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

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.  

Australia launched their T20I series against the West Indies in commanding fashion, registering a comprehensive win courtesy a disciplined bowling comeback and a dominant 80-run stand between Mitch Owen and Cameron Green. Chasing a 190-run target on what was a favourable batting wicket in Jamaica, the visitors made light work of the target despite a mid-innings wobble.

 

Momentum proved decisive, with Australia gaining it in the death overs of the first innings and refusing to relinquish their grip thereafter. The West Indies, cruising at 182 for 4, collapsed dramatically in the final 16 balls, scoring just seven runs and losing four wickets — a slide that ultimately proved fatal. 

 

 

Owen dazzles on debut, joins elite club

 

Mitch Owen (50 off 27 balls, 0x4s, 6x6s) emerged as the star of the night, smashing a half-century on debut and becoming just the third Australian man to achieve the feat in T20Is. Displaying audacious power-hitting, Owen dealt exclusively in sixes to race to his fifty, overshadowing his more experienced partner.

 

“I just wanted to go out and hit a six first ball, swing hard and work from there,” Owen said after being named Player of the Match. “It was great to bat with Greeny. He kept me calm — first time batting with him and it worked really well.”

 

Cameron Green (51 off 26 balls, 2x4s, 5x6s), who began the counterattack, played the ideal foil, taking a back seat as Owen took charge. His 25-ball fifty ensured there were no further hiccups, as the pair’s unbroken partnership shut the door firmly on the hosts.

 

Bowling turnaround defines Australia’s comeback

 

Earlier, the West Indies had laid the foundation for a massive score, riding on their deep power-packed batting line-up. However, they faltered when it mattered most — the last three overs — where Australia’s bowlers staged a stunning turnaround. From a commanding 182 for 4, the hosts folded limply, failing to capitalise on a strong platform.

 

"The last five overs were outstanding," said Australian captain Mitch Marsh. "All the boys executed their plans well. It’s exciting to see young players like Owen come in and perform like that."

 

Hope rues missed opportunity, urges course correction

 

West Indies skipper Shai Hope admitted the team had only themselves to blame for letting a winning position slip away.

 

"We didn’t finish well," he said. "The guys went a bit too hard. Maybe we thought we needed more runs than we actually did. With the kind of power we have, we can’t afford such lapses. We must turn it around quickly."

 

Despite the setback, Hope remained optimistic and acknowledged Australia’s strength in punishing lapses. "They are very strong strikers of the ball. We need to put more pressure and execute better as bowlers.” 

Australia (T: 190 runs from 20 ovs)
Batting	Dismissals	Runs	Balls	Minutes	Fours	Sixes	Strike Rate
Mitchell Marsh (c)	c †Hope b Joseph	24	17	24	0	3	141.17
Jake Fraser-McGurk	c Joseph b Holder	2	7	8	0	0	28.57
Josh Inglis †	c Joseph b Hosein	18	8	21	1	2	225
Cameron Green	c Holder b Motie	51	26	55	2	5	196.15
Glenn Maxwell	c Rutherford b Motie	11	10	11	2	0	110
Mitchell Owen	c Holder b Joseph	50	27	44	0	6	185.18
Cooper Connolly	c †Hope b Holder	13	8	12	1	1	162.5
Ben Dwarshuis	not out	5	6	14	0	0	83.33
Sean Abbott	not out	5	4	8	0	0	125
Extras	(b 4, lb 3, w 4)	11
Total	18.5 Ov (RR: 10.08)	190/7
Bowling	O	M	R	W	ECON	0s	4s
Akeal Hosein	4	0	35	1	8.75	11	0
Jason Holder	4	0	32	2	8	10	2
Andre Russell	2	0	37	0	18.5	3	0
Alzarri Joseph	3.5	0	39	2	10.17	10	2
Gudakesh Motie	4	0	29	2	7.25	13	2
Roston Chase	1	0	11	0	11	1	0

 

 

WICKET!????  Alzarri dismisses the dangerous Marsh.☝???? #WIvAUS | #FullAhEnergy pic.twitter.com/lA9ONo9WiI

— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) July 21, 2025

 

The guile of Akeal takes down Inglis!????????????#WIvAUS | #fullahenergy pic.twitter.com/S0Z2MGmVFt

— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) July 21, 2025

 

Motie gets in on the action, picking up the big wicket of Maxwell!????????????#WIvAUS | #fullahenergy pic.twitter.com/QL3IGboU3N

— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) July 21, 2025

  West Indies innings match report   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.

 

Roston Chase Leads West Indies Charge

 

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.