West Indies stage stunning fightback to trail Australia by 45 in Grenada
Cricket - Ashes - Fifth Test - England v Australia - The Oval, London, Britain - July 30, 2023 Australia's Usman Khawaja in action Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
West Indies were bowled out for 253 in their first innings of the second test in Grenada on Friday, trailing Australia by 45 runs at stumps after a dramatic second day that saw early promise turn to utter collapse before a thrilling lower-order fightback.
Australia were 12 for two when play was called off, having lost Sam Konstas for a duck when he was bowled by Jayden Seales, and Usman Khawaja for two runs when Seales trapped him lbw.
What began as a Friday of fluctuating fortunes for the hosts became a tale of extraordinary resilience, with the West Indies tail staging a spirited recovery to keep alive the test match and series.
The morning session belonged to John Campbell until a moment of madness cost him his wicket on 40.
The West Indies left-hander looked in fine touch, striking five fours and a six, before attempting an ambitious shot off Beau Webster that he could only sky for a simple catch to Mitchell Starc at mid-on.
Kraigg Brathwaite's milestone 100th Test got off to the worst possible start when he fell for a duck in just the second over after being caught and bowled by Josh Hazlewood.
Keacy Carty also departed cheaply for six, falling to a spectacular catch by Pat Cummins off his own bowling.
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The afternoon session began ominously for West Indies when Roston Chase became Hazlewood's second victim in the first over after lunch, falling lbw for 16 via a successful Australian review.
Brandon King and Shai Hope then steadied the ship with a patient partnership that saw King reach 75 with some authoritative strokeplay.
King's innings was a masterclass in controlled aggression, while Hope grew in confidence alongside him, striking boundaries with a flourish and looking increasingly comfortable.
The session was not without its lighter moments either, as play was briefly interrupted when a dog wandered on to the field, trotting around casually before Cummins helped to shepherd it back over the boundary rope.
Cummins, as he so often does, produced a moment of magic to break the crucial King-Hope partnership and swing the tide back in Australia's favour.
The Australian captain cleaned up Hope on 21 with an absolute peach of a delivery, triggering a collapse that saw West Indies slump from a promising position to 174 for seven, after King and Justin Greaves (1) departed soon after.
At that point, the hosts seemed headed for a substantial deficit chasing Australia's first innings total of 286, but the West Indies tail had other ideas.
Alzarri Joseph was the chief architect of the fightback, smashing 27 from 49 balls, while Shamar Joseph provided equally valuable support with 29, before falling to Starc.
The tail-end resistance proved nothing short of remarkable, with Anderson Phillip contributing a gritty 10 from 40 balls and Seales adding a valuable seven runs as the last-wicket partnership frustrated Australia's bowlers.
The lower order added 79 crucial runs for the last three wickets to keep alive West Indian hopes.
The final wicket of the hosts' innings fell when Travis Head took a low catch to dismiss Phillip, with the third umpire ruling the catch clean despite replays suggesting it was touch-and-go.
Nathan Lyon was Australia's most successful bowler with three wickets for 75 runs from 19 overs. Hazlewood and Cummins claimed two wickets apiece but even they could not prevent their hosts from rallying.
Australia's failure to deal with the West Indies tail will be a source of frustration for the tourists, but they can take comfort from the fact that their narrow lead could still prove crucial if the pitch deteriorates further.
Australia lead the three test series 1-0 after winning the opener in Bridgetown. REUTERS
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