Kingston, July 21 (IANS) Mitchell Owen made a dream start to his T20I career, starring with both bat and ball to help Australia seal a thrilling three-wicket win over West Indies in the opening match of the five-game series at Sabina Park, Jamaica.

he 23-year-old allrounder admitted to being more nervous with the ball than the bat on debut, but delivered when it mattered. Bowling his only over, Owen claimed the crucial wicket of Shai Hope for 55, sparking a dramatic collapse that saw West Indies lose 6 for 30 – a turning point in the match. His over, however, didn’t start ideally, as Shimron Hetmyer launched his first delivery for six.

“I thought I was on 36 off the over there when he smacked me for six first ball. But I was lucky Shai hit one up the shoot and got my first wicket. I was pretty nervous running in those first six balls, but nice to get it out of the way,” Owen said.

The all-rounder made an even greater impact with the bat. Having been asked to bat at No.6 – a position he’s rarely occupied – he smashed 50 off 27 balls, becoming just the third Australian man after Ricky Ponting and David Warner to hit a half-century on T20I debut. Despite an unfamiliar role in the middle order, Owen approached the innings with the same mindset that saw him dominate as an opener in the last BBL, where he struck two centuries for Hobart Hurricanes.

“I honestly tried not to look at the field too much and just sort of react to each ball, which I think held me in good stead,” Owen explained.

“Obviously, it’s a little bit different, but I think my process, my game plan, wasn’t too different to opening the batting coming in at six. We had to strike at 10s or nines when I came out. So I still had to be nice and positive… just try and get after them from ball one.”

Owen’s aggressive intent was on full display as he took on spin – traditionally a problem area for Australia’s middle order. He blasted three sixes in four balls off Akeal Hosein and added more off Andre Russell and Alzarri Joseph. Partnering with Cameron Green, the pair added a match-turning 80 runs off 40 balls after coming together at 78 for 4.

“It was a lot of fun. It’s the first time I’ve been on the same side as Greeny. So it was nice to be out there with him and contribute to a pretty good partnership. We kept each other nice and calm and just stuck to our processes,” Owen said.

Capping off a memorable debut, Owen received his cap from close friend and Hurricanes captain Nathan Ellis, with his parents and partner present at the ground.

“Really special,” Owen reflected. “He had some really nice words for me. I was obviously stoked to get the hat and stoked to have my parents over here… they’ve sacrificed a lot my whole life, and this trip’s only just another one. So super grateful that they got to experience that.”

–IANS

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