“I’m not satisfied that I didn’t carry on to get three figures or firstly to see out the day but still happy in a sense that I got my highest test score”, Brathwaite said.
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Brathwaite was deceived by Lyon’s extra bounce and attempted to steer the ball past slip, but instead lobbed a catch off his gloves to Steven Smith at slip.
By contrast, the Windies have managed just 10 wickets in two Tests, as Australia captain Steve Smith and Co. have mercilessly blasted West Indies’ attack with consummate ease.
But Lyon, who became just the sixth Australian spin bowler to reach 100 Test wickets in Australia when he had Brathwaite caught this evening, believes that hope of an Australia win and a three-nil series scoreline continues to shine even though the Sydney sun has not. They lost Marlon Samuels for four before rain forced an early tea break, and then lost a further three wickets following the resumption.
Steve OKeefe, one of the two recognised spinners along with Nathan Lyon in an Australian team for the first time in a decade in a home Test, said there was still time for Australia to get a result.
OverviewThis is the third and last test match of this series and Australia are in a 2-0 unbeatable lead and should try and whitewash West Indies and send them back.
Samuels hit the ball straight to Josh Hazlewood at point, started off for a run and stopped mid-pitch. Brathwaite had dropped his bat before retreating to his end and Samuels was stranded by Hazlewood’s throw to the striker’s end.
But the 24-year-old said he was feeling in great shape and ready to play in his sixth Test of the southern summer, despite just a five-day turnaround from the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
Brathwaite, who shared a resolute 91-run stand with Darren Bravo before Australia swung momentum their way, was “quite surprised” by how much the SCG strip spun.
“There’s enough time even if it’s rain affected”.
“I’ve seen they’ve gone with two spinners, we’ve been accustomed to spin-bowling in the Caribbean and hopefully our batsmen can get into that a lot better than we have in this series”, captain Jason Holder told reporters at the SCG on the eve of the opening day of the match. Chandrika injured his groin in the morning warm-up, after leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo hurt his shoulder on the morning of the second Melbourne Test.
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The Sydney Cricket Ground was festooned in pink to mark Jane McGrath Day, but the grey clouds had the final say.
