Australia Take 1-0 Lead in T20I Series with Debutant Mitchell Owen Stealing the Show

Kingston: After a dominant 3-0 sweep in the Test series, Australia have made a victorious start to the T20I leg of their Caribbean tour, defeating hosts West Indies by 3 wickets to go 1-0 up in the three-match series. The hero of the night was 23-year-old debutant Mitchell Owen, who not only impressed with the bat and ball but also matched the debut feats of Australian legends David Warner and Ricky Ponting.

Batting first, West Indies posted a challenging 189/8 in 20 overs, powered by Roston Chase’s 60 and a quickfire 38 off 19 balls from Shimron Hetmyer. However, their late-innings collapse losing 4 wickets for just 5 runs in the final 9 balls proved costly. Australian left-arm pacer Ben Dwarshuis was the standout bowler, finishing with 4/36 and ensuring West Indies fell short of the 200-run mark.

In response, Australia chased down the target with 7 balls to spare, ending at 190/7 in 18.5 overs. Though they stumbled early, debutant Mitchell Owen turned the tide with a stunning 50 off 27 balls, laced with six sixes, and claimed the crucial wicket of Windies skipper Shai Hope (55) earlier in the match. His all-round brilliance earned him the Player of the Match award.

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Owen’s 50 on debut places him in elite company, equaling the T20I debut achievements of Warner and Ponting. He also forged a match-winning 80-run stand for the fifth wicket with Cameron Green, who contributed a blistering 51 off 26 balls (5 sixes, 2 fours).

Earlier contributions came from captain Mitchell Marsh (24), keeper Josh Inglis (18), and Glenn Maxwell (11). The West Indian bowling effort saw Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, and Jason Holder each take two wickets.

The second T20I will be played on Wednesday at 5:30 AM IST.