By Rajiv Bisnauth
FAULTY techniques of the West Indies batsmen against high-quality bowlers were exposed thoroughly yesterday as world one-day champions, Australia, kicked off their tri-series campaign in style with a convincing six-wicket victory in game two.Watched by a near to capacity crowd at the Providence National Stadium, the West Indies batsmen struck in the spin web formed by the trio of Man-of-the-Match Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell, who shared seven wickets among them, but it was pacer Mitchell Starc (2-37), who provided the early jolt which eventually rocked the Caribbean batting line-up.
From a comparative comfort of 50-2, the Caribbean side lost their last eight wickets for just 66 runs to be all out for 116 in 32.3 overs.

Lyon finished with figures of 3-39 , Zampa took 3-16 and Glenn Maxwell 1-3.
While the West Indies batsmen couldn’t get the measure of the Providence pitch, the Australians didn’t have much issues when their turn came to chase the hosts’ below-par total.
Opener David Warner led the run chase with an unbeaten 55-ball 55, as Australia reached 117-4 in 25.4 overs.
West Indies after fielding an unchanged team got off to a disastrous start, losing hard-hitting opener Andre Fletcher (4) in the very first over to Starc, who has returned to the international fold after a foot surgery.
Johnson Charles was dropped at first slip off Josh Hazlewood when he was on nine, but after that let-off, Charles and Darren Bravo settled nicely after getting a measure of the pitch and bowlers to good effect to take their team to the 50-run mark.
The left-handed Bravo played positively, hitting Starc for two cover boundaries in the fifth over and then pulled Hazlewood to the mid-wicket fence in the next over. Charles then got into the act and hit Lyon for the innings first six.
However, once the partnership was broken, Australia’s bowlers called the shots, causing a batting collapse.
Australia struck twice in quick succession to dismiss both Bravo and Charles to stay alive in the game.
The 27-year-old Bravo was removed by all-rounder Mitchell Marsh for 19, while Charles (22) was cleaned up by Starc by a superb yorker in the 14th over.
The Australian spinners then became difficult to dominate on a helpful pitch, claiming the final seven wickets.
Lyon made his first strike by trapping Marlon Samuels (10) leg before while Kieron Pollard, who was beaten in flight, went the very next ball.
Denesh Ramdin went by the same route to Maxwell while Zampa clean bowled Jason Holder.
A double change from Steve Smith half-way through the innings saw Lyon having Sulieman Benn caught and bowled.
But after Sunil Narine hit Lyon for a boundary and Carlos Brathwaite stroked his way to 21, inclusive of a four and a six in the 29th over, Zampa removed both batsmen.
David Warner and Aaron Finch then continued to pile on the misery as Australia raced to 44 in 7.4 overs, even as the West Indies opted to open the bowling with mystery spinner Sunil Narine.
The West Indies bowlers went for a slew of boundaries before Finch was trapped leg before to Holder for 19.
At the break, Australia were 54-1. However, the tourists then lost Usman Khawaja (7) off Benn, while Narine removed Steve Smith (6) and Maxwell (0) in the space of three balls.
Despite the fall of the wickets around him, the left-handed Warner remained resolute to frustrate the West Indies attack.
He and Marsh (nine not out) took Australia comfortably home. The Australians meet South Africa tomorrow in game three at the same venue from 13:00hrs. Australia gained a bonus point for the win.

SCORECARD

WEST INDIES innings
J. Charles b Starc 22
A. Fletcher c Maxwell b Starc 4
D. Bravo c Zampa b Marsh 19
M Samuels lbw b Lyon 10
D .Ramdin† lbw b Maxwell 12
K. Pollard c Warner b Lyon 0
C .Brathwaite c Finch b Zampa 21
J .Holder* b Zampa 1
S. Benn c & b Lyon 3
S. Narine st †Wade b Zampa 5
J .Taylor not out 5
Extras: (lb 3, w 9, nb 2) 14
Total: (all out; 32.3 overs) 116
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-50, 3-59, 4-70, 5-70, 6-85, 7-88, 8-91, 9-111, 10-116
Bowling: M.Starc 9-0-37-2, J. Hazlewood 3-0-13-0, N. Lyon 10-2-39-3, M. Marsh 3-1-5-1, A Zampa 5.3-0-16-3, G. Maxwell 2-1-3-1

AUSTRALIA innings
D. Warner not out 55
A Finch lbw b Holder 19
U Khawaja c Holder b Benn 27
S. Smith* lbw b Narine 6
G .Maxwell b Narine 0
M. Marsh not out 9
Extras: (lb 1) 1
Total: (4 wickets; 25.4 overs) 117
Did not bat: MS Wade†, MA Starc, A Zampa, JR Hazlewood, NM Lyon
Fall of wicket: 1-44, 2-85, 3-92, 4-92
Bowling: S.Narine 10-2-36-2, J. Taylor 3-0-20-0, S. Benn 6-0-21-1, J. Holder 3-0-21-1, C. Brathwaite 3-0-14-0, A. Fletcher 0.4-0-4-0. (Points-Australia 5, West Indies 0.)