Australia vs West Indies Prediction: Australia demoralised West Indies on all fronts

Australia and West Indies are going head to head in the 2nd Match of One Day Series at Sydney Cricket Ground, Moore Park, Australia on 04 Feb 2024. Australia demoralised West Indies on all fronts in the first game of the tournament. Who will win this game of cricket?

Australia introduced Xavier Bartlett into the team, and he made an immediate impact by taking four wickets. However, for the second ODI, Bartlett has been rested and replaced by Josh Hazlewood, which will further strengthen the bowling attack. Lance Morris, Sean Abbott, and Cameron Green were also impressive bowlers for Australia. Adam Zampa's availability for the next match is uncertain, but even without him, we believe Australia's bowling attack is more than capable of dominating the West Indies. With Travis Head unavailable, a change in the opening order will be necessary. Matthew Short could move up, or Australia may opt to bring in one of its bench players, with Jake Fraser McGurk being the likely choice. In the previous match, Inglis, Green, and Smith all performed well, and Australia also has Labuschagne, Hardie, and Short as additional options. This demonstrates the depth of talent in Australia's squad, and the absence of Head will not have a significant impact.

Travis Head, Matthew Short, Steven Smith (c), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis (wk), Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, Xavier Barlett, Adam Zampa

It is pleasing to see the manner in which Keacy Carty performed for the West Indies. He scored the highest with 88 runs and managed his innings effectively. Unfortunately, Roston Chase was the only other player who provided some support. Although Carty and Chase brought some respectability to the team's total, the West Indies will require more from players like Alick Athanaze, Justin Greaves, and Romario Shepherd in the upcoming matches. 

Before the first match, we assessed that the West Indian lineup has talent and depth, but lacks standout players. They do not have individuals who can single-handedly win matches, particularly in 50-over cricket, so we anticipate that they will continue to face challenges. The team's inability to take wickets was evident in the previous match. They only managed a couple of wickets throughout the entire game and struggled to control the run rate. The Australian batters dominated the match, highlighting the importance of a strong bowling lineup when competing against teams like Australia in 50-over cricket. Unfortunately, the West Indies does not possess such a lineup, and we have doubts about their ability to challenge the hosts in the next game as well.

Justin Greaves, Kjorn Ottley, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (wk/c), Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Oshane Thomas

The team that wins the coin toss will likely choose to bat first. The weather forecast anticipates partial cloudiness on match day, with a possibility of intermittent rain. The pitch at the SCG is well-suited for batting. Both teams will understand the importance of scoring at least 300-320 runs. Due to the shorter boundaries, it is expected that more sixes will be hit in this match compared to the previous one.

In terms of the match outcome, we believe that Australia will emerge as the victor. Australia possesses a significantly stronger lineup compared to the West Indies, creating an imbalanced contest. The odds may not be favorable, but it is recommended to take what is given. Almost all the time, Australia should win this match. Therefore, we recommend betting on Australia to secure a victory.