The left-hander was at his vintage best as he smashed four sixes and nine fours to anchor the 158-run chase, in a match that was a swansong game for Dwayne Bravo and probably for Chris Gayle as well. Warner got good support from Mitchell Marsh, who slammed a 32-ball 53 (5x4, 2x6) before getting out while trying to score the winning run.
The duo stitched a match-winning 124-run partnership off 75 balls to seal the chase with 22 balls to spare. Warner upped the ante in the third over, smashing Jason Holder for two consecutive boundaries before finishing the over with a six.
Skipper Aaron Finch (9) got out in the next over after being cleaned up by Akeal Hosein, but Warner maintained the required run rate. Southpaw Warner raced to his 20th T20 International half-century off 29 balls, as Australia was never in a spot of bother and made it a run-a-ball equation at the halfway mark – 98/1 – needing 60 off 60 balls. There were trademark pulls, sweeps and switch hits as he toyed with the Windies attack.
Marsh also followed suit with an equally aggressive half-century – his fifth in T20Is – as Australia made it a walk in the park.
Earlier, skipper Kieron Pollard struck a combative 31-ball 44 to lead West Indies to a fighting 157 for seven.
Opting to field in a must-win match, Australia was hit a bit by Windies opener Evin Lewis, who smashed Josh Hazlewood for a hat-trick of fours en route to his 26-ball 29. ‘Universe Boss’ Gayle made a nine-ball 15 in what seemed his last International appearance.
On a batting-friendly wicket that aided true pace and bounce, the struggling defending champion finally got its rhythm back. While Australia then got three wickets for five runs, the Windies kept firing with Pollard holding the innings together.
Pollard slammed one six and four fours while Shimron Hetmyer (27) and Bravo, who made a 12-ball 10 in his final International outing, also made useful contributions. Finally it was Andre Russell who finished it off with two sixes (18 not out from seven balls) to prop the total as the Windies put on 58 runs off the final five overs.
BRIEF SCORES: West Indies 157/7 in 20 overs (K Pollard 44, J Hazlewood 4/39) lost to Australia 161/2 in 16.2 overs (D Warner 89*, M Marsh 53)
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