No one predicted Xavier Bartlett would be playing for Australia this summer. Not even Xavier Bartlett him self fact that he made his debut in an ODI, having not played a 50-over List A game for Queensland since September 2022, makes it even more remarkable. Before the BBL, where he dominated the tournament taking 20 wickets in Brisbane Heat’s title win, Bartlett did not play a single game for Queensland in any format as he was coming off a back injury.
But, at the MCG on Friday, he looked like he had been playing international cricket for years as he scythed through West Indies’ top order to claim 4 for 17, the second-best figures by an Australian man on ODI debut as Australia riding on Bartlett’s immaculate performance and Cameron Green’s all round show.(77* with the bat and 2 wickets with the ball)
Ably supported by evergreen Steve Smith’s masterful half century and Josh Inglis fire play at top of the order floored new looking West Indies side by eight wickets chasing the target of 231 in 38.3 overs giving Australia 1-0 lead in the three match ODI series between them.
Pitch Report, Toss and Teams
It has been a week of celebration in Melbourne for both West Indies and Australia. The smiles on the faces of the West Indies team after their Test heroics on Sunday in Brisbane will last for a long time. And despite being on the losing end of an epic, Australia have also had cause to celebrate with their annual awards which took place on Tuesday.
The new look Australian Team post David Warner’s retirement in ODI cricket and rest given to the players like Mitchell Marsh, Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell , Mitchell Starc included bunch of excited new players in built up to their preparations for World Cup 2027 . West Indies too missing the services of experienced Nicholas Pooran , Jason Holder, Shimron Hetmyer under experienced campaigner Shai Hope and some young heroes from Gabba victory set to lock horns with the Australians at MCG.
Australian skipper Steve Smith won the toss and elected to bowl on a typical Melbourne Cricket Ground wicket offers a balanced surface in white-ball cricket. Ground offers longer boundaries, making batters’ jobs a little difficult at this venue. The average first innings score here is 222 with teams batting first winning 78 of 158 ODI matches so far. Pace bowlers can also expect some help from the surface at MCG’s pitch.
The Australian team gave debut caps to Lance Morris and Xavier Bartlett while Josh Inglis who got tested positive for Covid-19 was still playing, but asked to use different dressing room and maintain distance form the players.
West Indies on the other hand had the youngsters in form of Justin Greaves and Kavem Hodge to their services in the playing 11.
Debutant Xavier Bartlett’s thunderous 4 wicket haul has West Indies reeling at 59 for 4 by the 15th over
Putting into bat first debutant bowler Xavier Bartlett tore through West Indies’ top order on his ODI debut to finish with 4 for 17, the second-best figures on ODI debut for Australia behind current selector Tony Dodemaide who himself holds the record for the 5 for 21 against Sri Lanka in 1988 remains the best figures on ODI debut by an Australian.
It was Bartlett’s spell that set up the win. The 25-year-old Queenslander and Lance Morris became the first debutants for Australia to open the bowling together in an ODI since 2016, and just the third pair since 1975. Bartlett claimed a wicket with his third ball in ODI cricket, clipping the top of Justin Greaves’ off stump with a magical outswinger.
He should have had a second three balls later as he hooped an inswinger into Alick Athanaze’s front pad but the umpire thought it was shaping down and Smith opted not to review it. The ball-tracking projection suggested the ball was smashing the top of leg stump.
Keacy Carty’s stoic 88 runs and his 110 runs partnership with Roston Chase (59 runs ) propels West Indies to 231 after Xavier Bartlett returns to take his 4th wicket becoming 2nd most successful bowler on debut for Australia.
Horrified start for Australia but Covid borne Josh Inglis fiery 65 , All rounder Cameron Green’s effective 77* and Steve Smith’s calm 79* gives Australia a thumping 8 wicket win over West Indies .
Australia’s chase got off to a horror start with Travis Head falling in Matthew Forde’s opening over for just 4, after bagging a pair in the second Test in Brisbane.
But any hope West Indies might have had of reproducing their Gabba heroics evaporated in less than ten overs as Josh Inglis smashed a 28-ball half-century to whisk the game away. Opening for just the second time in ODIs, having also tested positive for Covid on Thursday, Inglis smoked ten fours and a six in a statement innings. Anything fractionally short from Forde and Oshane Thomas was hammered, including a huge six over square leg. He also produced some stunning drives down the ground. He fell trying to reverse-sweep Gudakesh Motie.
On the other hand Cameron Green who is touted to be the next big thing in white ball cricket in Australia as an all rounder after his heroics with the ball claiming 2 wickets , batting at No 3 , shone with the bat too. Green when Inglis was on berserk mode, took time to settle down and after a sluggish start, he got flowing with two massive sixes off Motie and Romario Shepherd.
Green benefitted from Smith’s calm influence at the other end. On another day, he might have felt more pressure to up the ante with higher-risk strokeplay, but the stand-in skipper was happy to cruise to the total without any unnecessary acceleration. They picked off the spinners in a calm century stand to guide Australia home with 11.3 overs to spare. Green remained not out on 77 inclusive of 4 fours and 2 sixes while Steve Smith who came back to his form scored run a ball 79 to give Australia 8 wicket victory and a 1-0 lead over West Indies.
Players thoughts and Road Ahead.
Man of the Match Xavier Bartlett for his impressive debut 4-17 said :
“Amazing way to start, amazing to contribute to a win. Couldn’t ask for much more, lucky it hit the stumps (on his first wicket). Been working on it for a few years, built up courage to bowl it and lucky it came off (on the outswinger),”
“Was great to build some confidence at the Brisbane Heat, very happy to be here. Watched Steve Smith on TV for the last 10 years, to be out there now and be captained by him now is quite surreal,”
That’s as comfortable as wins get for Australia. They cruised along so easily, it was like a walk in the park. After electing to bowl first, they restricted the West Indies to 231 on the back of an excellent spell from debutant Bartlett. Chasing it down was never going to be difficult but Inglis smothered any little hope the West Indies would’ve had with an explosive innings at the top.
After Travis Head fell in the first over, Inglis took the charge to the West Indies bowlers and raced along to 65 in no-time. After he was dismissed, Green and Smith batted methodically and stitched together a massive stand to see Australia home without any hiccups. Both men went on to score fifties and Australia won by 8 wickets with ages to spare. The gulf between the two sides very evident today. This is also Australia’s 10th ODI win on the trot against the West Indies.
Both the sides will now head to Sydney where Australia would like to give few more youngsters a chance and seal the series 2-0 whereas West Indies will look to find some inspiration from Gabba victory to spring a turn around to keep the series exciting and alive when the final ODI arrives.