In placid batting conditions Ben Stokes gambled by sending Australia in first, motivated by his side’s 2-1 deficit in the series and the threat of a weekend washout, but in need of early breakthroughs to justify the call.
Stuart Broad responded by taking out in-form opener Usman Khawaja for three, moving to 599 Test wickets in the process, but England managed only one more before lunch when Chris Woakes had David Warner caught behind for 32.
Neither Marnus Labuschagne (29no) nor Steve Smith (33no) started convincingly, but the pair survived to score briskly in the last half-hour and leave the home side needing some afternoon inspiration.
For the fourth time in a row Australia skipper Pat Cummins called wrong at the toss, leaving Stokes to make his margin call.
He handed Broad an immediate chance to tighten his grip over Warner, having snapped him up for the 17th time at Headingley last time out.
The left-hander, who survived heavy scrutiny over his place this week, bagged two ducks on this ground on his last visit four years ago but ruled out a repeat performance off the first ball of the game, slapping a wide loosener from Broad through cover for four.
The crowd were eager to see the returning James Anderson make his mark at the end that bears his name but, despite a typically solid start, it was Broad who got things going.
Nobody has batted longer or made more runs in the series than Khawaja, but he was first fall on this occasion, plumb lbw to a full ball angled in from round the wicket.
Labuschagne has had a much leaner time of it and his struggles continued initially, comprehensively beaten on the outside edge by Anderson on nought and completely misreading an inswinger from Broad moments later.
The arrival of Mark Wood dialled up the pace but, unlike the previous match, Australia managed to use it to their advantage.
His four-over spell went for 21 – as well as four byes – and a thick edge to third man from Labuschagne was as close as he got to a breakthrough.
Instead, it was Woakes who checked Warner’s growing confidence. Setting up camp outside his off stump and drawing a couple of poor shots, he eventually pushed his length a fraction fuller. Warner drove, snicked through to Jonny Bairstow and was on his way.
Smith was next up and almost gifted England a chance with an opening stroke that was entirely out of character.
He stepped inside the line of his first ball from Woakes, hooking straight towards Wood at fine-leg. Had he been stationed on the rope it would have been a regulation catch, but he was several metres in and saw the ball clear his despairing dive en route to a one-bounce four.
The runs began to flow with greater ease as lunch approached, both batters showing greater control and a two-over spell from Moeen Ali costing 17.
All-rounder Raymon Reifer has been ruled out of the tour with a groin injury and Kyle Mayers can no longer bowl in the series after suffering a strain to his right teres major. Nkrumah Bonner has been ruled out of further participation in the current first Test Match due to concussion protocols after being struck on the helmet when batting in West Indies first innings. Shamarh Brooks replaced him as the concussion substitute.
Mindley, 27, has so far played 42 first-class matches with 103 wickets at an average of 24.25 runs per wickets. His last first-class assignment was in August for the West Indies “A” Team against Bangladesh “A” in Saint Lucia where he had impressive figures of 5-59 in the first four-day match.
The first Test is being played at the Perth Stadium and enters the fifth and final day on Sunday, 4 December. The second Test will be a day/night contest featuring the pink cricket ball at the Adelaide Oval, from Thursday 8 December to Monday 12 December. The two teams are competing for the Frank Worrell trophy, named in honor of the former West Indies captain and icon.
FULL SQUAD
Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain)
Jermaine Blackwood (Vice Captain)
Nkrumah Bonner
Shamarh Brooks
Tagenarine Chanderpaul
Roston Chase
Joshua Da Silva
Jason Holder
Alzarri Joseph
Kyle Mayers
Marquino. Mindley
Anderson Phillip
Kemar Roach
Jayden Seales
Devon Thomas
The inclusion of Marsh and Maxwell headlined the group, which will be led by Pat Cummins with David Warner and Ashton Agar also named after departing the Test squad this week.
Marsh and Maxwell missed the entirety of the 2022-23 Big Bash League due to ankle and leg injuries.
Maxwell returned for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield this week, while Marsh is in line to commence playing with Western Australia in the Marsh Cup this weekend.
Fast bowler Jhye Richardson is also named after an injury-interrupted past few months, with fellow quick Josh Hazlewood ruled out due to an Achilles issue.
Chair of Selectors George Bailey said: "With the World Cup just over seven months away, these matches in India are an important step in our preparation. Glenn, Mitchell and Jhye are all important players in what we think the squad might look like come October.
"It would be great for Josh to be part of this series but we have taken a conservative view ahead of a very important winter in England of which he will be an integral part."
The ODI series runs from March 17 to 20 in Mumbai, Vizag and Chennai following the conclusion of the four-game Test series which India currently leads 2-0.
Australia ODI squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Marsh, who has shared the duties on an interim basis since Aaron Finch's retirement, was named the Baggy Greens' permanent T20 skipper on Wednesday.
Test captain Pat Cummins, fast bowler Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell have also been named in the squad, which features 11 of the players that were part of the team that won this tournament in 2021.
However, there is no place for former skipper Smith following a difficult spell of form, while Fraser-McGurk is also absent despite his impressive form in the Indian Premier League.
"This is an experienced squad with extensive World Cup experience that offers a variety of structures and covers the scenarios the panel believes will factor in the West Indies with the unique nature of the venues and our opponents," selection chief George Bailey said.
"Steve Smith, Matt Short, Jason Behrendorff, Aaron Hardie, Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett were all part of long conversations, along with several others, including Jake Fraser-McGurk who is yet to play T20 International cricket but continues to impress and is developing rapidly.
"Being constrained to a squad of 15 for World Cups is always a challenge given the different scenarios and options we’d like to cover.
"Ultimately, the balance of the final 15 needs to provide the best chance of being successful in this campaign."
"It's been an immense privilege to play for my country and now an even greater honour to lead the squad to a World Cup," Marsh added.
"We have had some strong success in recent times, and I am hopeful that will continue in what looks like a wide-open tournament."
Australia will begin their tournament against Oman on June 5, while they will also play England, Scotland and Namibia in Group B.
Australia's provisional squad:
Mitchell Marsh (captain), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
In the Oman innings, Starc began to limp after bowling the first delivery of the 15th over, handing the ball over to Glenn Maxwell before making his way off the field.
Australia – who are looking to add the T20 crown to the 50-over World Cup they won in India last year – had been in a spot of bother early in their own innings, but Marcus Stoinis' unbeaten 67 helped them reach 164-5, which proved beyond Oman.
The victory takes Australia top of Group B after England's opener against Scotland was abandoned on Tuesday.
Australia face their old rivals in their second match of the tournament at the Kensington Oval on Saturday, and Marsh expects Starc to be fine for that contest.
"Starcy was just cramp so we didn't want to take a chance," Marsh said.
"When Starcy asks if he's okay to go off, you let him go off."
Reflecting on the victory – Australia's eighth in their last nine T20 World Cup matches – Marsh added: "It was a close game but it's good to get the win. It's not going to be the 200 types in this tournament.
"We are kind of going back to the old T20 style here in this tournament. We might get few wickets that are good for batting but that's the old T20, right?
"Things may look a little different on these sorts of wickets, but I think that's exciting. We go on to England now and hopefully that'll be a good game with a good crowd."
Mitchell Marsh will return to the batting order when Australia step up their T20 World Cup preparations against West Indies on Wednesday, captain Aaron Finch has confirmed.
Meanwhile, Marcus Stoinis is expected to return for Sunday's opening T20I against England, having joined Marsh in missing the recent tour of India.
Marsh has not featured since an ODI outing against Zimbabwe in August after sustaining an ankle injury, leaving Cameron Green to deputise throughout last month's 2-1 series defeat in India.
While Marsh will not bowl against the Windies, Finch believes a place at number three is his to lose, saying: "One-hundred per cent, he's made that spot his own in T20 cricket.
"I think the way that he played in the lead-up and then through the World Cup [last year] is so important for the way that we want to play and gives us a lot of flexibility through that middle order.
"I think he had his second bowl yesterday and he felt really good. He pulled up well from it. So that's a really positive sign.
"I think for the balance of the side, it's better when they [Marsh and Stoinis] are both bowling because you can get caught a little bit short if you go in with five bowlers. But we'll work that out."
Having suffered a side strain in early September, Stoinis has not travelled to the Gold Coast for Australia's meetings with the Windies, but will join the squad in Perth for the first of three matches against England.
Finch is hopeful over Stoinis' fitness, highlighting the role of logistics in that decision as he added: "He's at a level where we think that he'll be fully fit for that first game against England.
"We were just conscious of the travel with a quick turnaround. It can be quite a high-risk game for some guys with some soft tissue injuries so he's just still planning and preparing there.
"He's such an important part of our side and the make-up of it, especially with his bowling."
While Green performed well in India, recording scores of 62 and 52, Finch doubts whether he can force his way into Australia's 15 for the World Cup if Marsh and Stoinis stay fit.
"I don't think so," Finch added. "It's just one of those things. He had a really good tour of India. It was good for him to get an opportunity to open the batting.
"I think he'll get an opportunity at some point in this series. Obviously his batting is exceptional and he shows a lot with the ball.
"He keeps improving every time he gets an opportunity but over the next few weeks, he'll get a run, no doubt."
Australia begin their World Cup defence against neighbours New Zealand on October 22
The Baggy Greens lead England 2-1 in the ongoing ODI series heading into the fourth instalment on Friday.
It will be Australia's first visit to Lord's since unsavoury scenes involving their players and spectators ensued during the notorious Ashes Test, following Alex Carey's controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow.
The incident culminated in an MCC member receiving a lifetime ban, while two others were suspended for directing "abusive, offensive or inappropriate behaviour or language" towards Australia's players.
Carey has enjoyed an impressive series, hitting 74 in the second ODI at Headingley and 77 in the third in Durham, and Marsh insists his team-mates are motivated by last year's events.
When asked if there had been any discussions ahead of their return, he told reporters: "No, there hasn't. We've really moved on from that.
"I think there's always excitement playing at Lord's. It's the greatest ground in the world, bar the WACA, of course - the history and the tradition here, it's always a fantastic place to play.
"Obviously, these things happen in Ashes Test matches. There's not a series that goes by that doesn't have some sort of drama."
On Carey, he added: "I don't think [being motivated by last year's events is] in his character. But Alex certainly loves playing in England. We all do.
"The fans are always incredible, and it's always a tough challenge playing against England, so I think he's just wrapped to be back here playing for Australia."
The Stars first posted 144-5 off their 20 overs after being put in to bat by the Renegades.
Captain Meg Lanning, who recently retired from international cricket, top scored with 67 from 49 balls and got good support from Annabel Sutherland who hit 24 and Alice Capsey who made 23.
Sarah Coyte took 2-32 from four overs for the Renegades.
The Renegades then fell agonizingly short of their target reaching 140-6 off their 20 overs.
Harmanpreet Kaur led the way with 37 while Tammy Beaumont got 33 and Matthews got her highest score of the season with 32, just her second time going over 30.
Sutherland completed an excellent all-round game with 4-22 from her four overs to be named player of the match.
Captain Hayley Matthews hit her highest score of the season with 46 while Emma de Broughe hit 42 to help the Renegades post 169-7 from their 20 overs after the Heat won the toss and elected to field.
Nicola Hancock starred with the ball for Brisbane with 4-20 from her four overs while Grace Harris took 2-16 from two overs.
The Heat’s chase then fell agonizingly short of their target, reaching 167-9 from their 20 overs.
Grace Harris completed an excellent all-round performance with a top score of 65 but she was the only Brisbane batter to pass 20 with Jess Jonassen (17) and Nicol Hancock (17) both coming the closest.
Sarah Coyte took 3-26 from her four overs for the Renegades while Georgia Prestwidge was also among the wickets with 2-43 from four overs.
Matthews took 1-29 from her four overs, including taking the responsibility of bowling the last over and defending just six runs to seal the Renegades’ second win of the season.
Chasing 191 for victory, the West Indies Women failed to capitalize on another good start provided by Captain Hayley Matthews. The Windies skipper, who was named Player of the Series, scored 79 from 40balls in an opening partnership of 97 with Shabika Gajnabi.
However, once she got out, the rest of the batting failed to take advantage with the Caribbean women losing their last nine wickets for 46 runs. Following Matthews’ dismissal, the Windies Women lost their next four wickets for seven runs in 13 deliveries. The under-cooked Gajnabi struggled, making 16 off 27 balls before she needlessly ran herself out. As the batting crumbled, other than Aaliyah Alleyne, whose 26 came from 23 deliveries, no other batter got to double figures as Darcie Brown 3-20, Ashleigh Gardner, 3-32, and Kim Garth 2-24 scythed through the line-up.
Earlier, Australia posted another solid total on the board, scoring 190-9 thanks mainly to Tahlia McGrath, who returned to form with a well-played 65. Ellyse Perry added 40 and Phoebe Litchfield followed up her world-record half century in the second T20I with 36 from 17 balls.
Shamilia Connell was the best of the Windies bowlers with 3-25. Matthews took 1-34.
Matthews was named Player of the Match for the eighth consecutive match, said conditions for batting were more challenging than the previous two matches but hinted that her players need to improve.
"It was a bit tougher to start today, pitch was a bit slower. I want to be able to go out there and lead by example. Unfortunately, we couldn't get over the line today...but want to see the girls grow."
The Barbadian all-rounder, the number one batter in the world, had scores of 99 not out, 132 and 79 and five wickets during the series.
The Renegades won the toss and elected to field first, a decision that proved costly as the Heat’s Australian opening pair of Grace Harris and Georgia Redmayne put on a mammoth 165 for the first wicket.
Harris scored a 50-ball 65 including six fours and a six while Redmayne remained unbeaten on 98 from 67 balls including 12 fours. Laura Harris was not out on eight alongside Redmayne as the Heat eventually posted 180-1 from their 20 overs. Matthews was expensive, conceding 40 runs from her four overs without picking up a wicket.
In their reply, the Renegades batted decently but fell short of their target in the end, finishing 159-6 from their 20 overs. Matthews was good at the top of the innings with a quick 19-ball 35 including six fours while Carly Leeson ended not out on 34 against New Zealand leg-spinner Amelia Kerr’s 2-27 from four overs.
Matthews’ Renegades are currently fifth in the eight-team table with two points from as many games.
The Renegades, who tasted defeat in their season opener against the Brisbane Heat, posted 167-3 from their 20 overs after being put in to bat by the Strikers.
The opening pair of Tammy Beaumont and captain Hayley Matthews put on just 19 before the West Indian went for 12 in the third over.
Beaumont and number three batter Josephine Dooley added 51 for the second wicket before Beaumont went for 30 in the ninth over.
One over later, Dooley fell for 23 to leave the Renegades 74-3.
An unbroken 93-run fourth wicket stand between Harmanpreet Kaur and Courtney Webb then propelled the Renegades to their total.
Webb led the way with a 34-ball 49* while Kaur ended 43* off 33 balls.
Zimbabwean Anesu Mushangwe was the Strikers most economical bowler with 1-21 in her four overs.
The Strikers then lasted just 14.5 overs before they were bowled out for 86.
Only skipper Talia McGrath (31), Laura Woldvaart (14) and Danielle Gibson (10) were able to reach double-figures.
Hayley Matthews (2-20 from three overs), Ella Hayward (2-18 from four overs), Georgia Wareham (2-23 from three overs) and Harmanpreet Kaur (2-11 from 1.5 overs) all played a part in the bowling effort.
Maxwell hit seven maximums as he racked up 108 runs from 90 balls – his highest score in the 50-over format – while Carey added 106 for his maiden ton.
Both players were dismissed as part of a dramatic finale, but Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins got the 10 runs required from the final over as the tourists won with just two balls to spare.
Earlier, an astonishing start to Wednesday's play saw England lose Jason Roy and Joe Root in the first two deliveries of the day, as Starc set about dismantling England's top order.
Yet Jonny Bairstow (112) led a superb counter-attack that had not only given the hosts a fighting chance, but put Australia on the back foot.
Chris Woakes and Root took two wickets apiece in the early stages of Australia's reply as England took control.
But Maxwell and Carey's heroics flipped the script and meant it was Australia who won 2-1, avenging their loss by the same scoreline in the trio of T20I matches.
With Australia chasing 303 for victory in Manchester on Wednesday, Maxwell arrived at the crease with the tourists reeling at 73-5 in the series decider.
But Maxwell (108 off 90 balls) and Alex Carey (106 off 114) combined for a 212-run partnership as Australia reached the target with two balls to spare.
Maxwell, who scored his second ODI century and first since 2015, said he felt free to play his aggressive game with Australia in such a poor position.
"I was probably thinking that we haven't got much to lose so I had a bit of freedom I suppose to try and take the bowling on and put a bit more pressure on them," he told reporters.
"I thought if I could make the most of that short boundary as much as I could early on and just back my bat swing. There was a fair bit of a breeze heading that way as well so I just tried to get it up in the air and I was able to get a couple pretty clean early on in the innings and then hopefully start to build a partnership with Alex.
"I knew once I started to get into the innings they would start to bowl a bit differently to me and I might be able to cash in on some loose balls, but everything pretty much went to plan.
"The way our partnership built was outstanding so it was good fun out there and I'm really happy to get that result."
Jonny Bairstow's 112 had earlier helped England to 302-7 after they elected to bat first at Old Trafford.
England captain Eoin Morgan accepted Australia were simply too good for his side.
"We were still in the game. When you break big partnerships and the ball is offering a bit, you're never out of the game," he said.
"But Australia were too good for us … we were right in the game but Carey and Maxwell played outstandingly well."
The all-rounder missed the T20 World Cup on home soil after suffering a fractured left tibia last November.
Maxwell, who sustained the damage at a 50th birthday party, was back in action for Victoria against South Australia in a Sheffield Shield match this week, making only five runs in two innings.
The 34-year-old will be back in international action next month after being named in the Australia squad to face India in an ODI series that starts in Mumbai on March 17.
Maxwell would like to have been out in the middle earlier but is ready to make up for lost time.
He said: "It probably hasn't happened as fast as I would have liked. I would have liked to be playing cricket a little bit earlier.
"But I think the fact that I knew the timeline for the one-day side – and that was probably the realistic goal – I was able to manipulate my rehab programme to fit the timeline that I was racing against.
"Having not played for three-and-a-half months, I made a conscious decision to make sure I filled up my calendar with cricket to lead into that World Cup at the back end of the year.
"Obviously there's the one-day series which is going to be a big series, especially with the World Cup in India at the back end of the year.
"It will be a good opportunity for us to try and work out some things and get our game plan ready for the back end of the year, as well as having the IPL straight after it.
"[It is about] getting used to the Indian conditions again and spending a lot of time working on my game over there, which will then lead into to the Blast and the Hundred."
Maxwell is looking forward to spending more time at the crease after failing twice at number six for Victoria this week.
"Probably, mentally, batting in that position, I wasn't quite there," he said. "In the nets, you can do all the hard work, but to try and get that mental application back in a game is obviously a different thing.
"So that's probably something I'm working on over the next few games – club cricket on Saturday and the Shield game as well. A few more hits out there, and just try and build up that match intensity."
Hosts Sri Lanka set Australia a tricky – albeit achievable – target of 301 in the first contest of a five-match ODI series after a solid batting effort and they then produced some fine performances with the ball.
But Australia, whose chase was interrupted by rain, had enough firepower to reach the adjusted target of 282 with nine balls to spare, Maxwell essential to the cause at the end with a brilliant 80 not out off 51 balls.
Sri Lanka's steady start led to Danushka Gunathilaka (55) and Pathum Nissanka (56) enjoying an encouraging opening stand of 115.
Both were taken shortly after getting their half-centuries, but Kusal Mendis marshalled a middle-order recovery from 134-3 with a fine knock of 86 not out.
Wanindu Hasaranga then provided the finishing touches with a lively flurry, hitting 37 off just 19 to give Sri Lanka a competitive total.
Australia's chase got off to a poor start with David Warner snared leg before for a duck by Maheesh Theekshana (1-51), but captain Aaron Finch (44) and Steve Smith (53) got Australia back on track with their partnership of 67 – the latter then enjoyed a stand of 54 with Marnus Labuschagne.
Dunith Wellalage eventually caught Labuschagne off the bowling of Dasun Shanaka for 24 before then claiming the scalp of Smith, his first wicket in international cricket.
Australia's momentum was further slowed by the exceptional Hasaranga (4-58) removing Marcus Stoinis (44), Alex Carey (21) and Pat Cummins (0), but Maxwell proved unstoppable, finishing Sri Lanka off with successive sixes.
To the Max
There was something so effortless and cool about Maxwell's display here. Strutting up to bat with no helmet and just a baseball cap, he had the air of an old pro rocking up for a brief but emphatic stint at his local park.
There was nothing routine about his performance, though. His external composure translated to his cricket as he approached it like a T20 game, hitting 12 boundaries (an even split between fours and sixes) in a devastating knock.
Hasaranga haul in vain
Sri Lanka certainly gave this match their all, and Hasaranga was especially fired up as he attacked Australia with bat and ball.
His fearsome flourish at the end of Sri Lanka's innings made things a little more tense for Australia, while his four-wicket haul, which included the removal of Ashton Agar in the tense closing stages, almost proved decisive.
Unfortunately for him and the hosts, however, Maxwell was just too good. On any other day, Hasaranga would surely be being championed as the man of the match.
The hosts elected to bowl first and, despite being without rested trio Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, restricted their opponents to 139-8 off their 20 overs.
Opener Pathum Nissanka top-scored with 46 off 40 balls, while Kusal Mendis added 27 off 21, but it was another underwhelming batting display from the tourists.
Jhye Richardson impressed with figures of 2-20 off his four overs, paving the way for Australia to make it nine T20Is without defeat against Sri Lanka, winning eight of those.
That is despite getting off to a slow start to their response as openers Ashton Agar and Ben McDermott made 19 off 25 balls, before the latter (nine) fell to Maheesh Theekshana.
Aaron Finch was snared by Danushka Gunathilaka for just two runs off the bowling of Lahiru Kumara and Agar (26) was next to go when he top-edged to Mendis.
But star man Glenn Maxwell and Josh Inglis all but ensured there would be no joy for Sri Lanka with their fourth-wicket stand of 71 off 47 balls.
Inglis went for 40 off 20, leaving Australia needing 20 off 22, and Maxwell got them over the line with his unbeaten 48 to set up a potential whitewash in Sunday's fifth match.
MCGlee for Maxwell
Australia have now won five of their last seven T20Is at the MCG, including the last three in a row – their best run since winning four in a row between 2008 and 2011.
Agar's struggles as a makeshift opener will be of concern, but Maxwell's 48 off 39 balls – a strike rate of 123.1 – meant Sri Lanka's modest target was never of concern.
Pathum shows more promise
Nissanka headed into the game as the only player to score above 100 runs this series against Australia (125) and the 23-year-old was again Sri Lanka's shining light in the fourth T20I.
He helped steer his side to 73-1 at the halfway mark alongside Mendis, yet the tourists still managed to squander a promising opportunity.
Both teams were able to play seven overs each after a thunderstorm in Brisbane delayed proceedings, but it did not affect Australia's performance as they took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Matt Short (7) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (9) were both taken early, but Maxwell's 43 off 19 balls, which included eight boundaries, turned the tide.
Abbas Afridi (2-9) took him and Tim David (10), but with Marcus Stoinis' 21, the damage was already done as Australia finished 93-4.
Pakistan struggled to gain any momentum, with none of their first six batters hitting double figures and Sahibzada Farhan's eight was the best of that group.
The wickets toppled thanks to Xavier Bartlett (3-13) and Nathan Ellis (3-9), and even though Afridi salvaged some pride with his unbeaten 20 to help them reach 64-9, they fell short of their target.
Data Debrief: Home advantage
Despite the shortened nature of the game, Australia still made their mark in some style. They extended their winning run in Brisbane in the process, with this their fifth T20I victory in a row at The Gabba.
On the other side, Babar Azam will have been hoping for a better performance on what was a landmark day for him - he has now made the outright most appearances for Pakistan in T20Is (124), overtaking Shoaib Malik. He also broke the record for the most catches by a fielder in T20Is for Pakistan (52), going past Fakhar Zaman's 50.
Maxwell arrived at the crease at 189-5, requiring 113 off 84 deliveries in pursuit of chasing Sri Lanka's 300-7 in a rain-affected game in Kandy.
The Australian all-rounder bludgeoned a thrilling unbeaten 80 from 51 balls to guide the tourists home with nine balls to spare on D/L method.
Maxwell's knock included 12 boundaries, with six fours and six sixes, reaching his half-century from 35 balls, before accelerating to finish the job and take a 1-0 lead in the five-game ODI series.
"Certainly is [a satisfying knock], coming in when I did," Maxwell said after the game.
"There were a few wickets down and we were under a bit of pressure. To be able to hold together at the end and play, as [coach Andrew McDonald] Ronnie just said, one of my 'smarter innings,' is nice.
"And when conditions aren't as favourable for the batting side, that was really pleasing."
Maxwell's innings came amid pressure from Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasarange who claimed 4-58 including the wickets of Alex Carey and Pat Cummins with Maxwell down the other end.
"I was just trying to stay out there as long as I could," said Maxwell, who took 15 runs off Maheesh Theekshana in the 37th over to lower the run rate required below six.
"I knew I was going to get balls to score off in my areas at some stage, and I was just trying to take risks at the right time.
"I think when the left arm spinner came back on, I think there was only three overs left, I think that was a good opportunity to try and get the run rate down under six, and then try and do it in the next over without letting it get to the last over because all sorts of chaos could happen in the last."
Australia skipper Aaron Finch praised Maxwell for his decisive knock.
"That innings by Maxwell, that was pure class," Finch said. "Showed a lot of skill, lot of game smarts as well. Fantastic chase.
"We were always one wicket behind where we would have liked to have been. We were always two or three down, when we would have liked to have been able to build a partnership but that was an extraordinary innings from Maxwell."
Australia's total of 241 for 4, their highest on home soil, set a challenging target for West Indies. Despite a valiant effort from West Indies captain Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, and Jason Holder, Australia's bowling attack, led by Marcus Stoinis with figures of 3-36, proved too strong for the Caribbean side.
The match featured late controversy when Alzarri Joseph was short of his ground attempting a tight single. However, umpire Gerard Abood ruled there had been no appeal, leading to heated scenes on the field. Despite the late drama, it did not affect the match's outcome.
Maxwell's innings, featuring eight sixes, was the second-highest T20I score for a batter at number or lower, equaling Rohit Sharma's record with a fifth T20I century. His dominating performance left West Indies with a challenging target, and despite Powell's attractive 63 off 36 balls, they fell short, finishing at 207 for 9.
The series victory for Australia, following their 11-run win in the first game at Bellerive Oval, marks a successful start to their T20 World Cup preparations. The third and final game of the series is scheduled to be played in Perth on Tuesday.
West Indies, facing an imposing total, came out swinging with aggressive batting early on. However, Australia's left-arm quick, Spencer Johnson, making his first appearance in a home international, showcased his talent with figures of 2 for 39. Johnson, who debuted for Australia late last year and starred for Brisbane Heat in the BBL, is emerging as a bowler of considerable interest across formats.
Despite West Indies' big-hitters like Andre Russell providing some fireworks, the team fell away in the face of Maxwell's relentless assault. Russell's entertaining 37 off 16 balls and Powell's glimmer of hope were not enough to overcome Australia's commanding performance.
