Opener Kraigg Brathwaite stroked an enterprising half-century but West Indies’ batting wobbled to give Australia the advantage on the opening day of the final Test here yesterday.
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Deviation from the pitch saw the Kookaburra rocket into the off stump, dismissing Brathwaite for a fast 69 runs off 71 balls.
After reaching 100, the Windies lost Bravo, who picked out Usman Khawaja in the deep for 33 following a short delivery from James Pattinson (1-41).
At lunch, the West Indies were 92 for one with Brathwaite on 50 and Bravo not out 32.
That was about the extent of the entertainment for the Sydney crowd, who had waited patiently through a frustrating morning session. If we can get a full day’s play tomorrow and the last day, we will certainly be playing for a result.
A further 80-minute delay followed before play resumed at midday and Lyon completed his over, a maiden that spanned the best part of an hour and a half.
Anticipating turn, Australia fielded two spinners for the first time at an SCG test in a decade with Stephen O’Keefe joining first-choice spin option Nathan Lyon.
Approximately double that number attended day two, when 11.2 overs of play was possible.
“It’s up to every individual home country that hosts cricket to make their own decision about which is appropriate but whether the sun has gone down or not I think that’s largely irrelevant”, he said.
“I think those things happen in cricket”.
I think so. I think theres still a hell of a lot of cricket to go, OKeefe said.. Bowling to Ramdin, Lyon did not concede a run in his first three deliveries of the day.
The West Indies players like Chris Gayle, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy, Samuel Badree, and Andre Russell are all campaigning in the Big Bash League while in an inexperienced Caribbean side have been locked in a three-Test series with Australia.
We were able to build some pressure there and hopefully we can get our reward tomorrow.
“Probably not”, Lyon said, when asked if he has ever bowled on an SCG wicket that has turned so much on day one.
Denesh Ramdin was on 30 with Kemar Roach yet to score.
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Samuels played the ball straight to backward point and set off for a single that was never there, hesitating mid-wicket and as Brathwaite returned to his crease at the other end after dropping his bat, Hazelwood’s throw to Nevill beat Samuels back to his ground.
