Australia has put the West Indies through the ringer on day two in Adelaide, taking four wickets in the final session and leaving the tourists in all sorts of trouble.
The day began with Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head at the crease following a commanding day one. Neither were able to convert their scores into double centuries, but by the time 500 was up, the writing was on the wall for the Windies.
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Australia declared shortly before tea and unleashed their pace battery on the top order. Scott Boland looked exceptional and kept the runs to a minimum, but it was Queenslander Michael Neser who did the early damage.
He picked up 2/14 in his first spell, before skipper Steve Smith tried some spin.
Nathan Lyon made a serious statement in just his second ball with a ball turning as if it was a day five pitch. He struck with the first ball of his second over — dismissing Jermaine Blackwood caught-and-bowled for three.
The wicket put him past Shane Warne’s all-time tally of 56 wickets at the Adelaide Oval, making the former groundsman officially the most successful bowler at the iconic ground.
Young opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul flicked a switch late in the piece and began freeing his arms, awkwardly sending the ball to the boundary before the wicket of Devon Thomas — bowled by Cameron Green — reeled him in to close out the day.
The West Indies will resume at 4/102, still trailing Australia by 409 runs. Chanderpaul will resume on 47, while nightwatchman Anderson Phillip win continue on 1.
Tune in tomorrow for all the updates from day three.
10:10pm – Green strikes gold after expensive over
Tagenarine Chanderpaul flicked a switch as soon as Cameron Green entered the attack, blunting him around the ground for 17 runs alongside Devon Thomas.
But the young all-rounder had the last laugh, correcting his front foot after a couple of no-balls and forcing Thomas to play onto his stumps trying to defend on the back foot.
Thomas fell for 19, bringing all-rounder Anderson Phillip to the crease at No. 6.
Chanderpaul continued on the front foot the following over, lifting Michael Neser over the covers for four.
9:22pm – Lyon joins the action, overtakes Warne
It didn’t take long for Nathan Lyon to make a statement at the Adelaide Oval. The veteran spinner produced a huge amount of spin on his second delivery, sending a worrying message to the Windies order early in the match.
He had new batsman Jermaine Blackwood in all sorts the next over, prompting the No. 4 to pop the ball up into diving reach for the bowler.
It was the second caught-and-bowled of the innings.
Lyon arrived at the second Test equal with Shane Warne for wickets at the Adelaide Oval, meaning the GOAT has now overtaken the recently passed away icon.
Lyon continued his dangerous line immediately after, narrowly missing Devon Thomas’ stumps after scraping the inside edge.
9:15pm – Neser picks up his second
Neser put down a tough caught-and-bowled attempt off Shamarh Brooks shortly after dismissing the skipper. The Windies No. 3 bunted a fuller ball into Neser’s left hand but did not stick.
His pained reaction on the ground showed just how close he was to collecting a second pole — but he didn’t have to wait long.
Neser sent down another cherry to dismiss Brooks in his next over, collecting a faint edge bowling a textbook fourth stump line.
By the following drinks break, the Queenslander had 2-14 to his name at just 2.3 an over.
8:39pm – Neser strikes
Michael Neser bowled an absolute peach to dismiss West Indies skipper Kriagg Braithwaite for 19, snicking the opening batsman’s outside edge with a perfect length delivery.
The stand-in paceman has troubled the batsmen in his opening spell, choking up the runs with the pink ball and rarely offering up a half volley.
8pm – Australia on the hunt
Australia’s declaration before tea gave the quicks a handful of overs to take some early wickets as the Windies took the crease. Skipper Kraigg Braithwaite punched a full delivery from Mitchell Starc for four, but was kept on his toes after a solid start from stand-in quick Scott Boland.
The Windies now have a mammoth task on their hands after the tea break — fending off a refreshed pace attack with a new ball under lights.
7pm – Neser trapped LBW, Australia declares
Kraigg Brathwaite trapped Michael Neser LBW after the tailender attempted a sweep shot. Neser asked for the DRS cameras but got no luck with ball tracking showing the ball clipping off stump.
He fell for a handy 18 off 35, bringing big hitter Mitchell Starc to the crease with Alex Carey, who has also begun to free his arms to get Australia past 500 at the stroke of 7pm (AEDT).
Australia declared shortly after at 7/511.
5:53pm- Head run out on 175, Green falls cheaply
Travis Head will have to wait for his maiden Test double century after being run out on 175 shortly after the dinner break.
A hesitant mix-up with Cameron Green left the number five in no-man’s land. Commentators speculated over whether Green — who briefly took off from the non strikers’ end attempting to come back for a second — was to blame.
Fans joked the Adelaide Oval wouldn’t let the youngster leave the ground after seemingly denying the home town hero a massive double ton.
Devon Thomas was in the action again, chasing the ball down from fine leg and sending a solid throw back to Da Silva behind the stumps.
Alex Carey joined Green at the crease for his first dig this series — but they weren’t there together for long.
Green was bowled after attempting to leave a ball from Alzarri Joseph, with the ball catching his bat on the way through and crashing into the stumps.
4pm – Marnus nicks one on 163
Marnus Labuschagne has been dismissed for 163, flashing at a ball wide of off stump and edging it into the safe hands of wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva.
Devon Thomas — the side’s reserve keeper — took the wicket, his second for the innings.
Da Silva earned a lot of praise from the commentary box for his quick hands standing up to the medium pacer.
It was all happening from the very next ball when Cameron Green faced his first delivery of the series. The all-rounder nudged at a rising ball and edged it just short of first slip.
4pm – 250 partnership up
Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne have continued to whittle down the Windies attack on the second afternoon of play, bringing up their 250 partnership just before drinks.
Travis Head pushed the spearhead quicks out of the attack with more strong off-side play, briefly overtaking Labuschagne’s score as the pair worked towards 150 apiece.
Number six Cameron Green is still yet to bat this series.
3pm – Windies’ bowling attack roasted
The West Indies’ line-up has been ravaged by injury this series, leaving their bowling attack at “not even club cricket” standard.
Australia was at 3/131 at one stage on Thursday but Labuschagne and Head put the Windies to the sword.
The decision to heavily rely on spinners Kraigg Brathwaite and Roston Chase before tea has come under scrutiny.
And there wasn’t much on show at the beginning on day two, with Jason Holder offering up a few pies in the first over to get the Aussies’ eye in.
“Tactically, I couldn’t understand bringing a part-time spinner on in the first hour of the Test match,” Mark Waugh said on RSN.
“They hung in there pretty well halfway through the day when they had Australia 3-131 but after that Marnus and Travis Head just took the game away from them. The last session, that was club cricket, not even club cricket, I’m being a bit disrespectful to club players.
“The bowling was very, very ordinary, they had hands in pockets and long-sleeve jumpers on, it just didn’t look like they wanted to be there.”
Michael Clarke added on Sky Sports’ The Big Sports Breakfast: “Take nothing away from those two batsmen but clubbies at best, the West Indies.
“Their bowlers, again they brought a debutant out from West Indies who landed a handful of days ago, always going to be a risk and it’s such a long way to travel.
“They bowled two part-time spinners in the first session of a Test match. It’s an average attack. Their tactics were just horrible. They are in deep trouble.”
Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Kyle Mayers were all ruled out of the second Test with injury, forcing Omar Phillips to be rushed on a flight to join the squad on late notice.
Former West Indies captain Carl Hooper was scathing of the visitors’ bowling performance.
He told the ABC: “You’ve still got to get the runs but this is almost like taking candy from a baby (for Australia). This is not Test cricket.”
