
Tags: West Indies, Shai Hope, Australia
West Indies captain Shai Hope admitted his side fell short with both bat and ball in a frustrating three-wicket loss to Australia in the opening T20 International at Sabina Park on Sunday night, after a promising start with the bat unravelled in the closing stages and a spirited Australian fightback turned the tide.
“We left ourselves 20 or 30 runs short in the back end,” Hope said after the match. “With the ball, we didn't take as many wickets as we wanted to. We've got some very good batting in the lower order. Some missed execution [from our bowlers].”
Having posted 189 for 8, West Indies looked on course for a far bigger total at one stage. Powered by half-centuries from Roston Chase (60 off 32) and Hope himself (55 from 39), the home side cruised to 152 for 2 in the 15th over. Chase had dominated the middle overs with a flurry of boundaries, while Hope anchored confidently at the other end.
But a dramatic collapse followed. The home side lost six wickets for just 37 runs in the final five overs, a slide triggered by the dismissal of Chase and compounded by Australia’s superb death bowling. Ben Dwarshuis took 4 for 36, including three wickets in a single over, while Nathan Ellis kept things tight at the death with pinpoint slower balls and yorkers. West Indies managed just seven runs in the final 16 deliveries.
Despite the sub-200 total, the hosts had Australia in trouble early. Alzarri Joseph and Jason Holder struck inside the powerplay, and when Gudakesh Motie removed Glenn Maxwell to leave the visitors 78 for 4, West Indies looked in control. But Australia’s middle order had other plans.
Cameron Green, in at No. 4, hammered 51 off 26 balls, and debutant Mitchell Owen added a fearless 50 from 27 balls—including six sixes—to seize control of the chase. Together, they put on 80 from 40 deliveries to tip the match in Australia's favour. Even after their dismissals, the visitors kept their nerve to reach the target with seven balls to spare.
In what proved to be a critical disparity, Australia out-hit West Indies 17 sixes to nine—an unusual reversal for a Caribbean side that once prided itself on outmuscling opponents in the shortest format. While West Indies’ innings was built largely on calculated strokeplay, Australia’s firepower through the middle and lower order proved decisive.
There was also a key moment in the field that might have changed the outcome. With Australia on 183 for 7 and needing just seven runs to win, substitute fielder Jewel Andrew dropped Sean Abbott at fine leg—a missed opportunity that came just before the winning runs were nudged home.
The result leaves West Indies trailing 0–1 in the five-match series, with the second T20I set for Tuesday at the same venue. While there were positives to draw from strong top-order performances, Hope and his team will need to address their death-over frailties and sharpen their execution if they are to level the series.
Photos: Getty Images
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