Caribbean carnage! Aussies 1-0 up after ODI thrashing

Australia have cantered to victory in the first one-day international after a brilliant new-ball display from Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood decimated the West Indies in Barbados.

Destroyer in last week's T20I series, Hayden Walsh Jr once again bewitched the visiting batters in taking 5-12 from 16 balls in a clever death-bowling performance that restricted the Aussies to 9-252, with new skipper Alex Carey (67 off 87 balls) doing best with the bat.

But Starc (figures 5-48) and Hazlewood (3-11) went on a rampage under lights at Kensington Oval, reducing the hosts to 6-27 to effectively decide the game inside the first eight overs of a run chase that was shifted to 49 overs (target 257) after a brief rain delay.

Only captain Kieron Pollard, who struck 56 off 57 in his first game back from a hamstring injury that sidelined him from the entire T20 series, offered any resistance as Australia routed the hosts for 123 to claim a 133-run win.

It marked West Indies' third-largest runs defeat to Australia, and their biggest since 2008.

Missing the bulk of their regular ODI top-order, Australia stuttered through the opening stanza of the game before Carey and Ashton Turner (49 off 45) breathed life into the innings with a 104-stand for the fifth wicket.

It was a promising start to Carey's career as captain, with regular skipper Aaron Finch sidelined with a knee complaint, as he struck two sixes on the way to an innings-high score after being elevated to No.5.

 

Playing his first ODI in 18 months, Turner also impressed in what was a difficult task after his side's lacklustre start and scored at better than a run-a-ball despite largely shelving his power game.

Starc's terrific evening was capped with the wicket of Pollard, edging to slip as he went on to claim his eighth ODI five-wicket haul and his first since the 2019 World Cup.

The left-armer had earlier struck with the very first delivery of the innings, with Evin Lewis offering a simple return catch, to continue his incredible record at start of ODI innings; he has now claimed a wicket in the opening over 19 times since the start of 2015, which is 10 more times than the next most (Lasith Malinga, nine first-over wickets).

He then delivered a gem of an inswinger that clean-bowled No.3 Jason Mohammed.

Nicholas Pooran survived just two balls before Starc hit him on the pads, with the left-hander's review showing the ball would have just clipped leg-stump.

Hazlewood meanwhile hardly missed his mark in a typically metronomic display that saw him open his account with a terrific one-handed caught-and-bowled off Shimron Hetmyer, before having Darren Bravo and Jason Holder both out to simple catches.

The 30-year-old Bendemeer product celebrated the wicket of Holder for a four-ball duck with particular vigour.

There was little do for the other bowlers; Adam Zampa (1-39 from 3.2 overs) took some tap from Pollard, Wes Agar (0-15 from six) made an encouraging debut while Mitch Marsh (1-7 from three) kept his strong form going by bowling the Windies' second top-scorer, Alzarri Joseph, who made 17.

The absence of vice-captain Shai Hope with an ankle injury had weakened the Windies batting.

A 275-plus total had looked possible for Australia with Carey and Turner still at the crease with 10 overs to bat, yet Walsh delivered another match-turning spell following on from his player-of-the-series performance in the T20Is.

The leg-spinner, who was not even in the Windies' original ODI squad, dismissed both set batters in the 45th over in a mesmerising spell right as the Aussies were looking to put the foot to the floor.

It was bold tactics from Pollard, who raised eyebrows by not bringing on his strike bowler until the 29th over but was vindicated as Walsh proved unhittable through the death overs.

Despite Australia's comfortable victory, they will be eager to find a way to limit his effectiveness for the rest of the series given he has now taken 17 wickets (of which all but two have been recognised  batters) at 10.53 in 30 overs during their tour of the Caribbean.

There were emotional scenes before play as the visitors blooded three debutants, including Agar who had his cap (No.231) presented to him by his brother Ashton (who did not play as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury) following a heartfelt address to him inside the team huddle.

Matthew Wade, back in the XI for his first ODI in four years, gave Ben McDermott ODI cap No.232 and, while Moises Henriques did the honours for his Sydney Sixers teammates Josh Philippe (No.233).

Philippe and McDermott were thrown straight into the fire after Carey won his first toss as captain and batted, as they became just the fifth Australian ODI debutants to open together.

Philippe, coming off scores of 1, 13 and 0 in the T20 series, looked the most fluent of the top-order as he cracked Holder for a square drive to get his first boundary in ODIs before taking Jason Mohammed's first over for 12.

The right-hander hit two sixes before he backed away and was bowled by left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein (2-50 off 10), who played in the absence of injured allrounder Fabian Allen.

Mitch Marsh (20 off 22) was unfortunate not to continue his excellent form with the bat from the T20 series as Joseph (2-40 off 10) had him gloving one down the leg-side, which was given out on review.

The Aussies then found themselves in a slump at 4-114 at the halfway point in their innings as Moises Henriques (seven off 24) and McDermott (28 off 48) both failed to push on after promising starts.

Carey and Turner then found the right moments to attack in a partnership that extended through multiple, albeit brief, rain delays, with the latter hitting back-to-back sixes off Holder before both were out to Walsh looking to up the tempo.

Qantas Tour of the West Indies 2021

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Wes Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (vc for ODIs), Dan Christian, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade (vc for T20Is), Adam Zampa. Travelling reserves: Nathan Ellils, Tanveer Sangha.

West Indies ODI squad: Kieron Pollard (c), Shai Hope (vc), Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Anderson Phillip, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd

T20 series: West Indies won 4-1

(all matches at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia)

First T20: West Indies won by 18 runs

Second T20: West Indies won by 56 runs

Third T20: West Indies won by six wickets

Fourth T20: Australia won by four runs

Fifth T20: West Indies won by 16 runs

ODI series
(all matches at Kensington Oval, Barbados)

First ODI: Australia won by 133 runs

Second ODI (D/N): July 23, 4.30am AEST (July 22, 2.30pm local)

Third ODI (D/N): July 25, 4.30am AEST (July 24, 2.30pm local)

* Details of five-match T20 tour of Bangladesh are yet to be announced by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. Tours are subject to agreement on bio-security arrangements and relevant government approvals.