Andre Russell played a quickfire cameo in his final international match, but it wasn’t enough to save West Indies as Australia cruised to an eight-wicket win in the second T20I in Jamaica.
Before the start of the match, both teams lined up to give the Windies all-rounder a Guard of Honour as he walked onto the field. Jamaica’s Minister of Sports and Culture, Olivia Grange, also presented him with a memento to mark the occasion.
Asked to bat first, West Indies found themselves in trouble early, losing half their side for just 98 runs by the 14th over. That’s when Russell walked in and made his intentions clear, launching three sixes off Ben Dwarshuis — the first of which was a flat hit down the ground that smashed a hole in the sightscreen.
He continued the assault in the next over, hammering Adam Zampa for a four and a six off consecutive deliveries. In the following over, he drove Nathan Ellis’s first ball for another four. But just when fans hoped for a big farewell knock, Ellis got the better of him for 36 off 15, with Josh Inglis taking the catch to end the innings.
West Indies managed to post 172/8, with Brandon King top-scoring with 51. For Australia, Zampa starred with the ball, picking up three wickets.
Australia’s chase didn’t begin well, as they lost both openers inside the powerplay. But Josh Inglis and Cameron Green took control from there, stitching together an unbeaten 131-run partnership. Inglis anchored the chase with a composed 78*, while Green finished on 56* to guide their side home comfortably. Inglis was named Player of the Match for his efforts.
Russell finishes his international career with 143 appearances — 86 T20Is, 56 ODIs, and one Test — scoring 2,158 runs and claiming 132 wickets.
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