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With a performance from Australia as phenomenal as the awful effort produced by the West Indies in Canberra, the hosts completed a clean sweep of the ODI series with a record-breaking performance.
Exciting newcomer Jake Fraser-McGurk, who made 41 runs from 18 balls, and World Cup-winning wicketkeeper Josh Inglis led the Australians to the fastest run chase on home soil as the hosts reeled in a target of 86 in just 6.5 overs to win by eight wickets.
Inglis was unbeaten on 35 runs from 16 balls, with stand-in skipper Steve Smith finishing a fine return to the leadership role when not out on six.
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Earlier Xavier Bartlett continued his dream start for Australia by taking 4-21 from 7.1 overs after opening the bowling, an effort that earned him player of the series honours when combined with his dream debut at the MCG last Friday.
The only concern for Australia relates to Lance Morris, with the Western Australian suffering a side strain after taking two wickets from 4.3 overs. He will be assessed later this week.
Australia will now host the West Indies in a three match T20 series beginning in Hobart on Friday.
Scroll down to read our Talking Points from the match!
THE RECORD CHASE IS ON
The Australian team stamped its greatness with a stunning World Cup but the clean sweep of the ODI series against the West Indies has them in pursuit of what seemed an impregnable record.
The eight wicket triumph over the hapless tourists at Manuka Oval on Tuesday was Australia’s 12th win in succession, which equals the third best winning streak of all time.
By claiming the shortest ODI completed in Australia in a dominant display, the nation joined Pakistan and South Africa, which strung together a dozen in succession twice.
The next target for Australia, which began its streak on October 16 last year with a triumph over Sri Lanka in Lucknow, is the 13 consecutive wins by that nation last year.
But the pursuit will wait until September when the reigning World Cup holders travel to Ireland for a three match series and then England for a further five 50-over games.
Australia’s next one day international series on home soil is in November against Pakistan, which serves as a precursor to the blockbuster five Test series against India next summer.
As to the all-time record? Should Australia manage to sweep both the Irish and English series, they would be on the cusp of reeling in the all-time record of 21 straight wins.
That monumental achievement was recorded by … Australia back in 2003.
It began with a seven-run triumph over England in Hobart on January 11, included an unbeaten run through the World Cup in South Africa and was capped by a 67-run victory over the West Indies in the Port of Spain on May 24 that year.
THE EXCITEMENT MACHINE PRODUCES A THRILLER
After devastating the West Indies with some stunning strikes in Canberra on Tuesday, one can only imagine how Jake Fraser-McGurk will perform with improved self-belief.
A standout performer in the Big Bash League, the 21-year-old demonstrated why there is so much hype surrounding him when thumping 41 runs from 18 balls in a dazzling display.
So dynamic was his performance, and such was the sweetness of his timing, the innings evoked memories of David Warner’s remarkable T20I debut at the MCG back in 2009, when the future Test opener blasted 89 off 43 deliveries.
It followed a rapid-fire 10 on debut from five balls at the SCG on Sunday, with the excitement machine telling Fox Cricket the experience of representing his nation was a bonus.
“It is good to be able to have some self-belief if I ever get picked again. To go out there and get 40 (41) today, I was really happy,” Fraser-McGurk said.
The treatment he issued to Matthew Forde, who leaked 40 runs from his two overs, in the fourth over was something to behold as he smashed the West Indian for three sixes.
Fox Cricket analyst Kerry O’Keeffe said the Victorian, who is now based in South Australia, was the type of player who will drag people through the turnstiles.
“Thousands of young kids will be there to watch his first ball every time he walks out to bat,” O’Keeffe said.
“It is magnetic, the way he plays his cricket.”
Australian captain Steve Smith, who finished unbeaten on six, was among those caught in the thrall of the performance from Fraser-McGurk.
“It was exciting, wasn’t it? When he hits them, they certainly stay hit,” Smith said.
“I am sure he will take a lot of confidence out of that. He took it on and hit a lot of balls in the middle there and got us off to a flyer. I think someone said that is the quickest chase ever in Australia, so he is part of a record, so well done to him.
“It is cool to see someone come in at the age of 21 and play with such freedom and no fear at all. I am sure he will have some learnings along the way, but the way he is playing right now is exciting to watch.”
The challenge for Fraser-McGurk and newcomers including Xavier Bartlett and Will Sutherland is to force their way into an Australian team featuring several superstars, though Smith said the former “is another with a bright future, by the look of things”.
The next major ODI target for Australia is the Champions Trophy, which his scheduled to be held in Pakistan next year.
In 2027, it will defend the ODI World Cup in the tournament played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, which gives the youngsters blooded against the West Indies the time to mature and add further skills to the talent they have already demonstrated.
MASTER BLASTERS PUT WARNER INTO REAR VIEW MIRROR
Prior to his fairytale finish at the SCG, David Warner announced his retirement from the ODI arena as well, but with a caveat.
Should the Australian selectors be at a loss ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy tournament next year, and the left-hander still be in solid form in the T20 arena, he would consider the merits of acting as a White Knight for his nation.
Australia will face far, far stiffer opposition in that event compared to the once-mighty West Indies, but the three match series indicates that there is a future beyond Warner in 50-over cricket.
And given the manner with which Fraser-McGurk and Josh Inglis bat, setting a rapid tempo is clearly not going to be an issue should those two, or the rested Travis Head, fill the opening positions throughout the next cycle leading to the 2027 World Cup.
Inglis started superbly at the MCG when scoring 65 runs from 43 balls before missing out at the SCG.
The World Cup-winning wicketkeeper was overshadowed by the fireworks of his opening partner, yet still managed to score an unbeaten 35 from 16 balls in another powerful display at the top of the order. Head, clearly, will also enjoy his chances as an opener in the future.
Matt Short, who missed the Canberra match with hamstring tightness, has shown great promise at the top of the order in short-form cricket but may have to reconsider his options in order to cement a spot in the Australian team given the other candidates.
Then again, Smith flagged the prospect of Fraser-McGurk being a force introduced later in the innings when comparing his ball-striking capabilities to World Cup-winning hero Glenn Maxwell.
“I am sure he could adapt to it. He has certainly got all the shots around the ground, (though) I haven’t seen a lot of him playing against spin yet,” Smith said.
“From what I have seen, he is powerful. A couple of shots he actually played tonight reminded me of Maxy, the way the ball came off the bat and the swing that he sort of has. He is exciting to watch and we are going to see a bit more of him in the future, I dare say.”
McGurk stars in FASTEST ODI chase by Aus | 02:00
LOOKING FURTHER AFIELD, IS XAVIER BARTLETT AN ASHES BOLTER?
Xavier Bartlett proved so good in his outings in Melbourne and at Manuka Oval that he earned the player of the series honour despite being rested from Sunday’s SCG game.
The 25-year-old was fortunate to claim opener Kjorn Ottley LBW given the West Indian actually struck the ball, with his failure to call for a review the start of a horror show for his nation.
But Bartlett’s effort to take 4-21 from seven overs, which follows a four wicket haul at the MCG, demonstrated he is clearly a talent worthy of consideration for future tours.
Just how far afield some are looking is intriguing given Bartlett’s ability to swing the ball and his skill in all three formats of the game.
Bartlett bowled superbly for the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League and now has eight wickets from two ODI outings for Australia at an average under five.
But the South Australian is more than simply a short-form bowler, having taken 62 wickets at an average of 26 to date in 18 First Class matches.
Kerry O’Keeffe likened Bartlett to former Australian swing bowling star Terry Alderman when stating he believed the newcomer to international ranks would be dangerous in England.
By the time Australia next travels to the United Kingdom on an Ashes Tour, Bartlett will be 29 and arguably at the peak of his powers.
Mark Waugh, too, was impressed by Bartlett. He believes the swing bowler would be particularly hard to face in English conditions and shapes as an x-factor for Australian selectors to consider.
“My word. He would be,” Waugh said on Fox Cricket.
“You don’t see many genuine swing bowlers in world cricket these days. They are few and far between, good quality swing bowlers.”
Bartlett, for his part, was happy to have an opportunity to shine while Australia rested premier pace trio Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood and said he will never forget bowling Justin Greaves at the MCG to secure his first wicker for his nation.
“You can’t really go past your first one,” Bartlett told Fox Cricket.
“It (has been) amazing. Obviously to be part of the group with so many debutantes … it was a great feeling to be around them.”
Australia’s stand-in skipper Steve Smith was delighted with his performance and said he had kept an eye on Bartlett for a number of years.
“I think he is good. I remember facing him probably five or six years ago, I think, in the Gabba nets before a Test match and I remember the seam coming down and thought, ‘Gee. This guy presents a beautiful seam’, which you don’t often see,” Smith said.
“I just remembered it randomly and then to see him come out in this series and bowl the way he did, it was outstanding. He presented that seam that I spoke about and swung it and got the rewards. It looks like he has a bright future.”
Smith, meanwhile, was pleased with the rhythm Lance Morris found after a wayward debut at the MCG last Friday. The Western Australian snared two wickets before coming from Manuka Oval with a side strain and will undergo a scan this week.
“He was up and about just then. He has been great around the group for over a year now … and it was great to see him get a couple of games in,” Smith said.
“He possesses some nice skill, so it was good that he was able to get an opportunity.”
Bartlett stars as Aussies smash Windies | 03:14
WHAT ABOUT THE WEST INDIES?
Prior to the debacle about to unfold, West Indian coach Daren Sammy said the once-powerful nation was looking to build strength in the ODI format having failed to qualify for last year’s World Cup.
Based on their deeds in Australia, Sammy has a massive task on his hand to shape a team capable of qualifying for the 2027 edition, let alone be competitive should they manage to secure a passage to Africa.
The feelgood factor surrounding the stunning Test upset late in January has faded but there is hope the West Indies will be more competitive in the three T20 outings to come to complete what has been a mixed summer for the tourists.
Further afield, Sammy said the West Indies are looking forward to co-hosting the T20 World Cup in June with the United States and are hoping to claim a third success in the format after triumphs in 2012 and 2016.
“We are building momentum quite nicely. We had a good year in 2023 in terms of the T20 team,” he told Fox Cricket.
“We understand the previous two World Cups have not gone our way but I look at this team and I (have) said to them, ‘I’ve seen this team before, the calibre of players that we have, the firepower that we have and the different roles that are being executed, I have seen it before.’
“I was captain of that team for six years and I instilled this confidence in them that we could do it. And especially at home, no home team has done it, but we have a great opportunity to do that in the Caribbean.”
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