Australia will face Namibia in their third T20 World Cup match at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua, on Wednesday.
The Aussies require a win to secure the top position in Group B, while the Namibian team will be eager to upset their plans and strengthen their own bid for Super Eight qualification.
Under the leadership of Mitchell Marsh, Australia have been relentless in the T20 World Cup, securing decisive victories over Oman and England. David Warner has been in top form, while Marcus Stoinis has captured widespread attention with a series of outstanding all-round performances.
Meanwhile, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, and Glenn Maxwell, who had lacklustre performances against Oman, delivered valuable cameos in the last match, alleviating Australia's middle-order issues to some extent.
With Adam Zampa delivering during the middle overs, the Aussies are hoping for improved performances from ace speedster Mitchell Starc, who had an underwhelming showing against arch-rivals England.
On the other hand, Namibia have garnered tremendous praise for their fighting spirit in the tournament. Led by Gerhard Erasmus, the African nation edged past Oman in a thrilling Super Over before narrowly losing to Scotland in a hard-fought match.
Ruben Trumpelmann's outstanding bowling and skipper Erasmus' all-round brilliance have become the talk of the town, while David Wiese and Jan Frylinck have made crucial contributions.
However, the core players will require significant support from Jean-Pierre Kotze, Nikolaas Davin, and JJ Smit to stage an upset against the formidable Aussies.
Pitch report
The surface at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua is expected to be hard, providing a bit of seam movement and extra bounce for the fast bowlers.
Spinners will also come into play, benefiting from some turn off the track. Historically, teams batting first have had more success here. However, given that this is only the second match of the World Cup in Antigua, the toss winner might choose to chase.
Likely lineups
Australia: Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh (C), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (WK), Tim David, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Namibia: Jean-Pierre Kotze, Nikolaas Davin, Jan Frylinck, Gerhard Erasmus (C), Malan Kruger, JJ Smit, David Wiese, Zane Green (WK), Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz, Tangeni Lungameni
Prediction
Considering the strength and recent form of both sides, Australia will win the game
