After a wham, bam, thank you ma'am 5th ODI batting performance, the West Indies will look to take that rekindled form to the T20Is when they take on New Zealand in the first T20 international in Auckland on Saturday.
Where to Watch Live
The match is scheduled for a 7 pm local time (11.30 am IST) start with no live coverage in India owing to Neo network pulling out of broadcasting matches from New Zealand. Unfortunately, there is no live streaming option in India either, but the match can be live streamed online in the US HERE. Viewers in Africa can catch the action courtesy live streaming online HERE.
The West Indies, led by sparkling centuries from Kirk Edwards and Dwayne Bravo, smashed the Kiwi bowlers out of the park in the fifth one-dayer, posting 363, before bowling the home side out for 160 to tie the series 2-2.
Debilitated by injuries to some of their key players, the performance in the final one-day international of the series would have been a soothing balm to the West Indian camp, and Bravo will want to see his side continue their prowess leading into the final two games of the tour.
"I can't single out anyone, it was a great team effort," Bravo said after that mammoth 203-run win on Wednesday. "We always want this competition. The coach says that we should make more options available. This will put us in a great position.
"[The openers Johnson] Charles and Powell were going through a tough time, but it was important me and the coach backed them. They have done great things for us in the past, and the way Powell started put pressure on New Zealand straightaway.
"Then Edwards came in at No. 3, under pressure, and took the opportunity by getting a maiden century."
For New Zealand, it will be finding their rhythm with the bat and ball yet again, while casting that final loss aside. With the likes of Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor and Corey Anderson in their batting lineup, New Zealand are a side easily capable of beating any side in the world, even the reigning T20 world champions the West Indies.
"We've got a big series in terms of T20, which we need to get right," McCullum said. "We haven't got many opportunities before the T20 World Cup. We've got to make sure we get our combinations, our executions and our game plan bang on for that."
Expected lineups: New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Jesse Ryder, Brendon McCullum (capt), Ross Taylor, Corey Anderson, Colin Munro, Luke Ronchi, Nathan McCullum, James Neesham, Tim Southee, Mitchell McClenaghan.
West Indies: Johnson Charles, Kieran Powell, Lendl Simmons, Andre Fletcher, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Nikita Miller, Ravi Rampaul.
