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A strong bowling effort by the West Indies pushed them ahead of the hosts Australia by the end of the second day in the second Test match at The Gabba in Brisbane, with the Caribbean team taking a 35-run lead into day three on Saturday.
On Friday, the Windies pushed their overnight score from 266 for eight to 311 at the fall of the final wicket, with debutant Kevin Sinclair hitting a fifty. Led by seamers Alzarri Joseph (four for 84) and veteran Kemar Roach (three for 47), West Indies took a measure of control in the game before a lower-order counter-attack by Australia saw the hosts boldly declaring their first innings on 289 for nine – 22 runs shy of the Windies’ score in the first innings.
Australian skipper and No 9 batsman Pat Cummins (64 not out off 73 balls) was instrumental in the late fightback from his team as he shared in an 81-run partnership with Usman Khawaja (75) for the eight wicket, before adding a further 47 runs with Nathan Lyon (19) for the ninth wicket.
Cummins’ gamble to declare before the end of play reaped early rewards, as Josh Hazlewood removed Tagernarine Chanderpaul (four) via a faint edge through to wicket-keeper Alex Carey in the final over of the day – leaving the Windies on 13 for one in the intriguing day/night pink-ball contest.
WI’s prosperous showing on day two started with the stubborn resistance of Sinclair (50) and Roach (eight) with the bat, as the pair put on 31 for the ninth wicket and frustrated the Australian bowlers early in the first session. The pair looked comfortable and advanced the West Indies score to 297 before a bizarre mix up saw a stranded Roach going back to the pavilion via the run-out route.
Dropped on 30 by Cameron Green, Sinclair got to his maiden Test fifty with a four and a six off consecutive deliveries from Lyon (two for 81). The Australian off-spinner got his revenge off the very next ball when Sinclair charged past a delivery to be stumped by Carey. Sinclair hit five fours and the solitary six in his innings. Mitchell Starc led the Aussie attack with figures of four for 82.
West Indies had a dream start with the ball, as Roach sent Steve Smith (six) packing in the first over, after the visitors successfully reviewed a leg-before decision. The visitors were over the moon by the end of the first session, as Roach struck two more times before the interval and Joseph also got in on the attack to leave Australia in a rocky position at 24 for four.
Roach accounted for the scalps of Green (eight) and first-Test centurion Travis Head (golden duck) off consecutive balls, while Joseph took the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne (three) thanks to a spectacular catch in the slips by a flying Sinclair.
An aggressive Joseph struck again in the second session, when he got the better of Mitchell Marsh (21) with a rising delivery. At 54 for five, Australia began their counter-punch when Khawaja and Carey (65 off 49 balls) put on a brisk 69-run partnership. Carey struck nine fours and one six in an ultra-attacking innings before he was caught on the boundary off the bowling of Shamar Joseph (one for 56).
Starc (two) had a short stay at the crease as the Aussies slipped to 161 for seven, but captain Cummins put up his hand to add respectability to his team’s total. Cummins hit eight fours and one six as he took the fight to the West Indies attack, but his impressive partnership with Khawaja ended when the latter was caught in slip – giving Sinclair his first Test wicket.
As customary, the Guyanese celebrated with a cartwheel and stunning back flip.
Alzarri, who had an economy of six runs per over, ended Cummins’ 47-run stand with Lyon with a rapid short ball to give Joshua Da Silva an easy catch at the wicket.
The struggling pair of Brathwaite and Chanderpaul then nervously put on 13 runs in the final session before a probing Hazlewood brought the day’s play to a close with Chanderpaul’s wicket.
SCOREBOARD
West Indies 1st Innings
(overnight 266-8)
K Brathwaite c wk Carey b Hazlewood 4
T Chanderpaul c Smith b Starc 21
K McKenzie c Khawaja b Cummins 21
A Athanaze c wk Carey b Starc 8
K Hodge c Smith b Starc 71
J Greaves c Khawaja b Starc 6
J Da Silva lbw b Lyon 79
K Sinclair st Carey b Lyon 50
A Joseph c Smith b Hazlewood 32
K Roach run out 8
S Joseph not out 3
EXTRAS: (b4, w2, nb2) 8
TOTAL: (all out, 108 overs) 311
Fall of wickets: 9, 42, 54, 57), 64, 213, 225, 266, 297.
Bowling: Starc 24-3-82-4; Hazlewood 20-6-38-2 (nb1); Cummins 23-1-76-1 (w1); Lyon 28-3-81-2; Marsh 2-0-3-0 (nb1); Green 7-2-12-0 (w1); Labuschagne 1-0-1-0; Head 3-0-14-0.
Australia’s 1st Innings
S Smith lbw b Roach 6
U Khawaja c Athanaze b Sinclair 75
M Labuschagne c Sinclair b A Joseph 3
C Green c Brathwaite b Roach 8
T Head c wk Da Silva b Roach 0
M Marsh c Roach b A Joseph 21
A Carey c Chanderpaul b S Joseph 65
M Starc c wk Da Silva b A Joseph 2
P Cummins not out 64
N Lyon c wk Da Silva b A Joseph 19
EXTRAS: (b9, lb9, w2, nb6) 26
TOTAL: (9 wkts dec, 53 overs) 289
Did not bat: J Hazlewood
Fall of wickets: 6, 11, 24, 24, 54, 150, 161, 242, 289.
Bowling: Roach 11-0-47-3 (w1); A. Joseph 14-0-84-4 (nb5, w1); S. Joseph 11-1-56-1; Greaves 9-3-31-0; Sinclair 8-1-53-1 (nb1).
West Indies 2nd Innings
K Brathwaite not out 3
T Chanderpaul c wk Carey b Hazlewood 4
Extras: (b4, lb1, nb1) 6
TOTAL: (1 wkt, 7.3 overs) 13
Fall of wickets: 13.
Bowling: Starc 4-1-6-0 (nb1); Hazlewood 3.3-2-2-1.
Position: West Indies lead by 35 with nine second innings wickets standing.
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