Australia win first Test as Windies' batting collapses
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Australia's vaunted pace attack demolished West Indies' fragile batting, routing the hosts for just 141 off 33.4 overs to complete a comprehensive 159-run victory in the final over of the third day of the first Test at Kensington Oval on Friday. Josh Hazlewood was the chief destroyer with figures of 5-43 as the tourists dominated the day with both ball and bat.
Half-centuries from Alex Carey, Beau Webster and Travis Head were the fulcrum of a recovery from 65-4 late on day two to a final second innings total of 310 at tea the next day. Shamar Joseph led the West Indies bowling effort with five wickets at the cost of 87 runs for a match haul of 9-133. Any winning target in excess of 200 was always going to be challenging on this two-paced surface.
As it transpired, the West Indies never looked up to the task from the moment former captain Kraigg Brathwaite fell to Mitchell Starc in the first over. Hazlewood then took center stage. His metronomic accuracy accounted for John Campbell and debutant Brandon King off successive balls, before adding the wickets of captain Roston Chase and Keacy Carty.
Chase's Australian counterpart, Pat Cummins, removed first innings top-scorer Shai Hope and insult was added to considerable injury when substitute fielder Marnus Labuschagne ran out Alzarri Joseph with a direct hit to the striker's end from mid-off.
Hazlewood returned to the attack to prise out Jomel Warrican but Shamar Joseph entertained with 44 off 22 balls before falling to off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who then dismissed Jayden Seales first ball to complete victory with two days to spare. Justin Greaves was left unbeaten on 38. 'It was just about hitting the right areas time and time again and just being patient,' said Hazlewood in identifying the tactics to capitalize on the challenging surface. 'There are a few cracks there on a good length and just short of a length which kept the batters guessing about going forward or back with a few skidding through as we saw.'—AFP
Australia's intent was clear at the start of the day as Head and Webster transformed the consolidation of the previous evening to controlled aggression in a partnership of 102 for the fifth wicket. Head was trapped lbw for 61 by Shamar Joseph 20 minutes before lunch. However, the course of the first session could have been very different had Greaves held on to another straightforward catch at second slip off Alzarri Joseph when the left-hander was on 22.
It was the seventh chance put down by the West Indies slip cordon in the match, a poor display in one of the fundamental aspects of the game which began on day one when four catches were shelled. With a clear intent on aggression on a pitch becoming increasingly two-paced, the Australians progressed at almost a run-a-minute after lunch despite wickets falling at regular intervals.
Carey, who top-scored with 65, built on the platform laid by Head and Webster (63), who fell caught behind off the persevering Shamar Joseph. The right-armer also accounted for Starc and wrapped up the innings when last man Hazlewood was bowled off the inside edge to give the Guyanese pacer his fourth five-wicket haul and third against Australia. By then though, the task already looked beyond the West Indies, which was confirmed two balls before stumps. – AFP
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