WI vs AUS 1st T20: Dwarshuis, Owen star in Aussies' 3-wicket win in Jamaica

Business Standard

15 hours ago

In the penultimate T20 match in Andre Russell's international career, Australia defeated West Indies by 3 wickets at Sabina Park, Kingston in Jamaica on Monday morning (IST). With the win, Australia took 1-0 lead in the five-match T20 series.
Earlier, Australia staged a remarkable comeback in the final overs to restrict West Indies to 189 in their innings, after the hosts looked set for a 200-plus total. A flurry of early boundaries and an aggressive knock by Roston Chase had put West Indies in a commanding position before the Aussies pulled things back in dramatic fashion.
Speaking after the innings, Roston Chase said, "I wanted to make the most of the powerplay and rotate after that. I wanted to play my shots and express myself — that is my role as well." Chase looked in top form, smashing a quickfire 50 off just 21 balls and punishing the Australian bowlers with clean hitting. Alongside him, Shai Hope anchored the innings with a composed half-century, as the duo built a strong platform in the middle overs.
Promising Start Fizzles Out
West Indies got off to a solid start thanks to Brandon King, who struck a flurry of boundaries early on. However, his momentum was halted when he was stumped attempting to attack Connolly. Chase and Hope then took charge, punishing the visitors all around the park. But after Chase was dismissed by Dwarshius, the West Indies innings began to unravel.
West Indies (20 ovs maximum)
Batting Dismissals Runs Balls Fours Sixes Strike Rate
Brandon King st †Inglis b Connolly 18 12 4 0 150
Shai Hope (c)† c Fraser-McGurk b Owen 55 39 4 3 141.02
Roston Chase c Maxwell b Dwarshuis 60 32 9 2 187.5
Shimron Hetmyer c Green b Ellis 38 19 2 3 200
Rovman Powell c Maxwell b Abbott 1 3 0 0 33.33
Andre Russell c Green b Dwarshuis 8 9 0 1 88.88
Sherfane Rutherford c Abbott b Dwarshuis 0 1 0 0 0
Jason Holder c Maxwell b Dwarshuis 0 2 0 0 0
Gudakesh Motie not out 0 0 0 0 -
Alzarri Joseph not out 3 3 0 0 100
Extras (lb 3, w 3) 6
Total 20 Ov (RR: 9.45) 189/8
Bowling O M R W ECON 0s
Ben Dwarshuis 4 0 36 4 9 13
Sean Abbott 4 0 40 1 10 9
Cooper Connolly 2 0 24 1 12 5
Nathan Ellis 4 0 31 1 7.75 10
Adam Zampa 4 0 30 0 7.5 7
Glenn Maxwell 1 0 11 0 11 0
Mitchell Owen 1 0 14 1 14 2
Mitch Owen and Dwarshius trigger collapse
Debutant Mitch Owen made a significant impact with the ball, claiming the key wicket of Shai Hope and shifting the momentum in Australia's favor. Dwarshius, who had already removed Chase, returned to deliver a game-changing final over, picking up three wickets and dismantling the lower order. Nathan Ellis followed up with a tight final over to ensure Australia closed the innings on a high.
Andre Russell's performance in his penultimate T20 International match
Andre Russell failed to lite up the Sabina Park with bat or ball. During the first innings, Russell managed to score only 8 runs off 9 balls, hitting a six.
37-year-old all-rounder failed to perform with the bat as well. He leaked 37 runs in the two overs he bowled during West Indies' chase.
Final Five Overs Turn the Game
The last five overs saw West Indies lose six wickets while scoring just 37 runs — a dramatic shift considering their earlier dominance. At one point, a score beyond 200 looked likely, but disciplined bowling and timely wickets from the Australians saw the home side fall short of expectations.