Inglis & Green Crash Russell’s Farewell Bash with a Fireworks Show of Their Own

Andre Russell’s last shot in international cricket was supposed to be a Caribbean carnival — one last dance in maroon under the lights. The West Indies allrounder even lived up to the build-up with a savage cameo. But, like fine Aussies, they had other plans. Josh Inglis and Cameron Green were on a full-blown party heist. Their winning, unbeaten, 131-run partnership turned a sentimental farewell into a merciless mauling — an 8-wicket win for Australia, leading the series 2-0 with nearly five overs to spare.

Inglis Goes Full Throttle

The early dismissals of Maxwell and Marsh gave West Indies a glimmer of hope—and a chance to turn Russell’s final outing into a memorable win. There was no hesitation in Inglis’ approach; the chase was never meant to be a slow burn. Instead, with turbo in overdrive, he blitzed three boundaries and then followed that with two sixes across two overs, making up for lost time and opportunities.

Fifty came quickly for Inglis—just 23 balls filled with blazing flicks, punchy pulls, and the occasional deft touch. If things weren’t hard enough, West Indies made it even tougher for themselves. They dropped a couple of chances off Gudakesh Motie in a single over, and all of a sudden, they let Australia right back into the contest. And Inglis set about making them pay without a moment’s hesitation.

His aggression was measured and disrupted the rhythm of West Indian bowlers to the point that they had to call in Russell earlier than planned – only to welcome him with a massive six. The statement being sent? Very clear. Loud and clear.

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Green’s Growth Spurt: From Support Act to Co-Star

While Inglis showed his dancing shoes down the track, Cameron Green was quietly beginning to draw up his masterpiece. He didn’t just play the second fiddle — he played like a seasoned finisher. Green pounced on Motie and Chase, putting his long levers and his clean arc to play to destructive effect.

He brought up his fifty just moments before the finish line, and showed composure under pressure and a timing that somehow felt odd, given he is still finding his feet in T20Is. Green’s 56 off 29 was a clarion call: he wasn’t a ‘just in case’ pick — he is Australia’s next T20 batter in the making.

Inglis and Green played in a way that was like two guys deciding when the post-match pizza might arrive — total calm, no panic, and very much in control.

Russell’s Last Hurrah Deserved More

The tragedy of the night? Russell’s cameo deserved a better finish than that. A 15-ball 36 — with perhaps three sixes in a single over off Dwarshuis and more fireworks against Zampa — was a jubilant throwback. He left the field with 20 balls to go in the innings, and the West Indies knew they had taken a hit.

Russell got his guard of honour, he got his final ovation, he just didn’t get the send-off win his career deserved. The West Indies team folded around him; the middle order cracked under pressure, and the drops, they were haunting like a bad remix.

As Russell exits, Australia demonstrates that farewells don’t wait for sentimentality – especially when Inglis and Green are in the zone. While the West Indies took time for sentiment, Australia was more focused on the scoreboard. That’s modern T20 in a sentence.

So here is a question: In a format defined by moments, are we really celebrating legends enough – or just moving on too quickly?