West Indies Batters Put Up Fight, Before Fall to New Ball

West Indies tour of Australia

Series: Two matches for the Frank Worrell trophy

Day 3 of 1st Test Match

Venue: Perth Stadium, Western Australia

Toss: Australia won and batted

Scorecard: https://bit.ly/ausvwi1sttest

Kraigg Brathwaite struck a gritty half-century while his debutant partner Tagenarine Chanderpaul completed his maiden one but West Indies had a lower order collapse to give Australia the advantage in the opening Test on Friday.

On a compelling third day, Brathwaite demonstrated his immense powers of concentration and adaptability with 64, Chanderpaul scored 51 while vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood (36), Shamarh Brooks (33) and Jason Holder (27) all weighed in to lift West Indies to 245-4 just after tea, in reply to Australia’s 598-4 declared.

However, the arrival of the second new ball changed the course of the innings and the match, Pat Cummins (3-34) and Mitchell Starc (3-51) produced good effort for the hosts as West Indies lost their last six wickets for just 38 runs.

PIVOTAL DAY

With a first-innings lead of 315, Australia opted not to enforce the follow on, and reached 29-1 at the close – ahead by 344 runs heading into the pivotal day four of the contest. Usman Khawaja was the lone casualty, as he edged a delivery from seamer Kemar Roach and was taken behind for five in the fifth over.

Resuming on their overnight 74-0, West Indies suffered an early setback when Chanderpaul perished to the final delivery of the first over. Unbeaten at the start on 47, the 26-year-old left-hander edged the fifth delivery of the morning from pacer Josh Hazlewood to the third man boundary before being squared up by the next and finding the safe hands of David Warner low at first slip.

Nkrumah Bonner added a further 28 for the second wicket with Brathwaite but ducked into a Cameron Green bouncer on six and never quite recovered. He left the field on 16 at the first drinks break and never returned, Brooks, taking his place in the batting order as the concussion substitute.

IN TUNE WITH THE GAME

Speaking after the day’s play Brooks detailed how he kept himself mentally fixed on the game in case he was needed at any stage. He said:“I always kept myself ready in case I was called upon. I was the 12th man so my job was to service the players in the match but I kept a keen eye on the pitch, how things were happening and how the game was processing. When the captain came to me and said Nkrumah might be out and I would have to come in and do the job for the team I was ready. It didn’t require much preparation, I knew what was required and how to go about my business, I’ve played at this level before so I kept focused and in tune.”
Brathwaite dug in, facing 166 balls in nearly 4-¼ hours at the crease and counting five fours and a six. He extended the second wicket stand by 53 with Blackwood, taking West Indies to lunch on 150-1.

The 30-year-old Brathwaite reached his 28th Test half-century about a half-hour before lunch when he deposited off-spinner Nathan Lyon (2-61) for a straight six to move to 49 and then pinched a single to mid-wicket in the same over.

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