West Indies v Sri Lanka: Live scorecard

Right. That will be that from us for tonight! Do join us tomorrow as the Kiwis take on Namibia before the action shifts to Dubai, where India will be clashing swords with Scotland. Till then, this is me signing off. Goodbye, stay safe!

Before the contest began, plenty of fans were expecting (read hoping) that the experienced West Indian outfit would rewind the clock and produce a vintage display. As the match progressed, though, it became clear that the young and exuberant Sri Lankan side had the beating of the defending champions. The Islanders batted superbly, made the most of the Power Play, targeted the shorter boundary and then made merry at the death. West Indies, on the other hand, lacked the gumption for a fight and seemed to be going through the motions.

In the second innings, the defending champions endured another shaky Power Play. Gayle perished early and so did Lewis, meaning that they didn’t get the momentum they desired. Chase, too, wasn’t able to inject impetus into the innings, meaning that the burden fell on Hetmyer and Pooran. The latter was the aggressor for a large chunk of their partnership. Hetmyer, however, took over the mantle once Pooran was dismissed. In the end, the West Indian batters kept falling like nine-pins and Hetmyer had to watch the debris from the other end – so much so that even his heroics couldn’t drag the defending champions over the line.

Over 20: West Indies 169-8 – Defending champions officially eliminated

Hetmyer tried his best in the final over but just didn’t have enough support to power the defending champions across the line. The West Indies are now officially out of the T20 World Cup and that alone, considering their post-2012 record, is something novel that fans will have to be content with.

Over 19: West Indies 156-8 – Hetmyer keeps fighting

At the cost of sounding like a broken record, Hetmyer is waging a lone battle. Even if one batter had lent his support, Hetmyer could have probably made a match out of it. Nevertheless, a victory is still theoretically possible and considering the kind of character he is, he will keep believing! 34 off 6 balls!

Update: Shimron Hetmyer has completed his first fifty in T20 World Cup cricket. He has been battling all alone for the past few overs and is trying to reduce the margin of defeat as much as possible.

Over 17: West Indies 131-8 – Hasaranga knocks Bravo over

Hasaranga has been using his flight beautifully and has deceived another batter now. Bravo also looked like he wanted to swing for the fences and to be fair to him, he didn’t have much of a choice. West Indies on the brink now.

Over 15.2: West Indies 117-7 – Holder on his way back too

The West Indians are crumbling like a pack of cards now. Holder, who seemed in good touch for his short vigil, can no longer impact the game with the bat. Sri Lanka are all over the defending champions like a rash and a Sri Lankan victory seems more a matter of when rather than if right now.

Over 13: Sri Lanka 112-1 – Sri Lanka generating momentum

The Islanders have been helped by wayward West Indian bowling. But they have been good enough to capitalize on those loose deliveries. They now find themselves in a comfortable position and would hope to get to 180 which could be a very good total on this surface. Perhaps just above par too, provided dew does not come in.

Over 11: Sri Lanka 91-1 – Nissanka rattles along

Nissanka has been shouldering Sri Lanka’s batting burden today. He has been severe on the spinners and has taken whatever opportunities have presented themselves. He usually strikes at 126.78 in the middle overs but is rattling along nicely today.

Over 9: Sri Lanka 77-1 – West Indies leaking runs

In essence, this is a do-or-die encounter for the West Indies. So far, though, they’ve not shown the requisite intensity and have been lackluster with their bowling plans and execution. If they aren’t careful, it could be quite detrimental, especially with Asalanka and Nissanka in full flow.

Over 7: Sri Lanka 61-1 – Sri Lanka make merry against Akeal

Akeal was probably brought on because of Asalanka and Nissanka’s indifferent records against left-arm spin. However, they have already shown that they don’t intend to retreat into their shells. Before the 7th over began, Asalanka was striking at around 110, whereas Nissanka’s strike rate hovered around the 92-run mark.

Over 5.2: Sri Lanka 42-1 – Russell breaks through

Just as it seemed that Sri Lanka were getting away, Russell pops up to break the game open. He induces a leading edge that he snaffles up beautifully on his follow through. That is also the first sign of the pitch being a little sluggish. A much-needed wicket for the West Indies, though, considering the damage Perera is capable of.

Over 4: Sri Lanka 29-0 – Sri Lanka keep things ticking

The Islanders haven’t been able to produce a blitz so far. However, they have done enough to keep things moving. They have been helped by a couple of edges along the way but they now have a solid foundation they can build upon. Perera, in particular, will look to target the rest of the Power Play.

Over 2: Sri Lanka 14-0 – Perera outlines his intentions

Perera has blown more cold than hot this tournament. Today, though, he seems intent on batting positively and has already fetched himself a couple of boundaries. If Sri Lanka are to get to an above-par total, a lot rests on how long Perera bats.

Over 1: Sri Lanka 6-0 – Tidy start for both sides

Chase was handed the new ball because of a favourable match-up against both batters. Nissanka strikes at 125 against off spin, whereas Perera’s strike rate drops down to 116.72. Chase bowled well too. And, perhaps, was unlucky that the outside edge (off Perera) didn’t go to hand.

Update: The national anthems are done and dusted. The West Indians seem relaxed enough while Sri Lanka are trying to enjoy their final match at this year’s T20 World Cup. Kusal Perera and Pathum Nissanka walk out to the centre. Roston Chase will open the bowling for the defending champions.

West Indies win the toss and elect to bowl first; defending champions unchanged

Pollard sticks to the usual trend and opts to bowl first. There was quite a bit of dew yesterday. India, though didn’t allow it to become too much of a problem. This is also the first time the West Indians are bowling first at this T20 World Cup. For Sri Lanka, this is a chance to put up decent runs on the board. Their batters have been effervescent in patches but are yet to stitch together a coherent performance.

West Indies XI: Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Kieron Pollard (C), Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran, Dwayne Bravo, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Ravi Rampaul

Sri Lanka XI: Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dasun Shanaka, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Maheesh Theekshana

Can Sri Lanka buck the recent trend against West Indies?

Sri Lanka were one of the few teams to tour the Caribbean in March 2021. However, most of those games turned pear-shaped for the Islanders. Remember, this was the series that involved an Akila Dananjaya hat-trick and Kieron Pollard smashing six sixes in an over – all in the same game. Back then, the West Indians had just begun flexing their batting muscles. Now, though, there are serious concerns if they can rewind the clock one final time. History says Sri Lanka are doomed but history hasn’t been anybody’s friend this T20 World Cup. Quite a few streaks and recent records have been overturned!

West Indies’ hopes hanging by the thinnest of threads

Prior to the tournament, the West Indies were several experts’ favourites to qualify from Group 1. Not just because they were defending champions. But also because their array of match-winners is perhaps unrivalled throughout the T20 World Cup landscape. Somehow, though, they’ve not stumbled upon a match-winning formula yet, meaning that a scrappy victory against Bangladesh is all that they have to show so far. More worryingly, there have been question marks raised over their approach – something that seemed unimaginable before the tournament but has become a reality as the competition has progressed.

From that perspective, they might relish the option of the handbrake being forcefully taken away from them. They know that two massive victories and a bit of help from England is the only way they can qualify. Even if that happens, they can still miss out. But if they are to get through to the final four, they need to keep their end of the bargain, at the very least.

Can Sri Lanka play the role of party-poopers?

Sri Lanka have probably been the most impressive outfit at the T20 World Cup, in terms of the expectations people had and how they have surpassed them. For large swathes, they have looked a part at the event and had it not been for bouts of inexperience, they might even have been competing with the West Indies for a semi-final berth. Now, though, they might have to reconcile themselves with impending elimination. However, there is a catch – in that it could relieve them of pressure and allow the Islanders to be the most uninhibited version of themselves.

T20 World Cup 2021 West Indies v Sri Lanka: Preview

West Indies were dismissed for just 55 in the first game, against England, and failed to get going in their next clash against South Africa as well. They managed to eke out a narrow three-run win against Bangladesh last time out, though.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are already eliminated from the competition and will play their last league game on Thursday. They will enter the game on the back of three successive defeats.

T20 World Cup 2021 WI v SL: Team news and injury updates

West Indies got Jason Holder and Roston Chase in the last game, over Lendl Simmons and Hayden Walsh. After a win last time around, they could go into the match unchanged.

T20 World Cup 2021 West Indies squad: Full team list for WI

Sri Lanka saw the return of Maheesh Theekshana from injury in the last game against England, and the Asia side could go in unchanged.

T20 World Cup 2021 Sri Lanka squad: Full team list for SL

T20 World Cup 2021 West Indies v Sri Lanka: Where to watch live

India: Star Sports Network; Disney+ Hotstar

UK & Ireland: Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Mix; Sky Sports app, www.skysports.com

USA: Willow.tv: Willow, Willow Xtra

Sri Lanka: Star Sports, Siyatha TV

The complete list of broadcast (TV and live streaming) options for the tournament can be found here.