THE West Indies resume at 6-207, having won the toss but suffered a collapse of 5-55 late on day one of the three-Test series finale.
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Play was formally deserted at 4:35 p.m. (0535 GMT) because the rain continued to cascade down on Sydney Cricket Ground with the 14,266 optimistic souls who got here via the gates regardless of the gloomy forecast provided a full refund.
Only 11.2 overs had been possible on Monday, with the West Indies 248 for seven with Denesh Ramdin on 30 and Kemar Roach yet to score.
Spinners Lyon and Steve O’Keefe both struck upon their return before Carlos Brathwaite slapped an unbeaten 35 off as many balls. Opener Kraigg Brathwaite scored 85 to lead visitors’ resistance.
Only four overs could be bowled in the first session and 7.2 in the second before another heavy squall forced the players to leave the field for a third and final time.
Play was then abandoned for day four.
A bold plan discussed by SCG Trust chair Tony Shepherd at a luncheon on day one which would see Sydney host two Test matches next summer is sure to create heated debate in coming months.
Blackwood shouldered arms to a ball that fizzed off the deck and clipped the top of off stump, while Brathwaite guided a ball straight to Steve Smith at slip.
West Indies failed to build on a solid start as Australia fought back strongly on a rain-affected opening day of the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Samuels, who has had a poor tour so far, hit to point and hared off for a run only to stop in the middle of the pitch. Darren Bravo’s 33 was a vital contribution, before he was sent packing by James Pattinson.
Shai Hope was caught behind wicket after scoring 9 runs off 17 balls. Hazlewood made the short throw to Peter Nevill who completed the runout.
“The spinners bowled well, it is just about trusting your defence and backing your shots and you can score”.
Prior to the day’s play, co-founder of The Richies Michael Hennessy said they were looking for fans to get behind their already 501-man-strong group.
Spinner Nathan Lyon was introduced into the Australian attack in the eighth over, indicating that spin is likely to make a significant impact over the course of the Test.
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“It [rain] has given us time to look back and see what we could have done differently and I think that we have seen in the last three days of cricket we’ve improved and our batters seem to be thinking about it and fighting a little bit harder to not give the Aussies wickets”, Simmons said.
