Australia were sent into bat at the Gabba after bringing Steve Smith back into the line-up to face the West Indies.
Aaron Finch was listed to open but instead Dave Warner partnered Cameron Green at the top of the order.
In the original list order, Finch was second behind Smith and Glenn Maxwell.
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Mitch Marsh leaves the side after being managed while flying to Perth to avoid the tight change for Sunday’s clash with England, where Australia’s first-choice bowlers will not feature.
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West Indies won the toss and elected to bat first, and the move paid off as Cam Green was out early for just one.
The young West Aussie had to go after facing just four balls, having been bowled by Alzarri Joseph.
Aaron Finch, promoted to number three after being out for four in the first game, survived a review off the second ball he faced.
Finch was hit on the pads by a Kyle Mayers delivery that swung, but replays showed the ball going down leg.
He survived another scream moments later as the ball clipped his thigh.
Finch, even trying to play a ramp, took it off the tip of the bat but it landed safely as he moved to 2* off nine balls.
But at the other end, Warner punished the West Indies attack as he put the Aussies back in front.
He had the first six innings in the fourth over as he raced to 25* off just 13 balls.
Finch’s 58 guides Aussies to Windies win | 04:17
West Indies’ tactics were called into question when both Alzarri Joseph and Jason Holder were given just one over each before being dropped from the attack.
“It just takes the pressure off (with the new bowler),” Fox Cricket’s Mark Waugh said.
“I think the only bowler Finch doesn’t want to face is Joseph.”
“Just giving the Aussies too many easy runs,” added commentator Brad Haddin.
While Finch struggled with his timing at one end, Warner had no trouble at the other.
He quickly brought up his half-century off 30 balls and then went on to make 17 off Yannic Cariah’s first over.
Warner had 12 of Australia’s 13 boundaries in the first 10 overs of the match, hurting the scoreboard.
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Earlier, Michael Clarke slammed Australia’s selectors and team officials, saying they are “burning” Steve Smith and “shooting themselves in the foot” playing Cameron Green ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Clarke, who won the ODI World Cup in 2007 and later led Australia’s victorious campaign in the 2015 tournament on home soil, did not mince his words on Friday morning, believing they had erred in the his squad ahead of this month’s T20 World Cup.
It comes after Smith was left out of Australia’s T20 against the West Indies on Wednesday night, with Green chosen to open the batting despite not being selected in Australia’s World Cup squad.
In addition to Smith’s omission, captain Aaron Finch slipped into bat at No.4.
Finch, who scored an unbeaten 58 during Australia’s three-wicket win, revealed it was his decision to drop down the order so Green could pick up where he left off after an engaging series in India.
The match also saw Mitch Marsh return to Australia’s line-up, albeit only in a batting capacity, while Marcus Stoinis is set to return against England on Sunday in Perth with the selectors keen to see how the versatile batsman after his own mishap injury.
Michael Clarke (right) says Steve Smith is being burnt by Australia. Photo: AAPSSource: AAP
But Clarke said Australia’s officials were doing it wrong by not giving Smith more time in the middle, believing everything should be done with the World Cup in focus.
“My theory is that Mitch Marsh wasn’t bowling so they had to pick Cameron Green over Steve Smith to give us an extra bowling option, but what they’re doing is shooting themselves in the foot at the moment ,” Clarke told the Big Sports Breakfast.
“The most important thing right now is that we’re preparing for this World Cup … so Steve Smith’s form in Twenty20 cricket over the last couple of years hasn’t been as good as he’d like. He has to play.
“He’s got to play and he’s got to own his role, is he going to bat at 4, is he going to bat at 3? You’ve got to let him play, so even if it means playing a short bowler In these games, I still think you have to let your players play.”
Michael Clarke says Australia are “shooting themselves in the foot” ahead of the World Cup. Photo: AAPSSource: AAP
Clarke said Australia were being too cute for their own good, believing they needed to back the World Cup squad for now.
“I think they are preparing for both scenarios. If Marcus Stoinis is fit, he’s in the World Cup squad… If Stoinis is fit, Cameron Green can’t get into the squad, so that’s their plan A,” he said.
“If Stoinis is not fit, Cameron Green will come into the team, so they are trying to have their cake and eat it, OK while Stoinis is not playing, get Cameron Green some cricket and bring him along, but what they are doing. is burning Smithy doing this because he won’t get any cricket.”
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Clarke added that the push to give Green as much cricket as possible was an example of the selectors getting it wrong in his exclusion.
The former batsman also backed Smith to star in the tournament, believing his quality would shine through on the biggest stage.
“(It seems as if) if Cameron Green is in the squad, he’ll be in the starting eleven. That tells me they’ve got it wrong,” he said.
“They should have drafted him.
“Again, with Mitch Marsh they want him to bat at No.3, so Smith will be the one batting at No.4, playing those games, playing every game so he goes to the World Cup at his best. .
“He will find a way to make runs, he is too good a player in any format, especially in a World Cup.”
Michael Clarke says Australia have lost their rhythm when it comes to emerging all-rounder Cameron Green. Photo: AFPSource: AFP
Smith, meanwhile, was playing down his first-game exclusion, pointing to the depth of the squad.
“We have a lot of depth for our team,” Smith told reporters Thursday.
“Tim David has arrived and has done very well. Everyone is in a good place. So we’ll wait and see.
“People talk about match-ups for different opposition and conditions – we’ve got a really good squad so we can pick and choose accordingly … we’ve got options either way we go.”
Teams
Australia XI: David Warner, Aaron Finch (c), Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Cameron Green, Matthew Wade (wk), Mitch Starc, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Antilles XI: Kyle Mayers, Johnson Charles, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran (c, wk), Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Odean Smith, Akeal Hosein, Yannic Cariah, Alzarri Joseph, Obed McCoy
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