Wanindu Hasaranga. The leg-spinner bowls a tight line and length doesn’t give many run-scoring chances. So, it will be interesting to see who dominate this contest.
Kusal Perera vs Sheldon Cottrell
Cottrell has emerged as the cornerstone of Windies bowling in recent times and will aim to restrict the Lankan batsmen in the first T20I match. However, containing Kusal Perera will not be an easy job as the southpaw is known for his terrific hitting abilities and has thrashed many potent bowling line-ups in the past.
This series is also a great chance for both the teams to prepare for the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 which is scheduled to be played in Australia later this year. On the paper, the Kieron Pollard-led side looks a stronger team and will start the series as favourites. However, the home side won the recently concluded ODI series and will aim to clinch the T20Is as well.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 04, 2020 11:07 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).