Australia seal 2-0 win as David underlines Cup value

Reigning World Cup player-of-the-tournament David Warner fired a warning shot to Australia’s rivals, easing his side to a 2-0 Dettol T20I series win over West Indies in Brisbane.

Warner maintained his love affair with the Gabba with a crisp 75 from only 41 balls, while newcomer Tim David reinforced his World Cup credentials with a brutal late cameo that fired the hosts to 7-178.

The Windies were never in the hunt as Mitchell Starc (4-20) claimed career-best figures to ensure the Aussies clinched a comfortable 31-run victory in front of a small, but enthusiastic crowd of 8,164.

Starc returned his first ever four-wicket haul in T20 Internationals, eclipsing his previous best of 3-11, and capped a dominant performance by conceding just three runs in the final over when the Windies needed an unlikely 36 to win.

It was a vintage Warner performance, flaying the fast bowlers through the off-side in the powerplay before a pair of gorgeous straight sixes when the fielding restrictions were relaxed.

A swept six over fine leg off Jason Holder into a pack of fans wearing bald caps and blue shirts with pictures of rugby league icon Alfie Langer was a shot few in world cricket could have managed.

It was a one-man show for half the innings; all but 21 of Australia's first 96 runs were scored by Warner, though he admitted he was "filthy" at the timing of his dismissal not long after Aaron Finch had exited.

In his last 14 innings across all international formats at the Gabba, Warner averages 75.83 with three hundreds and four fifties.

Image Id: 26E8B8BB369648BFB26C99AC215C9BDF Image Caption: Warner scored 75 of Australia’s first 96 runs // Getty

David meanwhile mixed brute power with solid judgement belying his lack of international experience; a pair of cut shots for four underlining he is not merely a slogger.

Not that he can't slog with the best of them; he blasted 20 runs off four Obed McCoy deliveries before the left-armer got revenge by having him lbw on review.

After troubling the Aussies with sheer pace on the Gold Coast two days earlier, Alzarri Joseph (3-21) once again proved a handful in dismissing three of Australia's top four, including Warner, and shapes as the Windies' key bowler for the World Cup.

His side’s chase was never on track, however, as Starc snared wickets in each of his first three overs, the first an athletic caught-and-bowled.

Two expensive Cameron Green overs before Adam Zampa put down Johnson Charles on three (off the bowling of Pat Cummins) did give the visitors a small glimmer of hope.

Green fought back with the scalp of Charles with the opener having struggled to keep his side up with the required rate, while Zampa too made amends with the scalp of Brandon King as the visitors' innings petered out.

Australia's pace brigade fired on all cylinders as Starc, Cummins (2-32) and Josh Hazlewood (0-19) all proved tough to get away.

After his team was inserted by his counterpart Nicholas Pooran, captain Aaron Finch's struggles with the bat continued.

In at No.3 as Green once again opened instead of him, Finch shared in an 85-run stand with Warner but contributed just 10 and even switched to batting left handed at one stage, having also earlier survived an lbw review.

The Aussie skipper lingered long at the crease after slapping a wide one from McCoy straight to mid-off.

A decision to return him to the opening slot may be easier given Green (one) failed for a second straight innings, while the allrounder remains a non-starter in the World Cup squad anyway.

Warner rued his timing when he went out four balls after Finch, and when Glenn Maxwell ran himself out the following over, Australia had lost 3-5 in 12 balls to put the handbrake on an innings where 200 looked possible.

Despite being permitted only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle for the final two overs due to a slow over-rate, the Windies fought back well to only allow 21 from the final three overs.

Men's Dettol T20I Series v West Indies

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Sams, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

First T20: Australia won by three wickets

Second T20: Australia won by 31 runs

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