West Indies opt to bowl first as the T20 World Cup approaches on the horizon.
For the first time on tour, the visitors boast their strongest squad, while Australia continue to explore their options.
West Indies won the toss and opted to bowl against Australia.
Captain Rovman Powell won the toss and chose to bowl first on the grassy Bellerive Oval surface, with West Indies bolstered by the return of key players in the T20I series opener against Australia.
After enduring a whitewash in the three-match ODI series, culminating in the embarrassing dismissal for 86 runs in Canberra, West Indies are set to field a formidable lineup, featuring Brandon King, Andre Russell, and Nicholas Pooran together for the first time on tour.
The West Indies team carries strong momentum in the T20 format, having clinched victories in their last two series against England and India.
In the Australian lineup, Matthew Wade will handle the wicketkeeping duties, allowing Josh Inglis to focus solely on batting as he partners with David Warner to open the innings.
Following his impressive performance in India during a five-match T20I series late last year, left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff earns a spot in the squad alongside Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott.
Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis make their return after missing the ODI series.
Multi-format players such as Steven Smith, Travis Head, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc have been given a rest, creating an opportunity for other players to stake their claim with the T20 World Cup on the horizon.
Despite testing positive for Covid-19, Captain Mitchell Marsh will take the field but will adhere to distancing protocols.
David Warner, marking his 100th T20I appearance, stood in for Marsh at the toss and expressed Australia’s preference to bowl first.
This three-match series serves as a crucial part of the T20 World Cup preparations for both teams.
Australia has six matches lined up in the next three weeks, while West Indies will use this series to finalize their squad for the World Cup, which will be held on home soil.
The last time these teams faced each other in T20Is was in October 2022, with Australia emerging victorious with a 2-0 series win in Queensland.
AUSTRALIA
1 David Warner, 2 Josh Inglis, 3 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5, Marcus Stoinis, 6 Tim David, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Sean Abbott, 9 Adam Zampa, 10 Jason Behrendorff, 11 Josh Hazlewood
WEST INDIES
1 Brandon King, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 4 Shai Hope, 5 Rovman Powell (c), 6 Sherfane Rutherford, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Romario Shepherd, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Gudakesh Motie
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