West Indies will face Sri Lanka in the second semi-finals of the ICC World T20 to decide the other finalist to play Pakistan at Lord’s on 21st June. The two teams had earlier met in the first round and Sri Lanka had not had too much difficulty in disposing the West Indies off in the dead rubber.

Sri Lanka (8/13 at Betfred to enter the finals) will go into the game as favourites but in full cognizance of the fact that the tag does not count for a lot in this format of the game as exhibited in the first semi-final. On the other hand, Chris Gayle has already pronounced that the other teams are scared of West Indies (6/4 at Totesport to win game), but for them to convert this fear to a win, will require a lot more than just empty words.

The game could very well turn out to be a match-up between the West Indian batsmen and the Sri Lankan bowlers. On one side, Gayle (3/1 at Ladbrokes to be top West Indian scorer) looks to be born to play this format – and as was accepted by the man himself – and hasn’t really fired after the first game against Australia. This knock-out game will give him ample opportunity to go after the bowling, especially early on when the quickies may bowl. Opening the bowling with Sanath Jayasuriya hasn’t gone down too well for the Lankans, and against a left-handed like Gayle it may not be a feasible option either.

With the kind of rut that Andre Fletcher (11/2 at 888Sport to be best West Indian batsman) has got himself into, it will be difficult having him bat as an opener, which could also mean that Shivnaraine Chanderpaul (6/1 at William Hill to be best West Indian batsman) gets promoted up to the opening slot. Ramnaresh Sarwan’s (6/1 at William Hill to top West Indian batting) previous game’s pyrotechnics notwithstanding, he will remain rooted to the number five or six position and given his travails against Ajantha Mendis in his debut series, it is difficult to see him come out top. Dwayne Bravo (11/2 at Betfred to be best West Indian batsman) will be my favourite – along with Gayle – to top the West Indian charts.

In fact, if Gayle does not get snapped up early, I certainly believe that he may live up to his favourites tag of being the top scorer of the game, 888Sport offering 11/2 for the same.

Sri Lanka will rely on T.Dilshan (7/2 at Ladbrokes to be best Sri Lankan batsman), but it will be foolhardy to discount Sanath Jayasuriya (4/1 at Ladbrokes to score the maximum for Sri Lanka). Jayasuriya has been off-colour, but his only half century of the series – and a dazzling one at that – came against the West Indian attack. With Fidel Edwards seemingly unfit for the game, Jayasuriya’s chances of scoring quickly and well increase manifold.

The experiment to get Chamara Silva did not work in the previous game, and one may see Kumar Sangakkara (7/2 at Sky Bet to be best Sri Lankan batsman) get back to his rightful position. Mahela Jayawardene’s (9/2 at Coral to be top Sri Lankan scorer) return to form in the last two games will lend solidity to the middle order and Sri Lankans will go into the game with confidence, if not as favourites!

Tips:
Favourites: Sri Lanka (8/13 at Betfred)
Top Sri Lankan batsman: Sanath Jayasuriya (4/1 at Ladbrokes)
Top West Indian batsman: Chris Gayle (3/1 at Ladbrokes)