Australia crushed West Indies by 8 wickets with 28 balls to spare in the second T20I of five match series at Sabina Park. With this convincing win, Australia took a 2-0 lead in the T20I series. Josh Inglis and Cameron Green led a match-winning partnership, while spinners Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell took five wickets combined to help secure the victory. The match also marked a bittersweet farewell for Andre Russell, who played his last international game.
Inglis and Green Steal the Show
Josh Inglis earned the Player-of-the-Match award for his explosive unbeaten 78 off just 33 balls. He struck seven fours and five sixes. Cameron Green also impressed again with 56 from 33 deliveries. Together, they built a record third-wicket stand that crushed West Indies’ chances.
Australia chased down the 173-run target with ease. They lost two early wickets and were 42 for 2 in the powerplay. However, Inglis and Green powered the visitors home with 28 balls and eight wickets to spare.
West Indies Drop the Game
West Indies dropped six catches during Australia’s innings. Three of those came in the seventh over alone. Inglis and Green got two lives each. Russell, playing his final match, dropped both Inglis and Mitchell Marsh. He also gave away 16 runs in his final over.
Earlier, Russell had reignited West Indies’ hopes with a blazing knock of 36 off 15 balls. He lifted the side from 99 for 5 to a competitive 172 for 8. Despite his late fireworks, West Indies couldn’t defend the total due to their sloppy fielding.
Spinners Set the Tone
Australia made a bold move by selecting two frontline spinners. They had an eye on conditions for next year’s T20 World Cup. Debutant Matthew Kuhnemann bowled three overs in the powerplay and gave away just ten runs in his first two. But in his third, Brandon King hit him for two sixes and two fours.
West Indies scored 49 in the powerplay with King doing most of the scoring. He reached his fifty in 33 balls and helped the hosts get to 63 without loss by the eighth over. But things changed quickly after that.
Zampa and Maxwell turned the game around. Zampa dismissed King at the end of the eighth over. Maxwell removed Shai Hope on the first ball of the ninth. The duo combined for figures of 5 for 44 from five overs. Marsh and Green took some fine catches to back up the spinners.
Zampa later dismissed Roston Chase and Sherfane Rutherford, ending with 3 for 29. Maxwell took 2 for 15 in his two overs.
Russell Bids Farewell in Style
Before the match, both teams gave Russell a guard of honour. When he came out to bat, the crowd erupted. He delivered one last explosive performance, smashing three sixes in five balls off Ben Dwarshuis.
He then hit a six and a four off Zampa, threatening to take the game away. At one point, Russell stood at 35 from just 12 balls. But Nathan Ellis removed him with a clever slower ball, and Inglis took a high catch. Every Australian player shook his hand as he walked off to a standing ovation.
Australia’s Fielding Stumbles Too
Despite winning, Australia were also guilty of poor fielding. They dropped three catches and missed a simple run-out. Gudakesh Motie capitalised and scored 18 not out from nine balls. That helped West Indies post a fighting total.
Maxwell opened the innings with Marsh. He hit a six and a four off Akeal Hosein in the first over but got out for 12 off ten, struggling with pace once again.
Marsh was lucky to be dropped twice in one over, but was caught later by Hope. Still, the worst fielding effort came from West Indies in the seventh over.
Inglis sliced a catch, but Russell couldn’t hold on. Green smashed a return catch to Motie, who missed it. Then Hope dropped another chance behind the stumps. These dropped catches immediately hurt the hosts.
Inglis and Green Seal the Win
After surviving those chances, Green swept the final ball of the seventh over for four. Inglis followed with a six and more boundaries in the next over. He played breathtaking shots on a tough pitch, lifting Motie over cover and pulling him into the stands.
He brought up his 50 off 22 balls with a massive six off Russell, who was bowling his last over in international cricket. Inglis even reverse-ramped him twice. Green added four sixes of his own, joining in on the assault.
Finally, Holder dropped a skier off Inglis in the 12th over. At that point, Australia needed 73 off 54 balls. But by the end of the 14th, they needed just four runs with 30 balls left. Green completed his fifty off 28 balls, capping a dominant chase.