Australia’s James Pattinson, center, celebrates with teammates after dismissing West Indies’ Jermaine Blackwood. The match ended before tea Saturday when the West Indies, led by Darren Bravo’s 108 in the first innings and Kraigg Brathwaite’s 94 in the second, were bowled out for 148. West Indies have now won just four of their last 21 Tests and went into the first Hobart Test on the back of a humbling 10-wicket loss in their only warm-up game to a modest Cricket Australia XI.
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Holder put on 30 with Brathwaite before Pattinson returned to claim his fourth five-wicket haul in tests, the West Indies skipper flicking his 32nd delivery down the leg side and into the gloves of Peter Nevill for 17.
At Hobart, after the West Indies’ first innings was wrapped up in just five overs, Steve Smith knew his bowlers were fresh and sensed the opposition was reeling so went for the kill.
Australia beat West Indies by an innings and 212 runs inside three days in the first Test in Hobart.
“When I do bowl my best [it is when] I just try and run in and hit the wicket hard”.
Thrashed by their second largest margin ever in Australia, Jason Holder’s West Indies have only a two-day practice match in Geelong to pick up the pieces, and the visiting captain admits that the schedule is not ideal.
Bravo barely had time to bring up his seventh Test ton – and sixth overseas – before the Windies first innings ended. “It was nice to see James Pattinson back bowling the way he did and to get a five-for was an outstanding effort”.
Officials are confident that fears about the Boxing Day and Sydney Tests being commercial flops will prove largely unfounded despite the woeful performance of Australia’s opponents in Hobart, with crowds comparable to last year’s home series against India being projected for the marquee occasions.
And there was a period in the first innings where Pattinson’s speeds – capable of exceeding 150km/h – were stuck in the 120km/h slow lane.
Injured paceman Shannon Gabriel (ankle) did not bat in either innings. “We had a really good series against England where we competed really well and then the Australians came in after that and we fell back a little bit”.
Hazlewood also took two wickets in two balls in the rump end of West Indies’ first innings, removing Kemar Roach (31) to end his 97-run partnership with Bravo, and inducing Jerome Taylor to a thick edge onto his stumps for a duck.
“I thought if I bowled like I did in the first innings then I wouldn’t be getting too many games, so I thought I better change something”.
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Pattinson, 25, playing in his first Test since March previous year after recovering from back and hamstring issues, said he studied what he was doing wrong and came back a changed bowler to skittle the Windies.
