T20 World Match Prediction: Australia versus West Indies 38th Match. Who Will Win?

Just when we believed that the semi-final match ups were getting clearer, things have gotten more exciting once again. Tomorrow is the last set of fixtures for Group A, and we are still unsure as to the two teams that will make it through to semi-finals. While England are basically in the semi-finals already, there is still a chance that they could miss out if things go horribly. However, it is likely that it will be South Africa and Australia fighting it out for the second semi-final spot. The latter will be taking on the West Indies, and this is who we think will go on to win this vital match.

Australia Team Preview

Australia did all that they needed to do in their game against Bangladesh - not only did they get two very important points, but they won the match in just 6.2 overs which helped to massively boost their Net Run Rate.

As things stand, Australia sit in second place in the group with three wins out of four matches. However, a win against the West Indies might not be enough to see them into the semi-final because South Africa play last so will know exactly what they need to do in order to qualify for the semi-finals and knock Australia out.

When the tournament began, the Aussie bowling attack looked a bit too one dimensional, but it has adapted well since then and now they bowl according to the different conditions. Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummin, and Mitchell Starc all bowled well in the last game, but the Aussies will be looking towards Adam Zampa to work his magic in this next match. The West Indies usually struggle when the ball is moving away from them, so they might not find it easy to hit Zampa.

When it comes to batting, the Australians look a lot better than they did in their first game of the competition. The likes of Aaron Finch and David Warner have at least one decent knock under their belt, while Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, and Mitchell Marsh are all big hitters.

Overall, the only thing that goes against Australia here is their recent record versus the West Indies, a record that they would not like to be reminded of. However, if they are able to carry on playing like they have been, then they will be a tricky team to beat.

West Indies Team Preview

This is an important match from a West Indies point of view. Yeah, they are already out of the competition, but since this match will be the final West Indies game for at least one of their players, they will want to go out of the competition with a win under their belt.

In the tournament to date, the West Indies have played four games and have won only one of them - this was against Bangladesh and was by the smallest of margins. They have a Net Run Rate of -1.558 and this suggests to us that they are far from the force that they used to be.

There were a couple of positives to take from their last match, but not as many as they would have been hoping for. Shimron Hetmeyer and Nicholas Pooran did manage to find a bit of form, but the bowlers bowled poorly in the death overs. They have struggled so far in this competition, but with a surface that is likely to be pretty good to bat on, they might have their best chance of putting a big score on the board.

Coin Toss Prediction

There have been twelve matches played in Abu Dhabi during the 2021 T20 World Cup and the team chasing has won seven of them, so we think that the team that wins the toss will opt to bowl first.

Pitch Conditions

The pitch at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi has been a pretty good one for batting on at this World Cup, and teams have started to hit some big scores in the last couple of games. However, it is not one of those pitches that is a graveyard for the bowlers - no, they will have more than enough assistance too.

Our Match Prediction

With the form that these two teams have been in so far in this competition, Australia are the clear favourites for the upcoming contest. However, with this in mind, the West Indies still have a batting line up that is, at least on paper, one of the best in the business and can derail Australia's chances of qualifying for the semi-finals if they get going. Although the Aussies are the favourites, the West Indies do not have any less quality, especially in great batting conditions. Given the odds that are available, putting your money on the West Indies seems to be the more profitable option.

Our match prediction: West Indies to win.