West Indies, Australia Start 2nd ODI - Two Days Late

Umer Jamshaid Published July 25, 2021 | 12:00 AM

Bridgetown, Barbados, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Jul, 2021 ) :Two days after the start of the match was suspended due to a positive Covid-19 test, the second One-Day International between West Indies and Australia got underway at Kensington Oval on Saturday.

Alex Carey won the toss on Thursday and chose to bat first, as he did in the opening encounter two days earlier.

However the start then was suspended when news of a positive test by a non-playing member of the West Indies staff was relayed to officials at the ground.

Apart from the one positive test, who has not been officially identified, all 152 persons comprising the two teams, support staff and television broadcast crew were subsequently re-tested with all results reporting negative and so facilitating the re-scheduling of the remaining two ODIs.

Saturday was the scheduled day for the third match, which will now be played on Monday.

This delay will require a re-scheduling of the West Indies' five-match T20 International series against Pakistan which was originally set to get underway on Tuesday at the same venue.

Australia made one change to the team which thrashed the West Indies by 133 runs on the DLS method on Tuesday with Riley Meredith making his T20I debut.

His inclusion was supposed to be at the expense of Wes Agar, who went wicketless on debut in the first ODI.

However Josh Hazlewood has now been ruled out with a calf niggle aggravated by time spent in isolation in his hotel room.

Shai Hope, who missed the first match with an ankle injury, returns as opening batsman and wicketkeeper in place of Shimron Hetmyer in the only change to the home side.

Teams: West Indies - Kieron Pollard (captain), Shai Hope (wicketkeeper), Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Darren Bravo, Nicholas Pooran, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Hayden Walsh, Akeal Hosein, Sheldon Cottrell.

Australia - Alex Carey (captain/wicketkeeper), Ben McDermott, Josh Philippe, Mitchell Marsh, Moises Henriques, Ashton Turner, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Riley Meredith, Wes Agar.

Umpires: Joel Wilson (WIS), Nigel Duguid (WIS)Match Referee: Richie Richardson (WIS)