West Indies Look Gayle Find Form Against Australia

Dhaka - Chris Gayle will be itching to get back to his power-hitting ways when West Indies lock horns with Australia, who will depend on Glenn Maxwell's pyrotechnics, during their crucial Group 2 League encounter of the ICC World Twenty20 on Friday.

With scores of 34 and 48 in the two matches, no one can say that Gayle is not scoring runs but the strike-rates of 103.33 and 100 in the two games against India and Bangladesh tells a different story.

Gayle has struggled in the Powerplay overs and failed to get the momentum even in the later stages of the match.

But Australia is no mood to take him lightly as wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin made it amply clear.

While West Indies have made some sort of a comeback with a facile victory over Bangladesh, it will be a do-or-die situation for Australia, who would want to win to stay in contention for a semifinal berth.

For West Indies, it will be a challenge bowling to Maxwell, who scored a dashing 73 against a Pakistan attack that had Saeed Ajmal.

Therefore the task is cut out for Sunil Narine and Samuel Badree as they will be pitted against the talented Victorian apart from the dangerous David Warner and an equally useful Aaron Finch.

Australian team management is mulling on various options and one of them is to induct all-rounder James Faulkner in the playing XI.

Haddin gave an open-ended answer about Faulkner's inclusion.

When Sammy was asked about it, he gave a sarcastic reply, "Australians, you know have a lot to say. I believe James is the only cricketer in the world who does not like West Indies players!"

Expect more fireworks on Friday afternoon.

Teams from

West Indies - Darren Sammy (Capt.), Chris Gayle, Dwayne Smith, Lendl Simons, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Samuel Badree, Sunil Narine, Krishmar Santokie, Johnson Charles, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Andre Russell, Andre Fletcher, Sheldon Cottrell and Ravi Rampaul.

Australia - George Bailey (Capt.), David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Haddin (wk), Nathan Coultier-Nile, James Muirhead, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, Mitchell Starc, James Faulkner, Doug Bollinger, Dan Christian and Cameron White.

Match facts
Friday March 28, 2014 (day/night)
Start time 1530 local (0930 GMT)