West Indies mounted a praiseworthy challenge against Australia: Player ratings for the Visitors
After enduring a whitewash in the ODI series against Australia, West Indies faced another setback in the T20I series. Despite securing a victory in the final T20I at Perth by 37 runs, the team succumbed to Australia’s dominance, with the latter clinching the 1st T20I by 11 runs at Hobart and the second match at Adelaide by 34 runs. Without further ado, let’s delve into the report card of the Caribbean players for the T20I series.
Top Order
Brandon King (5/10): Opener Brandon King started the series impressively, smashing 53 runs off 37 balls. However, his form waned in the second T20I, where he departed early to the dressing room, managing only 5 runs off 9 balls. Consequently, he found himself benched for the last game.
Johnson Charles (4.5/10): King’s opening partner, Johnson Charles, also struggled to leave a memorable mark on the series. His best performance came in the series opener, where he scored 42 runs off 25 balls, boasting a strike rate of 168.
However, in the second T20I, while chasing a 242-run target, Charles, batting at 24, attempted a scoop shot towards fine leg, only to nick the ball to the keeper’s gloves and depart. In the third game, Australian debutant Xavier Bartlett claimed Charles as his first victim, dismissing him on the last ball of the first over with just 4 runs to his name.
Kyle Mayers (1/10): Kyle Mayers took the place of King in the last T20I, but once again, he fell short of crossing the 35-run mark, continuing his streak of underperformance in his last 10 innings. Mayers was dismissed by Bartlett in just his second over of the first International 20-over Game, managing only 11 runs before departing.
Nicholas Pooran (2/10): Nicholas Pooran stood out as the highest run-scorer for the Windies in the last T20I series against England in December 2023. However, this time, he failed to surpass even 40 runs across all three matches. In the first two matches, Pooran accumulated 18 runs in each game, and in the third T20I, he once again departed cheaply, managing only 1 run off 3 balls.
Middle Order
Rovman Powell (5/10): In the initial match, Windies Captain Rovman Powell fell early, managing just 14 runs off 5 balls. However, in the subsequent game, Powell showcased his formidable side, hammering 63 runs off 36 balls, embellished with 5 fours and 4 sixes. In the final T20I, he contributed a valuable 21 runs off 14 balls before being dismissed by Aaron Hardie.
Shai Hope (2/10): Shai Hope had limited opportunities in the three-match series before being benched for the last T20I alongside King. In the first match, after striking three boundaries and reaching 16 runs, Hope surrendered his wicket to Marcus Stoinis. While in the second T20I, Hope fell victim to a silver duck.
Sherfane Rutherford (4.5/10): Sherfane Rutherford had a middling series, albeit playing a pivotal role in his team’s victory in the final T20I restoring some dignity. In the opening match, Rutherford started with a powerful six off the first ball of the last powerplay but faltered to the bowler’s tactics soon after.
The second T20I mirrored Hope’s misfortune as Rutherford also fell for a silver duck. However, redemption came in the final game as Rutherford broke free, smashing an unbeaten 67 runs off 40 balls, comprising 5 fours and 5 sixes.
All-rounders
Russell received the Player of the Match award in the last T20I
Andre Russell (6.5/10): Despite a challenging start with the bat in the first T20I, Andre Russell showcased his bowling prowess by claiming three wickets in a four-over spell, conceding 42 runs. In the subsequent game, while leaking 59 runs in four overs, Russell played a dynamic cameo, amassing 37 runs off just 16 balls at an impressive strike rate of 231.25.
In the latest encounter at Perth, Russell’s explosive batting stole the spotlight as he hammered an impressive 71 runs off a mere 29 balls, boasting an even better strike rate of 244.8. Finishing as the highest run-scorer for the visiting side against Australia, he accumulated a total of 109 runs with an average of 36.33.
Jason Holder (6.5/10): Jason Holder claimed one wicket in 3 overs after conceding 37 runs and also played a dashing unbeaten knock of 34 runs in just 15 balls in the first T20I game.
In the second game, Holder once again excelled in both departments. With the ball, he bagged two wickets in 4 overs, and with the bat, he scored an unbeaten quickfire 28 runs off 16 balls. In the third and last game, Holder didn’t get the chance to bat and delivered a subpar performance with the ball, leaking 49 runs in 4 overs.
Roston Chase (8/10): Roston Chase seized the single opportunity in place of Hope in the third match and altered the fortunes of the Windies team with his match-winning performances with both bat and ball.
Chase gave an all-around performance in Perth
Firstly, with the bat, Chase scored 37 runs off 20 balls, a crucial contribution when Australia was dominating the match. With the ball, Chase picked up two key wickets of Dangerous and Set David Warner and Josh Inglis while conceding just 19 runs in 4 overs.
Bowlers
Romario Shepherd (5/10): Romario Shepherd delivered a commendable performance in the first T20I by dismissing Glenn Maxwell and conceding 38 runs within his 4-over quota. In the next T20I, he allowed 10 more runs than his previous match but managed to dismiss Warner.
During the Perth encounter, Shepherd conceded 31 runs in 4 overs while claiming two wickets, emerging as the highest wicket-taker from the Windies side in the recently concluded series.
Akeal Hosein (2/10): Akeal Hosein only secured one wicket throughout the series, which came in the last T20I where he conceded 33 runs in 3 overs. In the preceding matches, he gave away 42 runs in 4 overs and 32 runs in 3 overs, respectively.
Alzarri Joseph (5.5/10): Alzarri Joseph delivered a notable performance in the series, particularly in the first T20I, where he grabbed two crucial wickets of Warner and Mitchell Marsh, conceding 46 runs in 4 overs.
At Adelaide, where bowlers faced challenges, Joseph stood out by conceding only 31 runs in 4 overs with an economy rate of 7.8, while also dismissing Marsh. However, in the last T20I, Joseph remained wicketless, conceding 38 runs in 4 overs.