David Warner hit a feisty unbeaten 89 and No.3 batsman Mitchell Marsh slammed a 32-ball 53 as Australia recorded a facile eight-wicket win over the West Indies at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, finishing their Super 12 campaign of this T20 World Cup with four wins and eight points.
The left-handed Warner was at his vintage best, smashing four sixes and nine boundaries to anchor the 158-run chase in a match that was the last international appearance for Dwayne Bravo and probably for Chris Gayle as well.
Gayle running towards Marsh after dismissing him and sharing a light moment with the latter, together with the Australians giving him too a guard of honour along with Bravo suggests Saturday’s game was the last time the ‘Universe Boss’ donned Windies colours.
For the Aussies, Warner and Marsh stitched a match-winning 124-run partnership off just 75 balls to seal the chase with 3.5 overs to spare.
Chris Gayle. Getty Images
Warner, who struggled to get going in the recently-concluded IPL and lost his place in the Sunrisers Hyderabad XI, upped the ante in the third over, smashing Jason Holder for two consecutive boundaries before finishing the over with a six. Skipper Aaron Finch was dismissed in the next over after being cleaned up by Akeal Hosein, but Warner maintained the run rate.
Racing to his 20th T20I half-century in 29 balls, Warner ensured Australia were never in a spot of bother and made it a run-a-ball equation at the halfway mark. His trademark pulls, the sweep and switch-hits flowed from his bat as he toyed with the Windies attack, which was insipid to say the least.
In other words, as Australia’s run-chase progressed, the focus for the men from the Caribbean seemed to be more on Bravo and Gayle’s last few moments on the field.
Earlier, skipper Kieron Pollard struck a combative 31-ball 44 and Andre Russell (18 not out) scored a cameo at the death to lead the West Indies to a fighting total of 157/7 after yet another top-order collapse. Among the Australian bowlers, Josh Hazlewood stood out again, taking four for 39 off his four overs while leg-spinner Adam Zampa continued to impress as well, finishing with one for 20.
Dwayne Bravo. Twitter picture.
Playing natural game
For Warner, the focus was on playing the way he does it best. And it also bodes well for Australia as he has got these runs at the right time.
“Of course, it felt satisfying to be there till the end. The key for me was to play my natural game and I’m happy the way I did,” Warner, adjudged Man of the Match, said at the presentation ceremony.
“It’s about targeting the first two balls and I was able to do that. Also, credit should go to our bowlers as they have been outstanding. We knew they (Windies batsmen) would come hard against us.”
Chris Gayle (in Getty Images) walked off to special applause and hugs after scoring a nine-ball 15 against Australia in the T20 World Cup on Saturday, indicating he could have played his last match in West Indies colours. The Universe Boss, who turned 42 in September, later clarified he is only “semi-retired” as of now. Speaking on ICC’s post-match Facebook live show, Gayle said: “I was just having some fun today. Put everything that happened aside. I was just interacting with the fans in the stand and just having some fun seeing as it’s going to be my last World Cup game.” The Jamaican said he is hoping to quit in front of his home fans.
His teammate Dwayne Bravo (in Twitter picture right), however, played his last game for the West Indies on Saturday.
