Warrican, who picked two wickets for 111 runs rued the fact that West Indies were unable to take more wickets after the first session and allowed the Australian batsmen to get away with big scores.
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The Windies are underdogs heading into Thursday’s opening Test in Hobart after suffering an embarrassing 10-wicket loss to a Cricket Australia (CA) XI last week.
The touring West Indies, for all their rich history in the sport, aren’t the same team that famously denied Allan Border, the legendary Australian skipper, a single series win during his career – spanning through the eighties until 1994.
Darren Bravo has fought hard to be 43 not out and played a series of spectacular drives that were reminiscent of the calypso cricket that was a trademark of the West Indies’ hey-days.
Marsh’s first Test ton on home soil – and third overall – featured 15 fours and a six.
Warrican, playing his second test after getting the nod over leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, altered the momentum of the match, however, to expose an Australian middle order which West Indies have identified as a weakness. “We’re in that situation where we have to just put that behind us”.
It is also the seventh highest total on any day of a Test in Australia and the highest at this venue. It was a complete run-fest at Hobart, as, with the exception of Jason Holder, all the other frontline West Indian bowlers went for plenty. Marsh anchored the innings with a much-needed century of his own, while Voges made a brilliant 174, increasing his Test average to a remarkable 68.91. He could survive at the expense of his brother, of course, if Australia decide to go with four bowlers for a few Tests until Shaun presents an irresistible case for dropping him yet again.
“There was a bit of moisture in the pitch and we thought I could get a bit of turn from it”, Warrican said of his dismissal of Smith.
“Davey Warner is coming off a very good series against New Zealand, and (with) Steve Smith they scored the bulk of the runs in the last series played”.
The first Test will be played at the Bellerive Oval here from Thursday.
“I guess we were not as consistent as we needed to be”.
“Try and make sure that Australia don’t score as quickly as well”.
“We have to come out and execute our skills as well as we can”.
Fast bowler Jerome Taylor is all but guaranteed a spot after being rested from the tour match. “He bowls at 150kph (93 mph) when he’s got everything together”, Smith said in Hobart in announcing the team Wednesday.
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Compiled across 87.3 overs and scored at better than five runs an over, Voges and Marsh took Australia from a slightly nervy 3-121 in the match’s opening session to 4-570 shortly before lunch on day two.
