Veteran opener David Warner played an unbeaten 89 not out as Australia registered an easy eight-wicket win over West Indies to survive the race for the semi-finals in the showpiece.
With defeat in the swansong game dwayne bravo And perhaps even for Chris Gayle, West Indies are likely to miss out on direct qualification for next year’s World Cup. They will be out of the top-8 after Saturday’s loss.
“Overall it has been a disappointing campaign. In terms of batting we haven’t done well at all. Our bowling has been good but not good enough. It’s the end of a generation, we have a few guys who have done well in T20 cricket. Well done for our team and around the world,” Pollard said in a post-match presentation.
“We are very proud of the people. We have to look at the way T20 cricket is played. What we have seen is that a person in the top four has to bat for as long as possible. Going forward I need to improve it We have to start with a foundation now,” Pollard said in a post-match press conference.
Australia captain Aaron Finch praised Warner for his unbeaten knock of 89 off 56 balls.
“It was a really pleasant day. I thought it was going to be a long day Evin Lewis played. We held our nerves well. The way (Warner) handled his innings, went to a flyer and allowed Mitch Marshaw To come to your shift. He has been a super player for a long time. I don’t understand why people doubted him.”
Man of the match Warner said that he just played his natural game.
“It felt satisfying to be there at the end. It was important to play my natural game. It’s about hitting the first two balls and I was able to do that,” Warner said.
“(Our bowlers) have been excellent. We knew they would work hard against us. We know how much firepower West Indies have and have got a very competitive total.”
Warner also paid tribute to the retired duo of Dwayne Bravo and Chris Gayle, saying that they have set a benchmark for generations to come.
“DJ (Bravo) has been a benchmark for all the players to come, and Chris, he is someone I look up to.”
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