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Australia gains a small advantage against the West Indies by striking late
Australia managed to take a crucial wicket in the form of Tagenarine Chanderpaul in the closing moments of an intriguing second day of the second Test against the West Indies in Brisbane on Friday. At the end of the day’s play, the West Indies were at 13-1, holding a lead of 35 runs. Chanderpaul was deemed out on review, as there was a faint edge off Josh Hazlewood in the final over of the night.
Having dismissed the West Indies for 311 in the first innings during the day-night Test’s opening session, Australia initiated a lower-order recovery, leading to captain Pat Cummins declaring at 289-9 in the late night session. This strategic decision proved beneficial with the late breakthrough in removing Chanderpaul.
Australia encountered a disastrous start to their first innings, finding themselves at 24-4 and later at 54-5. The team’s fortunes turned with a remarkable counterattacking performance from wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who scored a quick 65 from just 49 balls.
Despite Carey’s efforts, when he was dismissed at a score of 150, Australia still trailed by 161 runs, and the West Indies seemed poised to establish a significant lead going into the second innings. However, captain Pat Cummins, along with Usman Khawaja (scoring 75), had different plans. They guided Australia to 242 runs before Khawaja’s dismissal, where he edged to first slip to give off-spinner Kevin Sinclair his first Test wicket.
The dismissal prompted an exuberant celebration from Sinclair, featuring a sprint to cover followed by a round-off and back somersault.
Usman Khawaja’s dismissal prompted Pat Cummins to intensify his attacking approach, propelling him to achieve his highest Test score of 64. Cummins’ innings showcased a blend of conventional cricket shots and powerful, aggressive strokes.
As the ninth wicket fell with Nathan Lyon edging Alzarri Joseph to wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva, Cummins decided it was time to declare, giving his bowlers a 35-minute opportunity under the evening lights against the West Indies.
Earlier in the day, Kemar Roach had made a significant impact, securing three quick wickets for the West Indies. This included dismissing key Australian batsmen such as Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, and Travis Head before the dinner break, leaving the Australian reply in a precarious state.
After Steve Smith elegantly struck a straight drive to the boundary in the initial over from Roach, he faced a strong appeal for leg-before-wicket in the next delivery. Although Umpire Nitin Menon initially ruled not out, the West Indies promptly reviewed, and replays indicated the ball would have hit the middle stump, resulting in Australia being 6-1.
The situation worsened to 11-2 in the following over as Marnus Labuschagne edged a delivery to fourth slip off Joseph, where Kevin Sinclair executed a brilliant diving catch to his right. Cameron Green’s attempt to drive Roach ended in a straightforward catch to Kraigg Brathwaite at mid-off. Travis Head, who had an impressive 119 in the first Test, departed for a first-ball dismissal, tickling a delivery down the leg side.
Mitchell Marsh aggressively scored 21 off 19 balls but, on the 20th delivery, he mistimed a pull shot, resulting in a leading edge to mid-off. This handed Joseph his second wicket and left Australia at 54-5. Similar to the West Indies’ first innings, Australia’s lower-order batsmen staged a recovery, putting them back in contention.
