Inconsistent England battle to stay alive with series on the line

The downward spiral continues for England on this tour of the West Indies. Having lost the ODI series, they are now staring at a possible defeat in the T20I leg as well with three games left. It's no secret that England are yet to single in on a proper combination as far as the T20Is are concerned. With the World Cup for the shortest format looming in six months, they'll be hoping to set the order right so that they can prevent a debacle like the one they endured in the recent ODI World Cup. With West Indies being the co-hosts of the marquee event, this series will tell England a lot about the potential efficiency of their core group.

The two games have been mirror images of each other thus far albeit in different conditions. England had their moments both times, only to lose the plot at the back end of the first innings. They had the platform to surge to a total in excess of 185-190 in the opening game but imploded after a fiery start from Phil Salt and Jos Buttler. The eventual total of 171 was clearly not enough as West Indies gunned it down with 11 balls to spare. In the second game, the visitors had bowled brilliantly for the first 15 overs with Rehan Ahmed and Adil Rashid calling the shots.

But a 30-run over from Sam Curran turned the tables dramatically and West Indies ended up crossing the 175-run mark when at one point, even 160 seemed far fetched. The inconsistencies in all departments from England has been blatantly visible. On the other hand, West Indies have used their familiar home conditions to good use and the return of Andre Russell has deepened the power factor of their line-up. The ammunition has clearly been the difference between the two sides - England have hit 14 sixes in the two games while West Indies have nearly doubled it with as many as 27 maximums!

When: December 16, 1.30 PM Local Time

Where: National Cricket Stadium, St George's, Grenada

What to expect: The surface in the second game of the series proved to be a good batting track although the slower bowlers and those who varied their pace well were also able to thrive. Expect more of the same.

Teams:

West Indies: With form and momentum on their side, West Indies are unlikely to make any changes to their XI barring a last-minute injury as they look to seal the series although there could be a toss-up between Gudakesh Motie and Romario Shepherd depending on the nature of the pitch.

Probable XI: Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran, Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Gudakesh Motie, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph

England:England would understandably be pondering over a change or two. Ben Duckett is likely to slot back into the XI with Moeen Ali likely to make way. Reece Topley could also be back at the expense of Chris Woakes

Probable XI:Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Rehan Ahmed, Adil Rashid, Gus Atkinson, Reece Topley