T20 WC, AUS vs WI highlights: AUS wins by 8 wickets, keeps semis hope alive

Skipper Kieron Pollard struck a combative 31-ball 44 to lead West Indies to a fighting 157 for seven. Check Australia vs West Indies highlights

4:21 PM

Australia vs West Indies live score after 7 Overs: 53-3

Over Summary:  1 0 0 1 1 0 ; West Indies: 53-3 ; Shimron Hetmyer (9), Evin Lewis (22)

Mitchell Marsh, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack and three singles.

4:19 PM

Australia vs West Indies live score after 6 Overs: 50-3

Over Summary:  1 0 1 4 0 0 ; West Indies: 50-3 ; Shimron Hetmyer (7), Evin Lewis (21)

Glenn Maxwell, right-arm off break, comes into the attack and concedes seven runs, including a boundary to Lewis.

4:16 PM

Australia vs West Indies live score after 5 Overs: 44-3

Over Summary:  1 1 0 1 4 0 ; West Indies: 44-3 ; Shimron Hetmyer (6), Evin Lewis (16)

Pat Cummins continues and concedes seven runs, including a boundary to Hetmyer.

4:02 PM

Australia vs West Indies live score after 4 Overs: 37-3 | Marsh, Chase depart

Over Summary:  W 0 W 1 1 0 ; West Indies: 37-3 ; Shimron Hetmyer (1), Evin Lewis (14)

Hazlewood continues and gets the wicket of Pooran and Chase. 

Pooran c Mitchell Marsh b Hazlewood 4(4) [4s-1]

Roston Chase b Hazlewood 0(2)

3:50 PM

Australia vs West Indies live score after 3 Overs: 35-1 | Gayle departs

Over Summary:  6 W 0 4 L1 0 ; West Indies:  35-1 ; Nicholas Pooran (4), Evin Lewis (13)

Pat Cummins, right-arm fast, comes into the attack and gets the wicket of Gayle.

Gayle b Cummins 15(9) [6s-2]

3:42 PM

Australia vs West Indies live score after 2 Overs: 24-0

Over Summary:  4 4 4 1 6 L1 ; West Indies:  24-0 ; Chris Gayle (9), Evin Lewis (13)

Josh Hazlewood, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack and leaks 20 runs, including three fours to Lewis.

3:35 PM

Australia vs West Indies live score after 1 Over: 4-0

Over Summary:  2 1 L1 0 0 0 ; West Indies:  4-0 ; Chris Gayle (3), Evin Lewis (0)

Gayle and Lewis at the crease. Gayle on strike. Starc opens the attack

3:05 PM

West Indies playing 11

West Indies (Playing XI): Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran(w), Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Kieron Pollard(c), Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Dwayne Bravo, Hayden Walsh, Akeal Hosein

3:05 PM

Australia playing 11

Australia playing 11: David Warner, Aaron Finch(c), Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steven Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade(w), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

3:03 PM

AUS vs WI LIVE TOSS: West Indies batting first

Aaron Finch wins the toss and elects to bowl first

2:57 PM

AUS vs WI LIVE TOSS

The live toss between Finch and Pollard is moments away, stay tuned.

2:31 PM

Really important to stick to our guns, says Finch ahead of crucial WI game

Australia captain Aaron Finch said that his side will stick to their guns as the battle for qualification goes down to the final day in Group 1.

 

Finch and his men take on the West Indies knowing a positive result will go a long way to ensuring their passage to the semi-finals with England and South Africa facing off later on Saturday.

 

Australia recorded a decisive and crucial victory against Bangladesh, chasing down 74 in 6.2 overs, and will be hoping for more of the same against the reigning champions in Abu Dhabi.

 

"You'd love to keep it in our control, that's all you can focus on. As soon as you start hoping other teams win or other teams lose, it just clouds your judgment and your vision. It's really important that we just go and stick to our guns, stick to our process because we know that's good enough when we get it right," said Finch in an official ICC release.

 

"West Indies are such a dangerous side, we saw that when we played them. Obviously with them being out of the competition now, they've got nothing to lose, which can also be a really dangerous spot," he added.

 

The West Indies defeated Australia 4-1 in a T20I series earlier this year with Hayden Walsh Jr taking 12 wickets, and Australia will be wary of him again tomorrow.

 

"We expect him to come back into the side. He had a sensational series against us over there," Finch added.

 

"I do think we're better equipped to deal with that at the moment. Obviously having played him before in a five-game series there's been a lot more information sharing amongst the boys and chat about that. It just comes down to being able to perform your best game on the day. That sounds pretty basic but that's what it comes down to, and as long as we can keep our intent, keep our energy, I think that goes a long way to us giving ourselves the best chance of winning," he added.

2:23 PM

Jaffer's post on India and Australia's plight in T20 WC cracks up internet

Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer's uncanny -- and funny -- ways to sum up situations is something his fans always look forward to on social media.

 

As the ICC T20 World Cup, currently underway in the UAE, approaches the business end with Australia and India's semifinal fate hanging in a balance, Jaffer posted an image from Bollywood blockbuster 'Dhamaal' depicting the famous 'noose scene'.

 

The image shows a noose firmly in place around Riteish Deshmukh's neck as he stands precariously on Jaaved Jaaferi's shoulders, while actor Ashish Chaudhary too stands unsteadily on Arshad Warsi's shoulders.

 

As things stand, the situation in the movie is indicative of Australia and India's position in the ICC T20 World Cup. Both teams have the 'noose' around their necks as they wait anxiously for favourable results in the games between England-South Africa on Saturday and New Zealand-Afghanistan on Sunday in order to make the last-four grade.

 

While Australia would be hoping England beat the Proteas and do their semifinal hopes a world of good, Virat Kohli would be praying Afghanistan overcome New Zealand and pave the way for India to enter the last-four.

 

All of India's hopes are currently pinned on Afghanistan beating the Black Caps. If Afghanistan win against New Zealand, India will have to beat Namibia by a margin that keeps their net run rate (NRR) above Afghanistan. On the NRR front, it is advantage India at the moment.

 

While Australia have had their share of success in the tournament, the big loss to Group 1 leaders England has left them in a situation where they cannot take their last-four berth for granted even if they beat the Kieron Pollard-led Caribbean side in the Saturday afternoon match.

 

That clarity will come after South Africa play the last Group 1 game, against England, on Saturday evening. A loss for South Africa will give an easy passage to the Aaron Finch-led Australia into the semifinals.

2:20 PM

Australia team news (batters)

Their inconsistent top-order also got some boost with the return of Mitchell Marsh at No 3. Marsh blasted 16 not out off five balls, including a six against Taskin Ahmed, to seal the issue after skipper Finch laid the foundation with a 40.

 

They would hope that the likes of David Warner and Maxwell get into the groove against the misfiring Windies as they may stick to an unchanged XI.

1:56 PM

Australia vs West Indies preview

Australians cannot afford to be complacent. Moreover, a bruised and battered Caribbeans, who are the defending champions, would look to salvage some pride and bow out of the showpiece with a win.

 

Australia, the 2010 runners-up, had made their last semi-final appearance in 2012 when they were eliminated by the eventual champions West Indies.

 

The two-time defending champions West Indies side failed to live up to their reputation as they relied heavily on their ageing stars like Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard.

 

From crashing to 55 all out in their group opener against England to faltering against Sri Lanka on Thursday that sent them out of reckoning for a semifinal spot, it just did not work out for West Indies.

 

Australia, on the other hand, are beginning to peak at the right time in their bid to win their only missing title.

 

Their bowling attack came to the fore in their eight-wicket win over Bangladesh that came with 82 balls to spare -- the highest T20I win between two Full Member teams.

 

While the pace duo of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc gave the opening blows, leg spinner Adam Zampa polished off the tail en route to a career-best 5/19.

 

Even Glenn Maxwell (2-0-6-1) was tidy with his part-time off-spin and the team would only hope that he starts firing with his bat also.