Australia and West Indies are involved in a fascinating second Test match in Grenada after the visitors won the first Test in three days in Barbados. West Indies had Australia in real trouble, but the Aussies fought hard thanks to a gritty knock from all-rounder Beau Webster. His knock alongside Alex Carey’s has given Australia a competitive score on the board.
Australia had gotten off to a decent start courtesy their openers before they lost their way. They were 93/4 at one stage when Beau Webster came out to bat. He stitched crucial partnerships with Alex Carey and then contributed with the tail to help Australia post a competitive score one with which they can put pressure on the West Indies.
Beau Webster’s dodgy knock propels Australia closer to 300 and gives them hope
Like in the first Test, Australia lost top order wickets despite openers Usman Khawaja and Sam Konstas giving the team a decent 47-run opening stand. The Aussies lost wickets in the first session to be reduced to 93/4 in 23 overs when Beau Webster came in to join Travis Head in the middle. Beau Webster played with a calm mind and played according to the situation. Travis Head soon fell for 29 leaving the visitors at 110/5 and in spot of bother.
It was his partnership with Alex Carey that stood out with both complimenting each other really well. Webster was the one who showed grit and determination out there while Carey was the aggressor of the two. The duo took the game away from West Indies and put on 112 for the sixth wicket. Carey was dismissed for 63 off 81 balls. But Webster carried on and batted with the tail and was the 9th wicket to fall eventually for 60 off 115 balls laced with 6 fours and 1 six to his name.
Beau Webster’s Crucial Contributions for Australia in the past including WTC final
In his young and fledgling career, Beau Webster has played an important role for Australia and chipped in with crucial contributions. We don’t have to go too far back to know his value to the Australian team than just a week back when Australia and West Indies clashed against each other in Barbados. In that match, Webster made only 11 in the first innings but picked up two wickets at a crucial juncture in the first innings which went a long way in keeping West Indies down to 190 and only a 10-run lead for them.
Then in the second innings of Australia’s batting, he came to bat when the score was 65/4 and from there he rescued the innings building a partnership of 102 with Travis Head and 41 with Alex Carey. Webster scored a crucial 63 runs off 120 balls with 8 boundaries to his name and his innings alongside Travis Head and Alex Carey that propelled Australia to 310 before the bowlers did their job in winning the match.
One cannot forget his contribution in the WTC final against South Africa at Lord’s. Australia were reduced to 67/4 in the first innings when Webster came in to join Steve Smith in the middle. The duo added 79 for the 5th wicket. Smith scored 66 off 112 balls while Webster top scored with 72 off 92 balls. That was the main reason why Australia got to 212 in the first innings.
Beau Webster went wicketless with the ball and failed with the bat in the second innings. But his 79 showed he is a man for the future and has impressed one and all in his short career since his Test debut against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Webster made 57 on debut against India as well.
What Lies AheadÂ
The second Test in Grenada is nicely placed with Australia bowled out for 286 in 66.5 overs and West Indies set to start their batting on Day 2. It will all come down to how the out-of-form West Indies batters fare against the Australian quick bowlers on a pitch that’s aiding the bowlers. The hosts need to stand up and be counted and not waste the efforts of the bowlers who put in the hard yards.
Can the West Indies batting stand up, show some spine and be counted against the Australian bowling attack? Or will Australian bowlers run through the West Indies batting side and put their team in an advantageous position? Find out as Day 2 commences soon with play set to start early to make up for lost time. Let us wait and see how things pan out in Grenada.
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