Australia to bowl first against West Indies in 1st T20

Australia skipper Aaron Finch won the toss and elected to bowl against the West Indies in the opening match of a two-game Twenty20 series on the Gold Coast on Thursday.

The hosts head into the match on the back of a 2-1 series defeat to India last month, while the West Indies most recently lost by the same score to New Zealand in August.

With the World Cup in Australia just weeks away, they are both looking to fine-tune their plans.

The home team welcomed back David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, and Mitchell Starc, who all missed the India series.

Regular opener Finch was listed to come in unusually at number four, with Warner back to open the batting alongside the in-form Cameron Green. Steve Smith makes way for Marsh at number three.

“When we’re playing our best, we back ourselves to chase down a total,” said Finch on the rationale for choosing to field.

A young West Indies are without Shimron Hetmyer, after he was banished from the World Cup squad after missing the flight to Australia this week.

Australia: David Warner, Cameron Green, Mitchell Marsh, Aaron Finch (c), Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Tim David, Matthew Wade, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

West Indies: Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Johnson Charles, Nicholas Pooran (c), Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Odean Smith, Raymon Reifer, Yannic Cariah, Alzarri Joseph, Sheldon Cottrell