A deep-seated smile adorned Andre Russell's otherwise intense face as he cautiously walked down the steps. Both his opponents, Australia, and his teammates from the West Indies queued up to present him with a Guard of Honour. As Andre Russell came onto the ground for the final time in the West Indies maroon and gold uniform, "Dre-Day" in Jamaica got off to a spectacular start. Olivia Grange, Jamaica's minister of sports and culture, presented him with a memento. For a remarkable player, it was a unique occasion.
An hour or so later, first-generation T20 legend Andre Russell demonstrated why he is a worldwide sensation in the game's shortest format. When the West Indies were reduced to 98 for 5 after losing two wickets in the 14th over, Russell arrived to bat in a precarious position and got off the mark with a single off Adam Zampa.
Russell unleashed his power in the following over from Ben Dwarshuis, hammering three sixes. The first was a flat, straight rocket that punched a hole in the sightscreen — the ball got lodged in it. Tim David, with help from the ground staff, eventually managed to retrieve it.
In the 16th over, Russell turned the heat on Zampa, dispatching the leg-spinner for a four and a six. The two-time World Cup winner stayed deep in the crease, relying on brute force to punish the loose deliveries. Zampa, anticipating Russell to advance down the track, misjudged his length on both occasions.
Of Russell's nine balls, five reached the boundary, out of which four were sixes. Those in the Australian camp could see the warning flags. In the West Indies dugout, the scenes were completely different. They were expecting a Dre Russ fairy tale conclusion.
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Australia turned to Nathan Ellis to rein in Russell with his cleverly disguised slower balls. The Aussie pacer immediately produced one that drew a mistimed shot, but a misfield in the deep by Mitchell Owen turned it into a boundary.
Ellis stuck to his plan and delivered another slower ball, this time outside off-stump. Russell swung hard, aiming to send it into the stands, but only managed a top edge. The ball soared high into the night sky. Josh Inglis called for it early, kept his eyes locked on it, and completed a well-judged catch with ease.
Russell finished with a scorching knock of 36 off 15 balls. The Australian fielders took turns shaking his hands as he walked back, raising his bat.
Russell stated during the mid-innings break that he merely wished to avoid losing. "Just don't want to finish on a losing note, that's important to me and the West Indies. Want to finish my international career with a win. I was a bit emotional when I went out to the middle for the last time, but I was focused on my work. When you have positive intent, it becomes easy (to hit sixes), nice to keep hitting sixes," he said.
Russell’s dream farewell, however, wasn’t to be. Josh Inglis and Cameron Green smashed blazing fifties to help Australia hunt down West Indies’ 172-run target in just 15.2 overs. Russell bowled only one over in the match, conceding 16 runs without taking a wicket.
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