By sengajanand9959@gmail.com Andre Russell hammered 36 off 15 but it went in vain as Australia cruised home in style. Josh Inglis and Cameron Green unexpectedly attended Andre Russell’s farewell celebration as Australia secured a convincing victory, taking a 2-0 lead in the T20I series. In his last international match, Russell scored a quick 36 runs off 15 balls, but his efforts were in vain as Inglis and Green unleashed a powerful performance in their unbroken 131-run partnership, enabling Australia to successfully chase down 173 runs with nearly five overs remaining.
As the opening batsman, Glenn Maxwell started aggressively against Akeal Hosein, hitting a four and a six in the very first over. However, Jason Holder managed to dismiss the key player in the subsequent over, providing his team with an early advantage. Mitchell Marsh then top-edged a ball in the final over of the powerplay, departing for 21 runs, which gave the home team a favorable position at that moment. The situation could have improved significantly for the West Indies had they capitalized on their opportunities in the next over bowled by Gudakesh Motie. Remarkably, all three chances were missed, allowing the Australians to take full advantage of the situation.
Inglis hit two sixes and three fours in the subsequent two overs, accumulating 32 runs and providing Australia with some momentum. Roston Chase was then greeted at the crease with a six from Green, and Australia did not look back following that onslaught. Russell was welcomed to the attack with a colossal six that marked Inglis’ fifty off just 23 balls, while Green, for his part, targeted Motie in the next over as the pair aimed to conclude the match swiftly. The 15th over witnessed 22 runs being scored, with Green also surpassing fifty just before Australia reached the finish line.
Earlier in the evening, Australia chose to field first, as both teams honored Russell with a guard of honour before his final appearance. Matthew Kuhnemann, making his T20I debut, made a strong early impression by conceding only 10 runs in his first two overs, but Brandon King eventually took him apart for 20 runs in one over, providing his team with much-needed momentum during the powerplay. With Shai Hope struggling to find his rhythm and barely getting any strike at the other end, it was King who carried the bulk of the scoring in the initial phase, racing to a fifty in the eighth over.
However, the introduction of Adam Zampa proved effective as King mistimed a shot, granting Australia their first wicket. Maxwell dismissed Hope off the very next ball and subsequently claimed the significant wicket of Shimron Hetmyer, as the hosts wasted a promising start. Zampa’s double-wicket over, which saw him dismiss Chase and Sherfane Rutherford, played into the hands of the West Indies as Russell showcased his skills in his final appearance in maroon.
Ben Dwarshuis conceded three sixes in a single over, and Zampa was also severely punished in the following over as Russell rapidly accumulated 31 runs off 11 balls. However, a slower ball from Nathan Ellis caused him to mistime a shot, resulting in his dismissal with 20 balls remaining in the innings. This was significant, particularly as players like Jason Holder and Rovman Powell also failed to contribute meaningfully. Had it not been for Motie’s brief but impactful performance in the last two overs, the West Indies would have found it challenging to reach even 160 runs. Ultimately, even a total of 200 runs would not have sufficed considering the outstanding performances from Inglis and Green.
Brief scores: West Indies 172/8 in 20 overs (Brandon King 51, Andre Russell 36; Glenn Maxwell 2/15) lost to Australia 173/2 in 15.2 overs (Josh Inglis 78*, Cameron Green 56*) by 8 wickets
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