Coach Mickey Arthur says Australia’s bowlers must learn a lesson, believing they panicked in a sloppy World Twenty20 performance against West Indies.

Captain George Bailey’s team have moved into the Super Eights stage where they face heavyweights India and South Africa.

But Arthur was unhappy about the way some Australian bowlers strayed from the game plan and warned they must improve after copping stick from the Windies in their final group game.

Australia were facing the task of making the fifth-highest successful run chase in T20 International history after the Chris Gayle-inspired Windies belted 8-191.

But rain intervened and they won by 17 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis Method after scoring 1-100 from 9.1 overs.

Offspinner Glenn Maxwell conceded 17 runs from his only over as Gayle blasted his way to 54 off 33 balls.

Pace bowlers Shane Watson (2-29) and Mitchell Starc (3-35) were Australia’s leading wicket-takers but Arthur didn’t spare Starc or fellow young speedster Pat Cummins (1-41 off four overs) in a damning critique of the team’s bowling efforts.

“I was really disappointed the way we executed with the ball,” said Arthur.

“We were just a little bit sloppy and that annoyed me a little bit.”

Arthur said he didn’t mind a bowler trying to bowl a particular type of yorker and narrowly missing the mark and getting hit for six.

“I’ve got problems when we’re hit both sides of the wicket and I know what plans I want to execute against Chris Gayle,” Arthur said.

“When we get it completely wrong, then I really get annoyed.

“Short and wide, back of a length. He just stood (in the fifth over, the second bowled by Cummins) and took 18 runs.

“I don’t mind if they bowl a wide with a bouncer, particularly with a guy like Gayle, just to let the batter know. Then you’ve got to get it head high.

“We wanted to try and cramp Gayle up a little bit, which we did to a certain degree.

“Once he started going, I thought we panicked just a fraction.

“But saying that, we’ve got Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, young bowlers who can only have benefited from (Saturday night’s) experiences.

“I’m not massively disappointed but we need to take from that and learn.”

Arthur gave his squad a two-day break before training resumes on Tuesday for Friday night’s opening Super Eights clash with the strong Indian battling line-up.