Australia’s fast bowlers finally made progress against a stubborn West Indies batting effort on day three of the first Test at Perth Stadium, bowling out the visitors for 283 in 98.2 overs on a mild and sunny day. After electing to bat again, Australia’s first innings lead of 315 was extended to 344 in 11 overs before stumps for the loss of Usman Khawaja.
For a long time it was difficult to know what to make of Perth’s inbound surface. The first such launch for the 2018 India Test allowed for an electric contest with his pace. The following year against New Zealand was relatively uneventful. After the first two-and-a-half days of this current Test had yielded five wickets from both teams combined, scoreboard watchers would have assumed this pitch was a road one. In fact, it still offered good bounce, had persistent green thatch grass, and there were deliveries that struggled.
Gradually, the Australians were able to identify the landing zone that proved more difficult to play. Josh Hazlewood started the proceedings, removing Tagenarine Chanderpaul in the first over of the day. The first-rounder had hit a boundary safely, turning his overnight 47 into his maiden half-century and taking the West Indies to 78 an over. Hazlewood followed with the perfect length to the left, on an off-stump line that he had to play, moving away to draw a boundary at first slip.
But for every Australian success, the West Indies responded with resistance. Nkrumah Bonner went through with Kraigg Brathwaite, then was hit on the helmet by Cameron Green and had to retire injured soon after at the cup break. Jermaine Blackwood wisely took over to accompany his captain past lunch. It was after the break that Pat Cummins was next to find the spot, drawing Brathwaite forward, tipping the ball in, then cutting it past the outside edge and hitting the top of off stump, all against a 64 player who had faced. 166 balls. In a mock of his famous dismissal of Joe Root, Cummins took his 200th wicket in his 44th Test, a distinction shared with Richard Hadlee, Joel Garner, Kagiso Rabada, Ravindra Jadeja and Alec Bedser.
Jermaine Blackwood offered strong resistance against Australia’s attack. Photograph: Richard Wainwright/AAP
Mitchell Starc soon followed with his own version of that delivery, edging left-hander Kyle Mayers on the inside edge for one. Both players maintained their quality, and their short bowling became venomous. But now it was Jason Holder helping Blackwood, putting on 53 together, including a powerful six off Nathan Lyon before the spinner had caught Holder at leg for 27.
Shamarh Brooks was allowed to bat as Bonner’s concussion replacement, taking the team past tea with Blackwood, but Starc found swing on the second new ball and used it to remove the front pad off Blackwood, off lbw, for a stubborn 36 off 108 balls. , then to break Joshua da Silva’s stumps for a third-ball duck. Brooks hit Green to be caught behind for 33, the home player’s success causing the West Australian fans to make the most noise of the day, and the visitors’ resistance ended on 266 for seven. Cummins and Lyon finished the rest, the captain leading the bowling with three for 34, Starc with three for 51.
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The huge lead would not tempt Australia to enforce the follow-on, not with the continued quality of batting pitching and the long change they had experienced in the field. David Warner threw the bat immediately, Khawaja edged Kemar Roach to slot behind for six, and the Aussies ended the day on 29 for one. Day four will be about how long they want to go on before they attempt to dislodge the West Indies for a second time, with Marnus Labuschagne set to add to his first-innings double century.