West Indies vs Australia, 3rd ODI at Bridgetown, WI v AUS, Jul 26 2021 - Match Result

8.50 pm Australia win the series 2-1, but more importantly take 20 out of 30 World Cup Super League Qualifying points. The speed of victory tonight also gives them a hefty boost to their net run rate while the West Indies take a considerable hit in the same tiebreaker column. Wade ends unbeaten with 51, Starc took three wickets to end with best figures on the night, but if you ask me the Man of the Match should go to either Agar or Hazlewood. Agar bowled a superb spell of left-arm spin and finished with 2 for 31 in 10 overs before contributing with a very handy 19 not out to hold up an end for Wade to seal the chase as they clinched the game with an unbroken 54-run fifth-wicket stand. But Hazlewood's spell of 2 for 18 in eight overs was simply marvelous.

Ashton Agar is Player of the Match: "It's pretty favorable conditions for a spinner. You just had to get your length right and as long as you were hitting the stumps for the right-hander and pitching the ball to a left-hander where it's spinning in and hitting the stumps to bring all modes of dismissal into play, that's all you can do and you let the pitch go to work. It's always nice to do it in the last game of a series. We really wanted to win a series being away from a long time, being cooped up in your rooms, you just want to come out and win a series. Personally it's very pleasing but I'm much happier to go celebrate with the boys later. It's very special. Really difficult conditions, really interesting style of cricket that was played. You don't get many pitches like that and I hope we end up seeing a lot more like that in the future."

West Indies captain Kieron Pollard: "We didn't bat well. Winning the toss, yes the wicket was a bit tacky and I thought we did the hard work in the early overs but we weren't able to string partnerships together. 153 was never going to be enough. 200-220 on that track might have been a fighting total. For us it has been challenging. We accept that we haven't batted well throughout this series. Coming from the T20 series, the difference in the strokeplay was evident. Coming here to Barbados, I think both teams struggled on the pitch and I think that's unacceptable for international cricket. We're not going to make excuses. We accept that we batted badly but I don't think the scores that we have gotten in this three-match series, with two top international teams, I think that's very embarrassing for us as a people. Coming from St Lucia to this, I think it's absolutely ridiculous. It was plain for the world to see. If I continue going on about it, it's going to be headlines, 'Pollard this, Pollard that.' That's fine with me. But the reality is, we as players sometimes we get the brunt of the accusations and all the bad stuff. But give guys the opportunity to come and play on some good cricketing wickets. It goes back even to our regional cricket as well. I think as a whole we need to do better and we as individuals need to do better as well. So we're not going to cast blame. We're going to accept responsibility as well. But I think as a holistic approach and holistic view to move forward. You can use depleted, you can use second string, but this Australian team, these guys are passionate about their cricket. I've had the opportunity to play with Alex at Adelaide Strikers and he has a good head on his shoulders. I think leadership suits him. Long may it continue for him. Well played to the Australians and we look to see where we can come back strong."

Not so subtle critique of the pitches in Barbados from captain Pollard!

Player of the Series is Mitchell Starc for his 11 wickets: "There's plenty of ups and downs. I think it's part of our experience in the team is our bowling group. I think that showed today with the ball in the first innings and I think our batting unit learned from the other night and it was fantastic to grit it out and get home tonight. It's a point of difference of mine is being left-arm and being able to bowl at a decent click for most of the game. So that's part of my role in the team and something that I try to continue to do. It helps when I've got Josh at the other end who is so consistent all the time and the spinning quality that we have as well. A lot of things went pretty well for us tonight. I think we learned from the other night where we got outplayed on the conditions and Matty Wade went well for us with the bat. It's nice to contribute and fantastic for this young group to win a series away from home. It was probably not the series we wanted in the T20s but to play some really good cricket throughout the one-day series was really good for this group."

Australia captain Alex Carey: "Personally and collectively it's really exciting. It's tough to leave home during a pandemic and the commitment that this group has shown, it's fantastic to see a result go our way tonight. The T20s didn't go our way but that's some great reward for a lot of commitment shown to the group. I thought the bowlers did a great job. I think there were some good innings throughout the series. It was a little bit ugly tonight but you've got to get a total like that a little bit ugly when the wicket is doing a fair bit and we bounced back from the other night. We understood the conditions and for the batters to score 150, it was a great target to get. It's pretty nice to throw the new ball to Hazlewood and Starc. Ashton Agar coming into the group was fantastic today. Adam Zampa throughout the last 24 months has been brilliant. Ashton Turner did a great job as well in these conditions. We've been working really hard since we've been in the West Indies. Like I said it's exciting and a great reward for the effort we put in. It's very exciting to lead the group to a series win here in the West Indies."

Well, Ashton Agar said he can't wait to bowl on a pitch like this again. Kieron Pollard... not so much! His quotes will give observers inside and outside the West Indies plenty to chew on until the T20I series with Pakistan gets underway in a few days time. But this wraps up Australia's tour of the region. Thanks for tuning into our coverage. For Andrew McGlashan, I'm Peter Della Penna. Take care!

Pooran brought on for a bowl with six runs left to win. First time bowling in ODIs, first time bowling in international cricket period. Around the stumps for his offspin.

Walsh Jr switches around the stumps.

One shot will do it now for Australia.