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Australia capped off a perfect West Indies tour as they completed a 5-0 whitewash in the T20I series. While West Indies' Test cricket has been on a decline, they were expected to bounce back in the T20 format but it wasn't the case. They made too many mistakes and the Mitchell Marsh-led side capitalised on them. In the final T20I of the series, Australia's top-order collapsed but they failed to control the scoring rate and lost the match by three wickets. Australia chased down the target of 171 with 18 balls to spare. This is the first time a full-member nation as defeated another 5-0 in a T20I series.
West Indies lose wickets at regular intervals
Marsh won the toss and opted to bowl first. Ben Dwarshuis conceded two boundaries off his first two balls and then kocked over captain Shai Hope. In his next over, he got Brandon King caught at mid-wicket. Keacy Carty struggled to rotate strike, let alone find boundaries. He lost his wicket to Aaron Hardie in the fifth over. Sherfane Rutherford used the fielding restrictions well but West Indies could manage 49 runs from the powerplay overs. Glenn Maxwell was introduced into the attack and he delivered with Rutherford's wicket. He scored 35 runs from 17 balls.
Shimron Hetmyer and Jason Holder dominated proceedings, but only for a while. Sean Abbott dismissed Holder with a short ball for a 15-ball 20. Romario Shepherd hit Nathan Ellis for a six before getting bowled. In the 17th over, Hetmyer hit Dwarshuis for two fours and a six to reach his fifty from 30 balls. On the next delivery, he fell victim to a slower short ball. Wickets kept falling and West Indies were bowled out for 170 in 19.4 overs.
Early wickets fall, but run rate rises
Maxwell struck twice in his first over to get rid of makeshift opener Maxwell and Josh Inglis. Captain Marsh departed to Alzarri Joseph after hitting three boundaries. Tim David arrived at the crease and hit four sixes in his 12-ball 30 cameo. He fell to Joseph in the fifth over. Despite losing wickets, Australia were 67/4 after powerplay overs. In-form batters Cameron Green and Mitchell Owen ruled out the possibility of West Indies' comeback once again. In the eighth over, Matthew Forde took a beaing as he conceded 22 runs. The required run rate dropped considerably during the fifth-wicket partnership.
Hosein's three-fer in vain
In the 10th over, Akeal Hosein was introduced into the attack and he delivered with Owen's wicket. He hit three fours and three sixes in his 17-ball 37. In his second over, left-arm spinner Hosein dismissed Green as well. He hit five fours in his 18-ball 32. The wickets came too late as the game had already slipped out of West Indies' grasp. Hosein got the wicket of Dwarshuis to finish his spell but it was only a consolation. On the last ball of the 17th over, Abbott hit a boundary to finish the run chase. Hardie played a sensible knock of 28 runs from 25 balls.
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