Australia vs West Indies 2nd T20I Highlights: Australia win by 31 runs, clinch the series 2-0

Australia vs West Indies 2nd T20I: West Indies skipper Nicholas Pooran won the toss Friday and sent Australia in to bat as he chased a win to level the two-match series ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup.

The defending T20 World Cup-champion Australians won the series-opening game on the Gold Coast by three wickets on Wednesday with one ball to spare after the West Indies dropped two catches in the last over.

The West Indies made two changes to the XI with Akeal Hosein and Obed McCoy replacing Raymond Reifer and Sheldon Cottrell in the bowling attack. Steve Smith replaced Mitch Marsh at No. 3 in the batting order in the only change for Australia.

The Australians won the toss on the Gold Coast and restricted West Indies to 145-9.

Then, with regular opener Aaron Finch batting at No. 4 and scoring 58, Australia rallied from 58-5 in the eighth over to clinch it in a dramatic finish on the back of a 69-run sixth wicket between between the skipper and Matt Wade.

The West Indies arrived in Australia this week in the wake of the Caribbean Premier League season, with seven players in the squad who featured in the CPL final last Friday.

After the series against Australia, the West Indies will play two unofficial warmup games in Melbourne next week before beginning the preliminary round of the T20 World Cup on Oct. 17 against Scotland in Hobart.

Australia’s title defense starts Oct. 22 against New Zealand in a rematch of the final of the previous edition in the United Arab Emirates last November. (AP)

Squads

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

West Indies: Nicholas Pooran (c & wk), Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Johnson Charles, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Odean Smith, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Obed McCoy, Sheldon Cottrell, Raymon Reifer, Kyle Mayers, Yannic Cariah, Shamarh Brooks.

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