West Indies batting flops to give Australia the advantage after 15-wicket day
West Indies’ pace bowlers surged under lights on the second day at Sabina Park as the Test moved at a breakneck speed, with Australia stumbling to 99 for 6 amid a torrid working over in some of the toughest conditions imaginable.Sam Konstas’ miserable series ended with a duck, leaving his Test prospects for the Ashes in jeopardy. Cameron Green, on the other hand, played outstandingly for an innings worth far more than the 42 on the scoreboard, although he could have been run out on 14. By the close of another hectic day, which saw 15 wickets fall, Australia held a lead of 181 which was already considerable in the conditions, but West Indies had given themselves a glimmer.Related
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Earlier, West Indies had been dismantled for 143, with Australia’s bowling sharing the success. Scott Boland, who replaced Nathan Lyon in the XI, finished with three wickets. Australia took a first-innings lead of 82, but it also meant they started their second innings at the beginning of the final session, as the lights took full hold.The passage of play when West Indies took the new ball was electrifying. Konstas wasn’t able to get off the mark as he jabbed at a short-of-a-length delivery from Shamar Joseph and was caught in the gully. It left Konstas, who had been billed as the future of the top order, with 50 runs in the series at 8.33.Usman Khawaja managed to take his balls-faced tally in the series to over 300 – a not-inconsiderable achievement given the conditions – but inside-edged a big drive against Shamar Joseph into his stumps, making it all six dismissals for the series from around the wicket.
Then, Alzarri Joseph turned up the throttle against Steven Smith with a spell where he touched 147kph and produced the fastest over by a West Indies bowler in the series. He had only been able to bowl seven overs in the first innings due to back problems but was cleared after scans in hospital.Smith was dropped on 1, a low chance to Justin Greaves at second slip, and appeared to have trouble sighting the ball, which is a challenge he has spoken about in day-night Tests. With Alzarri Joseph’s 12th delivery to Smith, he found the inside edge with a fuller delivery, pinning Smith back in the crease.West Indies spurned a golden chance to remove Green when he and Travis Head were caught ball-watching over a single. The pair resisted briefly, but it couldn’t last for much longer as Head sent a low catch to second slip against Greaves.Beau Webster was defeated by late movement from Alzarri Joseph, on a virtually unplayable delivery, and Alex Carey edged a wild drive to slip two balls after being clanged on the helmet by a bouncer that necessitated repair work on it. Carey’s stroke was one of a batter not backing their chances of hanging around.Scott Boland, who replaced Nathan Lyon in the XI, finished with three wickets•AFP/Getty Images
As with the opening day, the game moved at a much more sedate pace for the first two hours. West Indies had fought hard during the morning session, which took on a similar pattern to Australia’s first innings, where the scoring rate was low. They were 73 for 3 at the interval and later 124 for 5, before tumbling in a heap thanks to a mixture of good deliveries and poor batting.Brandon King, who had opened after injuries to John Campbell and Mikyle Louis on the first day, had been solid during the opening exchanges before falling to a bail-trimming lbw against Josh Hazlewood.There was a brief moment of controversy when Campbell was nearly run out by Pat Cummins’ under-arm flick from mid-on. Nitin Menon didn’t call for the TV umpire and said Australia hadn’t appealed. Replays showed Campbell’s bat bounced but had been ground fractionally over the line beforehand. There was a heated conversation between Cummins and Menon in the aftermath.Pat Cummins celebrates dismissing Roston Chase•AFP/Getty Images
Roston Chase had battled through 70 balls when he edged a lifter from Cummins to first slip as he tried to drop the bat and gloves out of the line.Campbell, meanwhile, had shaped up well, showing good judgement with tip and runs while latching onto anything slightly lose, especially a crunching cover drive against Hazlewood. However, a moment of misjudgment ended his stay when he shouldered arms to Boland.Louis, who hurt his knee on the opening day, played the worst shot from the top order – a swipe across the line – to leave West Indies 95 for 5.But Australia were not blemish free. Carey missed two chances – the first when he dived across in front of first slip for an edge off Greaves, and then a low inside edge from Shai Hope. However, Hope fell on the next ball, when a delivery nipped sharply from Boland and scooted past the inside edge.From there, the innings – which also included Greaves being run out coming back for a third, beaten by Konstas’ excellent throw from the deep – subsided till they were all out.