Nicholas Pooran hit so many runs with the help of eight sixes, West Indies defeated Australia by 35 runs in a high-scoring match

T20 World Cup 2024 co-hosts West Indies defeated Australia by 35 runs on Friday as per Indian time in the warm-up match of the tournament. Australia elected to bowl first after winning the toss at Queen's Park Oval. West Indies posted a huge score of 257 runs for the loss of four wickets, with Nicholas Pooran scoring the highest 75 runs.

Sherfane Rutherford (47 not out), opener Johnson Charles (40), and captain Rovman Powell (52 ) all had outstanding performances. With their masterful power-hitting, the two-time champions doubled the excitement of the home crowd. The top order of the West Indies crushed the bowlers from Australia. In his four overs, Adam Zampa gave up 62 runs and claimed two wickets.

Australia's response was limited to 222 runs at seven wickets in 20 overs. Josh Inglis was the only Australian player to score fifty runs with the bat. With 55 runs, Inglis scored. The two most effective bowlers for the hosts were fast bowler Alzari Joseph (2/44) and spinner Gudakesh Moti (2/31).

This year's T20 World Cup will be played in the US and West Indies from June 2. Australia will play their first match against Oman on June 6, while West Indies will play their first match against Papua New Guinea on June 2. This is a great start for the World Cup co-hosts West Indies. The last few years have not been very good for this strong team. In such a situation, defeating Australia's full-strength team is a testimony to their strong preparations for the upcoming World Cup.