Welcome to Sportstar's Highlights of the T20 World Cup 2021 match between Australia and West Indies from the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
MATCH RECAP
Australia coasted to an eight-wicket win with 22 balls to spare against the West Indies in a Group 1 T20 World Cup 2021 clash to inch closer to securing a semifinal spot.
David Warner and Mitchell Marsh shepherded the run-chase with a 124-run partnership for the second wicket after skipper Aaron Finch fell early in the fourth over.
Inserted by Australia, West Indies was off to a rollicking start before Chris Gayle fell for a 9-ball 15 in the third over. Josh Hazlewood struck twice in the following over to shake up the Windies middle-order. After a prolonged lull in the middle overs, skipper Kieron Pollard provided a much-needed impetus lower down the order with a 31-ball 44 as West Indies notched up 59 runs in the last five overs to post a challenging 157 for seven.
FULL REPORT:Australia stays in semifinal hunt with eight-wicket win over West Indies
Australia beat West Indies by eight wickets
Player of the Match: David Warner 89* (56)
Great scenes from Abu Dhabi as Australia gives a guard of honour to Dwayne Bravo... and Chris Gayle. So, probably Universe Boss has decided to call time on his career too.
AUS 161/2 in 16.2 overs: Chase to Warner. Flicked behind square for a dot. FOUR! Runs it down the pads very fine and four! AUS wins by eight wickets. Bravo and Gayle in a warm embrace as WI bows out from the tournament.
AUS 157/2 in 16 overs: Gayle comes on to bowl. Warner collects a couple of twos after Pooran misses a stumping to hand Gayle a wicket in probably his last match for the Windies. OUT! Gayle gets a wicket off the last ball of the over and probably the last ball of his international career. A nothing ball outside off and Marsh drives uppish to hand it straight to mid off. Scores level. Mitchell Marsh c Jason Holder b Chris Gayle 53(32b 5x4 2x6).
AUS 150/1 in 15 overs: Bravo to bowl the last six balls of his international career. Wide down leg first ball. A couple for Marsh behind square leg. Low full toss on the pads and a couple of leg byes as Marsh misses the flick. Full and outside off and a single to Marsh at mid-off. FOUR! Switch hit by Warner and a boundary at deep point. SIX! Pulled away over square leg by Warner. A good length on leg stump and Warner shows no mercy to Bravo. A single at long-off off a full length delivery and that was Bravo's last ball in international cricket.
AUS 133/1 in 14 overs: Holder comes back into the attack. FOUR! Full outside off the Marsh gets a thick edge trying to drive it. Goes through the gap between keeper and short thir. FOUR! Boundary in the same region but this one looked more intentional as he opened the face of the bat. Slow yorker and clipped to mid on for a single and that is a half-century for Mash...in 28 balls.
AUS 122/1 in 13 overs: Bravo into his third. Just inside the guide line on off and Warner leaves. This goes over the line...wide ball! FOUR! Full outside off and Warner slices it through point. Steps out to dig it out to mid wicket for one more.
AUS 114/1 in 12 overs: Good slower yorker by Russell to Warner and he scampers for one after tapping it. Full-toss clipped away by Marsh to deep mid wicket for one more. FOUR! Short on leg and Warner pulls, taking his eyes off and still finds the fine leg boundary. Three singles to end the over and Warner retains strike.
AUS 105/1 in 11 overs: Bravo bowls his second over. Wide outside off and Marsh misses trying to throw his bat at it. They collect two as Marsh clips it to long on off his toes. A couple more with a drive through cover. With just about run a ball needed, the batters are happy to take the singles and plod along.
AUS 98/1 in 10 overs: Russell comes into the attack. Slower one outside off and beats Warner. He digs out a single at point at next ball. SIX! A quicker one on the stumps and full and Marsh picks it up with ease over fine leg. FOUR! Lose ball on the pads and whipped away to square leg. A horrible fumble by Akeal to let it through to the boundary. FOUR! Full on off stump and Marsh deftly opens the face of the bat to squeeze is past point. A single at long off to end the over and keep strike.
AUS 82/1 in 9 overs: SIX! Too full by Walsh and straight. Warner clear his front foot to slog it over deep mid wicket and that's a huge hit. Banged in short and pulled to square leg for a couple and that is a fifty for Warner. Three singles to end the over. The ball is coming onto the bat very nicely and doesn't seem to be sticking to the wicket. AUS is in for a big victory today by the looks of it.
AUS 71/1 in 8 overs: Akeal bowls out. Marsh reverse sweeps again but well fielded at backward point to keep it to one. Warner misses the reverse sweep next ball and WI go up for the LBW. He had clear bat on it and WI throws away a review. SIX! Marsh steps out and goes down the ground all the way. On leg stump and short; Warner mistimes the pull but it lands safe at mid on for just one.
AUS 61/1 in 7 overs: Walsh to bowl his first. FOUR! Good length outside off and Marsh reverse sweeps it crisply past backward point. Three singles to end the over.
AUS 53/1 in 6 overs: Akeal continues. SIX! Full on leg and Warner gets down on his knee to flick sweep it over the fine leg boundary. FOUR! Errs in line and length and cut away off the backfoot behind backward point. Retains strike with a single to mid wicket.
AUS 41/1 in 5 overs: FOUR! Full outside off and Warner just chips it over extra cover. Good comeback by Bravo with two dot balls. Bowls it slower on leg stump and Warner can't get it away. Very full outside off and Warner can only jam his bat into the ground to steer it straight to mid off. Slow and full on the stumps and pushed for a single at mid off. Marsh takes one more, clipping it to mid wicket.
AUS 35/1 in 4 overs: Akeal comes back after that first over. OUT! Finch chops it on! Pitched outside off and skidded in as Finch got the bottom edge trying to cut it. Marsh gets off the mark with a backfoot punch to mid off. Just two from the over and a wicket. Aaron Finch b Akeal Hosein 9(11b 1x4 0x6).
AUS 33/0 in 3 overs: Holder to put some pace back on the ball. Short outside off and Finch goes down the ground but guides it straight to mid off. Short and slow and it stings Finch on his ribs as he misses the pull. Tucks it away for a single. FOUR! Good length and outside off and Warner clubs it straight for a boundary. Ball comes onto the bat well and plays it through the line. FOUR! Thick outside edge flies past diving Pooran. Warner tried to guide it to third with more control but found th edge as it rose sharply. SIX! Imperious pull and goes flat over deep mid wicket.
AUS 18/0 in 2 overs: Chase shares the new ball. FOUR! Short and Warner makes room and cuts it between cover-point. Pushed on the front foot to mid on for a single. FOUR! Full and outside off and Finch punches through mid off. A couple at deep mid wicket as Russell misfields. A no-ball and Chase will have to reload the last one. Low full-toss on the stumps and Finch just manages to squeeze one at deep mid wicket with a poorly timed heave.
AUS 5/0 in 1 over: A very interesting field here. Akeal to bowl the first over and Pollard has his helmet on to stand close to David Warner. Beaten first ball outside off; a hint of turn there. Off the mark with a nudge at mid-on. Skids into Finch from outside off to thud into his back thigh. Skiddy again and inside edge almost disturbs the wood behind; they collect a single. A convincing shot finally and a couple for Warner at mid wicket. Tucks it away for one to keep strike.
Australia needs 158 runs to win from 120 balls
BACK WITH THE CHASE
WI 157/7 in 20 overs: Starc bowls the last over. Full and straight and Pollard misses the paddle scoop. OUT! Pollard looks to go big over deep mid wicket but skies it too high and long-on comes in to take the catch. Kieron Pollard c Glenn Maxwell b Mitchell Starc 44(31b 4x4 1x6). Just a single to long on as Russell goes aerial again and almost finds the fielder. SIX! Short and pulled away over deep mid wicket and that's huge. SIX! Two big blows to end the innings and this one goes over long on.
WI 143/6 in 19 overs: Pollard flicks it to deep square leg for one. FOUR! Full on the legs by Cummins and Russell gets his bat down on time to get enough wood on it as it trickles behind the keeper. Misses a juicy dolly in the slot next ball. Short and sliced over cover for just one. Pollard clips it off the pads again for one. Slower ball decked in short and Russell misses the pull.
WI 136/6 in 18 overs: Hazlewood bowls out. A couple for Pollard first ball off an inside edge that trickles to fine leg. OUT! Bravo walks away for the final time. He lofted a slot ball straight but didn't get enough on it. Dwayne Bravo c David Warner b Josh Hazlewood 10(12 0x4 1x6).FOUR! Pollard flicks a straight one to the on side. FOUR! Strays down leg and just a deft touch by Pollard to guide it fine. Driven uppishly for one at long-on.
WI 123/5 in 17 overs: Cummins into the attack. Slower ball first up into Bravo and he misses it. Gets his upper thigh and they collect a leg bye. Pitched outside off and short and slapped by Pollard to sweeper cover. Warner dives to keep it to two. FOUR! In the hitting arc and Pollard belts it down the ground. Slower ball, good length and close to the stump and it beats Pollard. SIX! Short and pulls is behind over fine leg. It goes off the top edge but enough pace on it to take it all the way.
WI 109/5 in 16 overs: Starc to Pollard and pushed to mid-off for a single and that brings up 100 runs for WI. Bravo tucks a yorker to mid wicket and almost gets run out trying to steal a couple. Pollard sends him back halfway down the pitch. Pollard clips it to fine leg for one more. Quick yorker, 146 kmph, just outside off stump and Bravo can't get the bat down in time and beaten. SIX! Revved into the slot and Bravo gets the elevation to slice it over cover for a maximum. Vintage DJ Bravo! Single to deep point to end the over.
WI 99/5 in 15 overs: Marsh to bowl. A couple of twos and a single. Pollard smashed one hard into Bravo at the other end.
WI 94/5 in 14 overs: Another very tidy over from Zampa. Bravo and Pollard seem to be biding their time before the time is ripe for Andre Russell to walk in and launch a few.
WI 92/5 in 13 overs: Hazlewood bowls his third. Hetmyer runs it down past mid-off for a couple. OUT! Quick bouncer that rises on Hetmyer and goes off his glove as he looks to flick it behind. DJ Bravo comes in to bat for the last time and gets one on his first ball. Shimron Hetmyer c Matthew Wade b Josh Hazlewood 27(28b 2x4 0x6).
WI 87/4 in 12 overs: Dropped! Pollard chips it just over Zampa who gets a hand to it but drops it on the rebound. He had a reaction time of 0.44 seconds but Pollard's force meant it wasn't quick enough. Hetmyer is bamboozled by one that keeps low and skids through to almost knock him over. FOUR! Pollard drive a full one outside off past point to the boundary.
WI 81/4 in 11 overs: Starc comes back with the ball. Angling across from right-hander Pollard, pitches it at good length straight and it nips back in a bit. Six from it.
WI 74/4 in 10 overs: Zampa continues. FOUR! The leg stump line becomes too predictable and Lewis sweeps it to fine leg. OUT! In the slot but got done for the googly as he looked to clear the on side. It shot up high and a great take by Smith at long-on. Evin Lewis c Steven Smith b Adam Zampa 29(26b 5x4 0x6). Pollard the new man in. Gets off the mark with a lazy push down the ground for one. On leg stump to Hetmyer and another appeal for LBW. But turned down...was definitely missing leg stump.
WI 65/3 in 9 overs: Marsh continues. Three singles off the first three balls. Batters dig into the ground to collect singles. FOUR! In the slot outside off and Hetmyer breaks the shackles with a heave wide of long-off.
WI 57/3 in 8 overs: Zampa into the attack. Just three singles and a leg bye from that first Zampa over. Keeps attacking leg stump to prevent the left-handers from freeing their arms.
WI 53/3 in 7 overs: Marsh rolls his arm over. Full on off to Hetmyer and driven to mid-off for one. Slower one and keeps agonisingly low to clip Lewis' pad flap. LBW appeal turned down but Marsh is interested and AUS reviews. Threw it away as impact was outside off. Just three from the over as Lewis misses a slog on a slower one to end the over.
WI 50/3 in 6 overs: Maxwell into the attack for the last Powerplay over. FOUR! Short and Lewis goes deep in his crease to pull it fiercely to fine leg. Good PP score for Windies but those three wickets would hurt them.
WI 44/3 in 5 overs: Cummins continues. Lewis clips one to square leg for one. FOUR! Cracking shot by Hetmyer. Full and wide and he pushes through cover-point with good timing on it.
WI 37/3 in 4 overs: OUT! Hazlewood bowls into the pitch and Pooran looses shape trying to slog it. Edges it straight to cover. Nicholas Pooran c Mitchell Marsh b Josh Hazlewood 4(4b 1x4 0x6). Chase comes in at four. OUT! Chase goes second ball. Fuller this time and tailing in a touch. Chase misses it trying to drive it straight and timber! Roston Chase b Josh Hazlewood O(2b 0x4 0x6) . Hetmyer is away with a single to deep backward point.
WI 35/1 in 3 overs: SIX! Cummins hits good length and Gayle sends it soaring over long-on off the backfoot. OUT! Cleaned up! Gets an inside edge onto the stumps trying to clear the straight boundary on a fuller length. Chris Gayle b Pat Cummins 15(9b 0x4 2x6).FOUR! In the slot again and driven past mid-on with grace. Full on leg and Pooran gets a scruffy leg bye. Bowler appeals but umpire is not interested.
WI 24/0 in 2 overs: Hazlewood from the other end. FOUR! Good length around leg and Lewis swivels and pulls it to the square leg boundary. FOUR! Lewis heaves on a fuller length and a thick inside edge trickles to the long leg boundary. FOUR! Three in three. In the slot and picked up straight over the bowler to the long-on boundary. Good length around leg again but Lewis gets just one with the pull this time. SIX! Gayle cuts loose from the other end. Short and pulled over mid wicket. Comes around the wicket and tucked away by Gayle for a single.
WI 4/0 in 1 over: Starc to Gayle first ball. Pitched full first ball and Gayle gets an inside edge to square leg for a couple. Full again and Gayle pushes straight and takes a quick single. Lewis gets off strike with a leg bye. Good length ball shapes away from Gayle and he leaves. Pitched up and closer to off stump and Gayle lets it go again. Into him last ball and he defends. Four from the first over.
Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis make their way to the pitch to get the Windies innings under way and Starc has the ball. Both teams take the knee against oppression and racial discrimination.
Teams file out onto the field for the national anthems. Dwayne Bravo will be seen for the last time in the Maroon shirt as he announced before the match that this was going to be his last international game. What a player, what a career, what a champion! He is the highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket with 553 wickets.
Australia won the toss and elected to bowl.
UPDATE: Australia is unchanged. West Indies brings in Hayden Walsh for Ravi Rampaul.
Australia Playing XI: Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Steven Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
West Indies Playing XI: Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard (c), Jason Holder, Dwayne Bravo, Akeal Hosein, Hayden Walsh
PITCH REPORT: Some cracks in the good length area which Josh Hazlewood will look to exploit. Square boundaries are 68m on both sides and the straight boundaries are much longer. Ian Bishop believes batters will find the going tough.
Abu Dhabi in Super 12s (T20 World Cup 2021):
Batting first won: 4
Batting second won: 4
Average first innings score: 148
West Indies defeated Australia 4-1 in a T20I bilateral series earlier in July this year and will look to replicate that domination as it signs off from the tournament after facing three defeats in its four Super 12 games.
Head-to-Head in T20Is
In T20 WCs: Australia - 2, West Indies - 3
MATCH PREVIEW
Its campaign back on track with a big win against Bangladesh, Australia will hope to avoid slipping up against West Indies here on Saturday.
After losing to arch-rival England last week , Australia bounced back with a record eight-wicket win over Bangladesh on Thursday. The margin of the defeat boosted its net run-rate to +1.031 (from -0.627). Still, a win may not be enough if the Proteas manage to beat England on Saturday by a margin that would lift its NRR past Australia’s.
If lucky, a loss against West Indies still could hand Australia a semifinal spot if England makes it five out of five, beating South Africa.
Lot at stake
So, there’s a lot at stake for both Australia and South Africa. Australia currently occupies the second spot in the points table.
Facing such an uncertain scenario, the Australians cannot afford to be complacent. Moreover, a bruised and battered West Indies would look to salvage some pride and bow out of the showpiece with a win.
Australia’s last semifinal appearance in the T20 World Cup was in 2012 when it was eliminated by eventual champion West Indies.
The two-time defending champion West Indies failed to live up to its reputation in this T20 World Cup as it relied heavily on its ageing stars like Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard. Australia, on the other hand, is beginning to peak at the right time in its bid to win its only missing title.
Its bowling attack came to the fore in its eight-wicket win over Bangladesh that came with 82 balls to spare - the biggest T20I win between two Full Member teams. While the pace duo of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc gave the opening blows, leg spinner Adam Zampa polished off the tail en route to a career-best 5 for 19.
Even Glenn Maxwell (2-0-6-1) was tidy with his part-time off-spin and the team would only hope that he starts firing with his bat also. Its inconsistent top-order also got some boost with the return of Mitchell Marsh at No 3. Marsh blasted 16 not out off five balls, a innings that included a six off Taskin Ahmed, to seal the issue after skipper Finch laid the foundation with a 40.
The team would hope that David Warner and Maxwell get into the groove against the misfiring Windies as they may stick to an unchanged XI.
-PTI
Where and when to watch T20 World Cup 2021 - Australia vs West Indies Live?
Comments
SHARE