Share

Voges, Marsh tons at the opening day

Voges reached the close on 174 not out, while Marsh was unbeaten on 139.

Advertisement

Warrican knows the Windies were not good enough on the opening day of the three-match series.

Marsh also scored his third Test century, and first on home soil. Usman Khawaja is set to return from a hamstring injury and could play for the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

However, one man’s misfortune is another’s opportunity. At times in the second session, Australia scored at a rate on which teams generally do not score in limited-overs cricket: seven runs an over.

In 15 previous Test appearances spread across four years, Marsh had made two centuries.

Lara, who represented West Indies in 131 Tests and 299 ODIs, opined that the current players do not trust the board and the players’ association and observed that current senior players are setting a bad example for youngsters by preferring lucrative Twenty20 competitions over playing for the West Indies, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

But the middle order came to the rescue, with Voges having faced 204 balls to date and Marsh at the crease for 205 deliveries.

Marsh, meanwhile, carried on with the certainty and improved defensive technique he first exhibited in Adelaide, albeit against bowling of a lesser standard than that provided by New Zealand.

Several commentators predicted the Hobart venue, with a capacity of 19,500, would be lucky to see 10,000 pass through the gates during the first four days of play, putting at risk future Tests for the island state.

“It’s been a great day”, Voges said.

Australia’s Adam Voges acknowledges the Hobart crowd after reaxching his century against the West Indies.

For those who grew up watching their fast bowlers tear through opposing teams, the decline of the West Indies cricket team is sad to see.

The much-maligned West Indies are battling to regain respect against Australia in the first of three Tests starting in Hobart tomorrow, but the odds are heavily stacked against the once-mighty Caribbeans.

It is the second-highest fourth-wicket stand and fifth-biggest partnership overall in the 85-year Australia-Windies Test history.

West Indies come into this series just a few weeks after losing two Tests and three ODIs in Sri Lanka. And till the time West Indies do not answer, cricket fraternity will keep asking.

The disintegration of an iconic organisation-with those instantly recognisable burgundy caps-would seem a shame.

The only thing scarier, in context of the rest of the series, is that day one featured the West Indies’ strongest discipline: bowling.

The seam bowlers-once the backbone of the West Indies’ success-were inaccurate and expensive.

“They toiled as hard as they could, they lost a bowler in Gabriel … so they’re a bowler down (and) there wasn’t a lot of assistance in the wicket for them”, he said.

Advertisement

Given their mediocre run of recent results, Jason Holder’s tourists face a huge credibility gap and have been given next to no chance by many pundits.

Pink ball cricket in New Zealand awaiting approval