Nathan Lyon claimed his 100th Test wicket in Australia with the dismissal of top-scoring opener Kraigg Brathwaite late on the opening day of the rain-hit third Test against the West Indies in Sydney on Sunday.
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The Barbados all-rounder clouted two massive sixes off one James Pattinson over on his way to a dynamic 69 after lunch at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Brathwaite’s pair of sixes and Pattinson’s superb swing were scant reward for the 14,266 fans that hung around as players scurried off and on the field throughout the first two sessions.
Leg-spinner Bishoo, who took 6-80 against the Australians in the Caribbean past year, had been in the frame for a recall to work in tandem with inexperienced left-arm orthodox bowler Jomel Warrican.
“As a cricket side you never want to see run outs in the long format, but it was a good piece of fielding, especially from Josh and luckily enough they were standing in the middle of the wicket shaking hands”, Lyon said.
O’Keefe’s inclusion for his second Test – his first on home soil – would make it the first time Australia have played twin spinners at the SCG since Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill took on South Africa at the ground in 2006. “I’m not sure what to say about that”, Brathwaite said.
“On a first-day pitch that is spinning like that, once we get a score – anything about 300 will put ourselves in a good position”, he said.
“It is annoying and it’s hard for the guys to continually switch off and get back up”, said spinner Steve O’Keefe, who is playing his first test in Australia after making his debut against Pakistan in Dubai in 2014.
“I think this pitch will probably speed this game up, it will have a lot of movement especially for the spinners”, Lyon said tonight.
2 overs of play on the second day of the third check towards Australia.
Denesh Ramdin is on 30 off 103 balls, while Kemar Roach is yet to score.
However, Carlos Brathwaite and Ramdin came together in a seventh wicket stand now worth 48, to stall Australia’s progress and ensure West Indies were still afloat at the close.
Brathwaite was off the mark in style, clearing the ropes back overhead with O’Keefe off the second ball he faced and then twice swept the same bowler behind square for boundaries in later overs.
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The West Indies, who are playing in their first Test at the SCG in 15 years, are chasing their first Test win in Australia since 1997.
