Speculation has risen over Hobart’s future as a Test venue amid fears that just 10,000 fans are to attend the first four days of Australia’s first Test against the West Indies, starting today.
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Shaun Marsh surpassed his previous highest Test score of 148 against South Africa at Centurion in February past year before his dismissal.
And there appears to be no end in sight for a hapless West Indies side who were left battered and bruised after a miserable opening day in the first Test against Australia in Hobart.
The day had held such promise for the tourists after the opening trio of Joe Burns (33), David Warner (64) and captain Steve Smith (10) fell to leave Australia struggling somewhat on 121-3. The pair piled on 136 in all in a wicketless afternoon session and Voges reached his hundred from the penultimate ball before tea, off exactly 100 balls with 16 fours. “It’s something I’ve been working really hard to try and do and I got 99 past year [against India], so to get to three figures on home soil was pretty special”.
National chairman of selectors Rod Marsh hinted that Hazlewood would be given a break this summer and the Hobart clash appeared the most likely considering the short turnaround between the Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests.
Starc sustained stress fracture in his right foot in the final test against New Zealand and will not play in any of the three tests against the West Indies.
“I definitely feel comfortable at this level”.
“With Adam scoring so freely, it got me going as well”, he said.
“We need a strong first innings total and that is something that I really highlighted in the dressing room, once we start doing that we have shown in the past we can take 20 wickets”.
“Hopefully he can come out and play his natural game and hopefully get a few runs for us this match”. The field was back, the singles came without trouble, the boundaries flowed when the bowlers strayed or overpitched, and the pressure was again non-existent from the West Indians for extended periods. In Jerome Taylor and Kemar Roach they have two fast bowlers capable of exposing the fragile Australian middle order on these bouncy surfaces. Warrican then had Smith caught by Jermaine Blackwood at first slip for 10.
Despite being the world’s fifth-ranked batsman, Warner has surprisingly never scored heavily against the Windies, averaging just 26.90 from five Tests, well down on his career mark of 50.48.
However, Warner, who was dropped on 4, was out at the stroke of lunch for 64 off 61 balls to a leg-side catch by Denesh Ramdin, the wicketkeeper, off Jomel Warrican, the left-arm spinner.
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Beyond that, however, he was complimentary about the West Indies’ performance and attitude, especially because express paceman Shannon Gabriel was sidelined for the second half of the day with left-ankle pain which required scans after play.
