Australia have clinched the 3-match Test series 2-0 with a game to spare after a convincing 133-run win in Grenada over the West Indies. The Aussies are flying high as they garner crucial WTC points and are at the top of the table in the early exchanges. West Indies have a lot to ponder about in the series. They have played well in patches but have not been consistent enough to down Australia. Batting has failed totally while the bowling was decent. We will find out the three reasons why the West Indies lost to Australia inside 4 days.
Kraigg Brathwaite’s repeated failures in a fragile-looking West Indies batting line-up
Kraigg Brathwaite was playing in his 100th Test match and was the 10th West Indies player to achieve the feat. Much was expected from Brathwaite in this game but he disappointed us once again. In the first innings, he scored 0 to be dismissed by Josh Hazlewood while in the second innings he was dismissed by Beau Webster for just 7 runs. There is a pattern to which he is getting out. Either he is caught behind or getting bowled. He got out to Starc in both the innings in Barbados and now he gets out to Hazlewood and Webster.
With Brathwaite not firing, it puts immense pressure on the West Indies middle order to perform. While they did decently in the first innings, things unravelled quickly in the second innings. John Campbell scored 40 before gifting his wicket, Brandon King scored 75 a good knock but could not convert it to a big score. There were starts, but no one carried on and they scored 253 in response to 286.
The second innings was a disaster for the West Indies as wickets fell at regular intervals. Captain Roston Chase top scored with 34. The rest could not get going while the tailenders played their shots before getting Out. West Indies were bowled out for 143 in 34.3 overs losing almost all its wickets in a single session of play. Batting is the major concern and must improve by leaps and bounds to do well in the final Test match of the series.
Inability to take lower-order wickets and clean up the tail hurts West Indies.Â
West Indies were successful in picking up top order wickets on a consistent basis. But their inability to take lower middle order and tail wickets came back to haunt the West Indies towards the end. In the first innings after a 47-run stand between Usman Khawaja and Sam Konstas, West Indies came back and picked wickets to reduce the Aussies to 93/4 and 110/5.
But from there, the visitors recovered through the partnership of Beau Webster and Alex Carey of 112 runs to come back on track. Webster scored 60 off 115 balls while Carey scored 63 off 81 balls and was the aggressor of the two. The tail also wagged with Cummins, Lyon and Hazlewood getting to double digits which meant Australia finished with a competitive 286 on the board. Had the West Indies been more incisive with their bowling, they may have kept Australia down to 200-220.
In the second innings, Australia lost early wickets to be reduced to 28/3 at one stage. But they recovered through Cameron Green (52) and Steve Smith (71) in a 93-run stand to put the Aussies back on track. Smith also added 58 off 77 balls with Travis Head who scored 39. Alex Carey scored 30 quick runs and played with the tail alongside Mitchell Starc who made 13 to take Australia’s score to 243. A target of 277 was given to West Indies which they fell short by a lot.
West Indies had their chances in both Test matches particularly here and did not manage to clean up the tail. This meant Australia recovered through key partnerships and set challenging score for West Indies which proved way beyond them. If West Indies are to improve, they must play well for all 5 days of the Test match and push Australia harder. Playing well in patches does not help against a champion side like Australia.
Captain Roston Chase’s dwindling returns with bat and ball.Â
Roston Chase was making his return to the Test side after 2 years and was given the captain’s hat as well. Much was expected that Chase would lead from the front and inspire West Indies. While the team has done well in patches, Chase has been far from impressive as a leader or with bat and ball.
With the ball in this Test match, he hardly bowled. In the first innings he bowled 4 overs giving away 19 runs and picking up 0 wickets while in the second innings he bowled 5 overs and gave away 29 runs for 0 wickets. With the bat he had scores of 16 and 34 respectively.
It was expected that Chase would take more responsibility as captain and guide West Indies forward but that has not been the case. He has had a tough initiation to Test cricket captaincy against a strong Australian side and what has not helped them is him losing the toss meaning West Indies having to bat 4th on a deteriorating track chasing a significant score.
Chase needs to pull up his socks and do well in the next Test match and beyond should West Indies want to start winning. He must inspire the next generation of superstars in West Indies Test Cricket. It has been a struggle for him so far.
What Lies Ahead
Australia may have already won the series 2-0 with a game to spare, but every game is important in the WTC cycle with important points up for grabs. The 3rd and final Test will be a Pink Ball Test match in Jamaica from 13th of July onwards. This will be the first Pink Ball Test for Australia away from home. The Aussies will look to sweep the series while West Indies will play for pride.
Will Australia continue their dominance and sweep the series 3-0? Or will West Indies make a comeback and end the series on a high and get on the board in the WTC table? We will find that answer soon as the third Test will be upon us in a few days from now.
Also Read: WI vs AUS: Pat Cummins’ Brigade Dismantle West Indies