Moneyball9 Fantasy Tips: 2nd ODI - West Indies vs Australia
Not many expected the West Indies to beat South Africa in the first ODI despite having the home advantage. Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard returned to the side and immediately made a huge impact. 48 hours later, will they be able to repeat their heroics against Australia? Or will the World Champions be ruthless as ever? We will analyse the potential players who can be picked for the fantasy in this second game of the series.
Batsmen:
With 848 runs in the recently concluded Indian Premier League, David Warner should lead your team without any questions. He belongs to the top bracket and is valued at 9000 rupees but do not let that deter you from picking him. He is now coming to take guard in a format where he will get more time to settle down and launch an assault so dropping him would be a massive gamble.
Aaron Finch and Steven Smith can prove to be nice additions as well. Finch could likely open the innings with Warner after what happened in the T20 World Cup and Smith could also bat at No.3 if Australia do not include Usman Khawaja in their lineup. With an uncertainty prevailing over the Khawaja and George Bailey’s spots, it is better to stick with players who are 100% certain to make the cut.
Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo are quite expensive and didn’t do much in the first ODI so it is better not to opt for them unless u want to spring a surprise. Travis Head is the cheapest option available but it is not clear if he will make the cut so picking him is not advisable.
Wicket-keeper batsman:
If you were spoilt for choice during the South Africa game, here it is the exact opposite. Denesh Ramdin hasn’t been in great form and Mathew Wade doesn’t get enough deliveries to bat for Australia coming in at No.7 or even No.8 at times. So if you believe Australia will be certainly winning it then you can go for Wade as some points behind the stumps are guaranteed in such a scenario, else picking Ramdin would make sense as he not only costs just 4500 rupees but also has a higher chance of getting to bat many overs. So if he can make it count, you will get plenty of points.
All-rounder:
Kieron Pollard had a great outing in his comeback ODI by smashing an unbeaten 67 but can you back him to repeat his heroics? How many times has he delivered for the West Indies in back-to-back games? Also, Australia could use pace straightaway when he comes on to bat.
Considering he is quite expensive, it will be a gamble. Carlos Brathwaite can prove to be a good option as he can also fetch points with his bowling as well. Considering he failed with the bat in the first game, he could be extra motivated for this clash.
Australian all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh could prove to be excellent picks as well but both of them are coming back from minor injury layoffs so it would be wise to see how they go and then take a call in the future games.
Bowlers:
Sunil Narine may not repeat his heroics. The Aussies are expected to play him carefully after his exploits against South Africa but he is a still a threat in these conditions and you would expect him to put up at least a decent performance. With the pitch expected to take turn, Narine and Australia’s legspinner Adam Zampa appear as certainties.
Both can fetch loads of points as they are attacking bowlers. Scott Boland could be another option since he is also available on the cheap. His death overs exploits can be useful as he could end up picking plenty of wickets.
Mitchell Starc might be coming back after a long injry layoff but after hearing some stories from the Aussie camp, you drop him at your own peril as he is expected to be pumped up to be in the middle of things yet again. And if he manages to find reverse swing at the death, it will make matters worse for the Windies. Jason Holder could prove to be handy with the bat if needed but spending money on him when the lack of wickets is clearly evident isn’t advisable.
Our ideal team: David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steven Smith, Denesh Ramdin, Carlos Brathwaite, Sunil Narine, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland.
DISCLAIMER: The article just contains suggestions and Sportskeeda are not responsible or liable for the outcome.