Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach shared seven wickets before the hosts declared their first innings 22 behind
Alex Malcolm26-Jan-20241:57
McGlashan: ‘West Indies have a chance of a famous victory’
Kevin Sinclair made a half-century on debut and celebrated his first wicket with a spectacular somersault. Australia were 24 for 4 with Kemar Roach on a hat-trick. Alzarri Joseph bagged four wickets with hostile pace. Alex Carey made a Gilchrist-esque 38-ball half-century. Pat Cummins passed 50 for the first time in over five years. Usman Khawaja was Usman Khawaja. West Indies were 64 for 5 and made 311. Australia were 54 for 5 and made 289 for 9 before declaring to bowl with a new pink ball under lights after 9pm. Australia’s two best catchers, Cameron Green and Steven Smith, dropped two sitters at either end of the day. Tagenarine Chanderpaul fell in the final over of the day via a review.After a truly bonkers day of Test cricket at the Gabba, West Indies were 35 ahead with nine second-innings wickets intact at stumps. The last time they led Australia after the first innings in a Test was in 2012; Australia had declared behind then as well and won.Cummins’ bold declaration paid off with Chanderpaul caught behind to Josh Hazlewood on what became the last ball of the day – the DRS showed the faintest of edges. It could have been worse for the visitors. Kraigg Brathwaite had nicked Mitchell Starc low to Smith at second slip and he spilled it, after pouching three without issue in the first innings.Equally, West Indies’ lead could have been more. Australia were 24 for 4 at dinner and 54 for 5 not long after, thanks to Roach’s three early blows and Alzarri Joseph picking up two. Those early breakthroughs backed up the great work of Sinclair. His half-century on Test debut helped push West Indies to the second-highest total by any team against Australia in 12 pink-ball Tests.Australia were very nearly 72 for 6 when a 141.7kph delivery from Shamar Joseph whizzed through Carey’s defence and nicked the off bail. But the bail somehow spun in its groove and never fell to the ground.Alzarri Joseph picked up three to derail Australia•Getty Images
Khawaja was resolute throughout, making a superb 75 to hold the innings together, and partnered Carey and Cummins in two crucial stands to bail Australia out of trouble.Carey played a counterattacking innings in the mould of Adam Gilchrist, racing to fifty as he and Khawaja put together 96 off just 99 deliveries. The pink ball softened, and batting became much easier with Australia’s innings almost mirroring West Indies’ first innings. However, unlike the resolute vigil of Joshua Da Silva, Carey’s stay ended before tea when he holed out to deep square leg off Shamar Joseph for 65 off just 49 balls with still plenty of work to do to avoid a significant first-innings deficit.After Starc also fell before tea, Cummins picked up where Carey left off. The skipper was peppered with short balls from the two Josephs. He backed away. He looked ugly. But he found a way to survive and then thrive, carving balls behind point and later launching them through and over the offside. He made his first half-century since December 2018 and finished with 64 not out from 73 balls with eight fours and a six. His innings took Australia from 161 for 7 to 289 for 9, as he shared an 81-run stand with Khawaja and then a 33-ball 47-run partnership with Nathan Lyon before declaring when Lyon fell. Australia’s last four wickets yielded 235 runs and they scored at a dizzying rate of 5.45 throughout.West Indies might rue letting such a position of authority slip. They lost their way to Australia’s lower order and were never able to contain the run rate. It did overshadow the brilliant new-ball work of Roach and Alzarri Joseph.Smith was trapped lbw by Roach in the opening over of Australia’s innings, shuffling back and across too far to a ball that nipped in and hit him flush in front of off stump. Nitin Menon initially gave it not out but it was smashing middle on the ball-tracking projection.Five balls later, Marnus Labuschagne was squared up fending at a lifter from Alzarri Joseph that was well wide of his body, and the thick edge was snaffled by a flying Sinclair at third slip diving to his right.Kevin Sinclair impressed with the bat on Test debut•Getty Images
Green entered and played a lovely off-drive to find the rope, but then meekly chipped an overpitched delivery straight to Brathwaite at mid-off to gift Roach a second. Next ball, Travis Head was strangled down the leg side, tickling a half-volley to Da Silva to squeals of delight from the West Indies team.Mitchell Marsh counterattacked in the same manner as Carey later would. But like Carey, he fell by the sword for 21 off 20, miscuing a pull shot to mid-on having been hurried by Alzarri Joseph.Earlier in the day, Sinclair and Roach frustrated Australia’s bowlers in the morning session, batting through the first hour without loss. Roach was the immovable object while Sinclair did the bulk of the scoring. Australia’s quicks were left frustrated as the second new ball softened quickly and offered very little sideways movement despite Brisbane’s humidity and heavy cloud cover.The partnership was only broken because of a huge mix-up with Roach slipping mid-pitch after Sinclair refused his desire for a single to Labuschagne.Australia could have removed Sinclair on 30. He poked Cummins straight to gully and Green spilled a sitter at thigh height.Sinclair made Green and Australia pay with some excellent shots thereafter. He swept Lyon for four and then lofted him inside-out over mid-off in consecutive balls to bring up his half-century. He fell next ball, running past one that drifted away and was stumped by Carey, who needed two bites to complete the take.