Moneyball9 Fantasy Tips: 5th ODI - West Indies vs Australia
With Australia once again going top of the table, hosts West Indies will be under a bit of pressure to beat the leaders to ensure they don’t lose their way out having already lost to the same opposition in their previous game. The home side were given a nice little 8-day break in which the other teams clashed twice against each other. They would also welcome the news of David Warner getting injured especially with the kind of form he has been. Here’s an analysis of how your team can line up:
Batsmen:
Now with Warner getting ruled out, it gets a little tricky. It could potentially end up as a make or break situation considering the good batting conditions that are on offer. If the one whom you leave out makes an impact, that could cause a severe dent in your fantasy lineup. The West Indies are yet to impress in this tournament with the bat. Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo are your primary options but these two need to show some signs before you pick them in the future.
If you are looking to take a punt then one among those two can be selected, else it is better to stick with the Australian stars in the batting department. Usman Khawaja finally hit a half-century in the previous game and he can make a bigger impact in this game as he is now the front-runner to open the innings.
He will cost you 7000 bucks which is decent considering the damage he can cause. Considering the batting friendly conditions that are on offer, someone like Aaron Finch can prove to be an ideal pick as well and he has already scored a fighting fifty in this tournament. Like Khawaja, skipper Steven Smith also found form in the previous game and we all know he can have a huge say in the game. Both Smith and Finch would cost 7500 rupees. If you are looking to save money and trust the middle order, then go for Bailey.
Wicket-keeper batsman:
We have three options to choose from over here and unfortunately all three haven’t been contributing with the bat off late! In Mathew Wade’s case, he hasn’t been getting enough deliveries to make an impact. Denesh Ramdin has had plenty of chances but he isn’t grabbing them. And then there is Johnson Charles who is pretty much a hit or miss type of player. If it is his day, he will go bang and score some runs pretty quickly, else will be dismissed quite cheaply early on. Can he survive against Mitchell Starc? Well considering Ramdin and Wade haven’t been doing enough, you can certainly gamble with Charles hoping he makes an impact.
All-rounder:
Kieron Pollard is just too expensive at 9500 rupees so you will have to be really sure before picking him. Also it would require you to make some sacrifices in some other department to acquire his services. Carlos Brathwaite yet again looks like a good option for this game especially with some short boundaries that are on offer. Australian all-rounders Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh and James Faulkner are yet to have a say in this series and hence it is better to play it safe.
Bowlers:
Mitchell Starc surely should make your team! This Windies batting line up as we discussed earlier are vulnerable and hence can look brittle. If it is his day, Starc will just run through them, so never miss out on this impact bowler. He is also available for just 6500 rupees. The leggie Adam Zampa is another bowler you should be looking to pick especially with a price tag of just 4500.
From the Windies point of view, Jerome Taylor can be considered since he can strike with the new ball but he can also go for plenty at the death in these conditions. Skipper Jason Holder, who is valued at 7000 rupees, is an option to look at since he can keep it tight in the middle overs and also contribute with the bat. If you are looking for an extra seamer, someone like Josh Hazlewood looks like an ideal candidate especially after he picked up three wickets in the previous game. But at the same time, leaving out someone like Sunil Narine could backfire big time even though it could get tougher to pick him considering his price tag.
Our ideal team: Usman Khawaja, Aaron Finch, Steven Smith, Johnson Charles, Carlos Brathwaite, Mitchell Starc, Sunil Narine, Adam Zampa and Jason Holder.
DISCLAIMER: The article just contains suggestions and Sportskeeda are not responsible or liable for the outcome.