It was not the fairytale ending many had hoped for in the final international outing of the great Andre Russell, as the West Indies suffered another defeat to Australia in the second T20 International on Tuesday night. A packed Sabina Park buzzed with anticipation that the hometown hero would get the swansong he deserved, honouring his immense contributions to Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.
Prior to the start of play, Russell received a guard of honour from both teams and a token of appreciation from the government of Jamaica, which was met with rapturous applause from the crowd. But the ultimate icing on the cake was not to be.
After winning the toss, the Aussies elected to put the hosts in to bat. The West Indies struggled early in the powerplay but recovered quickly, with Shai Hope and Brandon King forging a solid 63-run opening stand. King went on to register a well-deserved half-century.
However, Australia clawed their way back into the contest, dismissing both openers in quick succession. Spinner Adam Zampa tightened the screws during the middle overs, picking up key wickets. Still, the crowd erupted as Russell unleashed one final explosive cameo, smashing 36 runs off just 15 deliveries to swing momentum back to the Windies. As he walked off for the final time, all the Australian players showed their respect with handshakes and pats on the shoulder, saluting the emotional Jamaican. A brief flourish from Gudakesh Motie at the back end pushed the Windies to a respectable total of 171 from their 20 overs.
In reply, Jason Holder struck early to remove the dangerous Glenn Maxwell, who had been promoted up the order. But that proved to be the high point for the West Indies in the field. A series of dropped catches, three of them in a single over from Motie, allowed the Australians to settle and take control.
Cameron Green (56*) and Josh Inglis (78*) capitalised fully, putting together an unbeaten 131-run partnership to steer the visitors home with ease, winning by eight wickets.
Despite the defeat, the man of the moment, Russell, remained gracious and grateful: “I just want to say ‘thanks again’. Played in front of my home crowd, family and friends. The result didn’t go my way, but at the end of the day, I’m happy. The crowd has been amazing in the last two games. We tried our best. I feel like it’s time for me to just hang it up, and wish the boys all the best moving forward. I’m very grateful for this amazing international career finishing at Sabina Park. Keep supporting.”
The West Indies will look to regroup and bounce back in the third encounter of the five-match series, scheduled for Friday at Warner Park in St Kitts.
