Australia is looking to seal the T20I series victory against the West Indies in the third match held in St Kitts. Captain Mitch Marsh has elected to bowl for the third consecutive time. The team has made one change, bringing back Sean Abbott in place of spinner Matt Kuhnemann, suggesting they anticipate the Warner Park surface in Basseterre will favor seam bowling.
Maxwell to Open Again
Glenn Maxwell is slated to open the batting alongside captain Mitch Marsh, a strategy employed in the previous match on Tuesday. This marks only the fourth occasion he has opened in T20 internationals.
Team Lineups
Here are the confirmed lineups for both teams:
- West Indies: Brandon King, Shai Hope (c, wk), Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Holder, Gudakesh Motie, Akeal Hosein, Romario Shepherd, Jediah Blades
- Australia: Mitch Marsh (c), Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Cooper Connolly, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa
Maxwell's Opening Prowess
Maxwell's return to the top of the order is noteworthy. His previous exploits as an opener include an unbeaten 154 off 64 balls against the Hurricanes in January 2022, the highest individual score in the KFC BBL. He also boasts his highest T20 international score while opening, a blistering 145 not out from 65 balls against Sri Lanka in 2016.
Despite primarily batting at No.4 throughout his T20 career, Maxwell's most productive position has been opening. In this role, he averages 44 with a strike rate of 176, significantly higher than his overall T20 career average of 27.79. His strike rate when facing the new ball is also considerably better, highlighting his effectiveness at the top of the order.
Will Maxwell's opening prowess deliver a series win for Australia? Stay tuned for updates!