AI Simulation, WI vs AUS | Green and Lyon lead with bat and ball to hand Aussies mammoth win in Barbados

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Cameron Green scored a first-innings ton and 64 to follow to help Australia topple Windies in Barbados, as per AI

As per Artifical Intelligence, Australia will breeze to victory at Kensington Oval in Barbados to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series against West Indies. Cameron Green's clinical batting display in both innings and nine wickets for Nathan Lyon ensured the Windies fell short by 185 runs.

‌‌‌Pitch & Weather

The Barbados deck was upto its usual tricks with ideal batting conditions through the first half of the Test match, with some assistance for the seamers courtesy of a thin layer of grass and phases of overcast conditions. However, as the sun beat down on the track, it dried up bringing the spinners into play, while footmarks and dry patches only further aided their cause.

Toss & Conditions

Australia won the toss and opted to bat first.

Lineups

WI: Kraigg Brathwaite, Brandon King, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope, Justin Greaves, Roston Chase (c), Tevin Imlach (wk), Shamar Joseph, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales, Jomel Worrican

AUS: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Matt Kuhnemann, Nathan Lyon

Match Report

Opting to bat first, Australia's new look opening pair of Usman Khawaja and Sam Konstas got off to a sedate start on Day 1 with the Windies quicks hopoping the brand new Dukes around under overcast conditions. The duo ticked off 25 runs in each other's company before Alzarri Joseph finally managed to get Konstas' outside edge and send him packing for 17. However, a sustained period of dominance followed from the visitors as Cameron Green dug in alongside Khawaja to frustrate the bowling attack. The duo added 202 runs for the second wicket and seemed set to take Australia safely through to Stumps when Jamal Worrican struck twice late in the day, including Khawaja for 88, to bring the hosts some reprieve. However, the success failed to translate into the next day as Green completed his ton and Travis Head scored 66 rapid runs on the back of eight boundaries and two maximums. Cameos from Beau Webster and Alex Carey further pushed the score past 350 before a lethal Jayden Seales burst with the second new ball rendered them all-out for 368.

In response, Kraigg Brathwaite fought a war of attrition against the new ball duo of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins while Brandon King kept picking up the odd boundary. Just as they were about to bring up the 50-run mark, the former sent both King and Keacy Carty packing in quick succession to hand Australia the ascendancy. Nathan Lyon backed up the good work with the scalps of Shai Hope in Justin Greaves in a brief spell thereafter before Cummins got rid of Brathwaite for 41 to leave the hosts reeling at 106/5. Roston Chase and Tevlin Imlach put on a brave fightback for a brief while to combine for 60 runs, the skipper going on to register a half-century, but Lyon and Starc returned in tandem to blow through the tail and hand Australia a first-innings lead of 149.

With nearly three days played, Australia chose to push the envelope a bit more in the second innings seekinga result as Khawaja and Konstas put together a 70-run stand. Green at three added to his first-innings heroics with 64 runs in just 70 deliveries, hammering seven boundaries and two resounding maximums in the process. By the time Warrican got rid of Khawaja for 65 to end the 83-run partnership, Australia's lead had already surpassed 300. Some quick knocks from Josh Inglis and Travis Head followed to give the side some buffer before they eventually declared at 218/6 to set the Windies 368 to chase.

Two scalps with the new ball from Mitchell Starc removed both King and Carty in quick succession once again to put Australia on the front foot before Brathwaite and Hope showcased some grit to spark some hope. However, Cummins disrupted all dreams by shattering Hope's stumps when he was on 20 before Lyon got the better of Brathwaite to expose the lower order. The offie went on to scalp five as Chase was once again the only one who fought back with a steadfast 40, only enough to take his team to 183 to hand the visitors a 185-run triumph.

Player of the Match

After being shoehorned into number three as a part of Australia's long ongoing struggles to find Cameron Green a permanent home in their top-six, the West Australian came to his own in his first outing in the West Indies to score a riveting ton in the first innings. The youngster then complemented the effort with a crucial 64 in his next effort to set up a huge victory and take home the man of the match honours.