AUS vs WI: Shai Hope 'can't make sense' as Australia hammer West Indies, chasing 87 in just 6.5 overs

AUS vs WI: Shai Hope ‘can’t make sense’ as Australia hammer West Indies, chasing 87 in just 6.5 overs

West Indies captain Shai Hope was lost for words, unable to fathom what went wrong as the tourists suffered a humbling 8-wicket defeat in the 3rd and final ODI of their series in Australia in Canberra on February 6. West Indies were bundled out for just 86 and Australia chased down the target in 6.5 overs, exposing the lack of fighting spirit from the Shai Hope-led touring side against the world champions.

It was disappointing for the West Indies as the 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series came days after they scripted a historic Test match win in Brisbane, riding on pacer Shamar Joseph’s heroics.

The West Indies, having been put into bat after Australia won the toss, succumbed to a relentless Australian bowling attack. Xavier Bartlett, continuing his golden summer with the ball, was the chief architect of the visitors’ downfall, claiming an impressive 4 for 21. His efforts contributed to the West Indies being bundled out for a paltry 86 runs in just 24.1 overs, marking their fifth-lowest ODI total and second-lowest against Australia in the 50-over format of the game.  | AUS vs WI, 3rd ODI Scorecard |

“Not sure if we can make sense of it, our batters let us down. We need to do some real searching. Can’t put your finger on one thing, comes down to mindset. Few things we can look at but we didn’t bat as well as we should have. Keacy (Carty) played really well, he should take a lot of confidence, Roston Chase also played well. We must take the positives with us to negate the negatives,” Shai Hope said on Tuesday.

With a modest target of 87 runs set before them, the Australian batsmen approached the chase with a ferocity that left spectators at Manuka Oval and viewers worldwide in awe. The innings commenced with a barrage of boundaries as openers Josh Inglis and Jake Fraser-McGurk unleashed a torrent of strokes that saw the team race to their fastest 50 in men’s ODIs since 2002.

Fraser-McGurk, in particular, showcased an explosive display of batting, hammering 41 runs off a mere 18 balls. His innings, studded with three sixes in a single over, set the tone for what was to become a historic day for Australian cricket. The hosts required a mere 6.5 overs to reach the target, leaving a staggering 259 balls to spare – the most in their ODI history.

This remarkable victory, completed in just over half an hour of play, was the shortest men’s ODI ever played on Australian soil in terms of deliveries bowled. It was a day when the Australian team demonstrated their dominance in the 50-over format, recording their 12th consecutive win and leaving the West Indies in disarray, reflecting on a series of performances they would rather forget.

The two teams will meet in a 3-match T20I series from February 9 to 13 in Hobart, Adelaide and Perth and the tourists will certainly hope for a better showing there.

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