The first two games of the series offered a glimpse into two extremities of the West Indies T20I unit. On their day, they are capable of making a mockery of what their opposition may consider a fighting total. And then there are days when they over-complicate the simplest of tasks, like in the second T20I.
With a series level 1-1, whichever team wins the third T20I will have a psychological advantage heading into the last two games. On the paper, the hosts have all bases covered, while the Proteas still need some answers in certain areas.
Even though they lost the second game by 16 runs, West Indies are unlikely to make any changes. They were let down by the lack of contribution from their middle order in the last game. It has been ages since Nicholas Pooran put up a show with his otherworldly hitting prowess. He needs to find runs. Shimron Hetmyer has been waiting in the wings.
On the bowling front, both Kevin Sinclair and Obed McCoy have been impressive so far, sharing five wickets in the second game. Fabian Allen was a bit expensive in the last game, but was the most effective bowler in the first T20I.
South Africa, on the other hand, seem sure about their squad composition. They badly missed an extra bowler when Lungi Ngidi got clobbered all around. They can rope in a bowling all-rounder. Andile Phehlukwayo is a decent option, but where do they fit him?
He cannot come in for George Linde, who was terrific in the last game. Linde is likely to play a crucial role on a slow, stodgy Grenada surface. He and Tabraiz Shamsi conceded just 35 runs from their quota of eight overs. And trading off Phehlukwayo with a batter will weaken their batting unit. The axe may fall on Heinrich Klaasen, unless he gets needs a big score tonight.
Head to Head
South Africa lead by 7-5.
Probable XIs
West Indies: Lendl Simmons, Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Jason Holder, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo, Fabian Allen, Kevin Sinclair, Obed McCoy
South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, Janneman Malan, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi
Prediction
Expect West Indies to make 2-1.