ICC World Cup 2019: Nathan Coulter-Nile, Mitchell Starc spark Australia’s revival win over West Indies

Nathan Coulter-Nile’s career-best 92 -- the highest score by any number eight batsman or lower in a World Cup -- helped take Australia to 288 all out. Mitchell Starc took a fifer.

Intrigue went through the roof on Thursday after Chris Gayle was third time unlucky getting an lbw appeal reviewed, only to find out later that Mitchell Starc had overstepped the previous delivery. What should have been an absorbing contest between bat and ball was blighted by umpiring mistakes that probably cost West Indies the game. ((ICC World Cup 2019: Full Coverage))

Australia's Nathan Coulter-Nile celebrates with Mitchell Starc and team mates at the end of the match. (Reuters)

Out of five reviews, four were overturned and one --- that finally got Gayle --- was deemed umpire’s call. Neither New Zealander Chris Gaffaney nor Sri Lanka’s Ruchira Palliyaguruge were spared the jeers by a capacity crowd at the Trent Bridge.

Notwithstanding the irreversible error of failing to spot the no-ball against Gayle, West Indies probably lost grip of the match much before when they let Australia recover from 79/5 to post a competitive 288. Shai Hope inspired with his 68 but once Jason Holder came out to bat instead of the injury-ridden Andre Russell at the fall of Shimron Hetmyer’s wicket, West Indies fans knew this won’t be an easy chase.

Still, the West Indies captain held forte for a combative fifty but once he holed out to Adam Zampa at short fine-leg, the chase was good as over. By snaring Carlos Brathwaite and Holder in the same over, Mitchell Starc hit the final nail with a match-winning haul of 5/46.

This contest was as much about as Australia’s doggedness as West Indies’ bowling aggression upfront. Boosted by the confidence of bowling out Pakistan for 105 here, West Indies didn’t surprise in electing to field. No surprises again when their pacers started aiming for the head.

At one of the oldest grounds in the world, West Indies turned back the clock to make Australians hop, skip and jump, accounting for Aaron Finch, David Warner, Usman Khawaja and Glen Maxwell cheaply before Steve Smith refused to get lured into the short-pitched trapdoors.

First with Marcus Stoinis, then with the spunky Alex Carey, Smith went about on a repair job as good as any before Nathan Coulter-Nile launched into the Caribbean bowling to score a 60-ball 92 and propel Australia to 288. On point at the start, West Indies started floundering under the pressure, conceding 24 wides.

The fielding too was pedestrian at times. Smith could have been caught by Sheldon Cottrell --- who made up for it by brilliantly catching Smith later at fine-leg --- on 26 before Hetmyer gave Coulter-Nile a life on 61. Both made full use of those opportunities.