Interestingly, David was asked to bat at No.5 – a position he had batted only five times in 55 T20Is for Australia prior to the match – but the right-hand batter made the best use of the opportunity.
The venue, Warner Park in St Kitts, holds special memories for David, who first made a mark here during the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). That early experience, he admits, played a part in helping him navigate conditions under the lights.
“I’ve got really happy memories of playing here at Warner Park,” David said.
“The CPL was my first or second franchise gig overseas, so a lot of memories that you hold at the start of your career.
“It’s nice to come back here and to build on those, but to have a bit of experience and understand the conditions. It’s going to be a pretty special one to remember.”
Earlier, West Indies skipper Shai Hope raced to his maiden T20I century, reaching the milestone in just 55 balls, as the hosts posted a strong 214/4 after being asked to bat first for the third game in a row.
They hammered 13 sixes and were cruising at 161/1 by the 15th over, but Australia clawed things back in the death overs, conceding only 49 runs in the final five, thanks to tidy spells from Sean Abbott and Nathan Ellis.
The fourth T20I is scheduled for Saturday, 26 July at the same venue.
