The Pink Ball Test at Sabina Park Kingston Jamaica is moving at a breathtaking speed. As many as 15 wickets fell on the day, with the pendulum swinging from one team to another. In the end, Australia leads by 181 runs with 4 wickets in hand after getting a handy 82-run lead in the first innings. West Indies folded for 143 after being 82/3 at one stage. John Campbell top-scored with 36 while Scott Boland picked up 3/34 in 13.1 overs.
In reply, Australia lost wickets at regular intervals. Cameron Green batting at 3 has held fort with his 42* off 65 balls alongside Pat Cummins the skipper as Australia ended the day at 99/6 in 29 overs. The two Josephs Shamar and Alzarri doing the damage under swinging conditions and lights. Alzarri picked up 3/19 in 8 overs while Shamar picked up 2/26 in 9 overs. The game is nicely poised at this stage.
West Indies lose Roston Chase and Brandon King in absorbing first session.
Overnight batters Roston Chase and Brandon King resumed for the West Indies with the score 16/1 in 9 overs. They started cautiously under challenging conditions. King showed his range from time to time, while Cummins gave nothing away.
It was Josh Hazlewood who provided the breakthrough as he got rid of Brandon King who was trapped right in front of the stumps. It was a fuller delivery that seamed back in and hit him on the knee roll. King reviewed but umpire’s call went in the bowler’s favour with King going back for 14 off 42 balls. West Indies were 28/2 with John Campbell walking out to bat.
Campbell got a lucky boundary through Hazlewood. But he was tough to hang in there even as Boland bowled a few no balls and got hit for a boundary by Chase. Campbell was riding his luck as his outside edge off Hazlewood did not carry to second slip. Boland got the outside edge of Chase but of a no ball as Chase survived a scare. Runs were at premium as the Aussies kept it tight with Campbell getting boundaries at times. After a long wait, Australia finally got their man. It was the captain Pat Cummins who struck gold.
Against the run of play, Pat Cummins got his opposite number. The extra zip helped the Aussie skipper as the back of the length around off, slanted away from Chase who went on the back foot and tried to push at it. Chase got an outside edge to Usman Khawaja at first slip who made no mistake and took a good catch. West Indies were 58/3 with Mikyle Louis joining John Campbell at the crease.
Originally, the two designated openers were batting at 4 and 5 respectively due to injuries sustained on Day 1. The duo approached the rest of the session cautiously and played through the tough period. They got bonus runs via overthrows from Australia from time to time which they gleefully accepted. Campbell looked to score while Louis held one end up. The players headed off to Tea with the score at 73/3 in 32 overs. John Campbell was batting on 31* off 54 balls while Mikyle Louis was batting on 2* off 14 balls.
Scott Boland stars as West Indies are skittled out for 143 in the first innings.
John Campbell and Mikyle Louis resumed proceedings after a short Tea Break hoping to carry things forward for West Indies while Australia searched for inroads. Campbell got a boundary away early doors as he drove Hazlewood through the covers for a boundary. Mikyle Louis also got a lucky boundary off Hazlewood soon after.
Soon, it was Scott Boland who broke the budding partnership by prizing out the well set John Campbell for 36 off 65 balls laced with 4 boundaries to his name. This was a nip backer angling back in, Campbell on the front foot leaves the ball and the ball hits the pads. The finger goes up. The batter reviews in hope and burns it as West Indies lose their 4th for 82.
Shai Hope comes in next and the keeper batter starts positively by hitting two boundaries in the same over off Boland. Boland continued to impress despite bowling a few no balls. Hope got an outside edge off Boland but the ball did not carry to the first slip fielder.
Soon Hazlewood got rid of Mikyle Louis. A nothing shot from the batter as he tries to slog a good length delivery on off-stump holding its line and the ball goes on to crash the off-stump. Wickets have started to fall as West Indies have lost half their side at this stage. They were 95/5 in the 39th over with Justin Greaves joining Shai Hope.
Soon, the hosts brought up its 100 in 40.2 overs through a Greaves boundary off Starc down the ground. Greaves was also looking positive while he was there and got a boundary through covers off Webster. Shai Hope looked at ease as well as runs had begun to come for the West Indies. These two players took West Indies to 117/5 in 43 overs at Drinks on the second session of play.
Shai Hope was looking more and more comfortable as he hit Starc through the vacant backward point region for a boundary. But it was Boland who once again struck for the Aussies as he broke the budding partnership and got rid of Shai Hope. Fuller length around the off-stump swinging into the batter, Hope presses forward to drive and plays the wrong line. The ball goes through the gates and crashes on the top of the middle and off-stump. Hope fell for 23 off 35 balls as the hosts lost their 6th for 124 in 46.3 overs. Alzarri Joseph was the next batter to come in.
Alzarri did not last long as Beau Webster got his man. Fuller length delivery on the off-stump, the batter leans low and tries to lift it over mid-off, but he miscues it straight into the hands of Steve Smith at mid-off for a soft dismissal as Joseph fell for 2. The 7th one was down for 127 and the collapse was loading. Shamar Joseph came and got off the mark with a boundary.
Soon, we had a run out in the innings as the last of the recognized batter Justin Greaves was run out. Short and wide outside off, Greaves stood tall and slapped it to deep cover. They want the third run but a brilliant throw from Sam Konstas at the bowler’s end runs out Greaves. It was lazy running as well and that cost the West Indies a wicket. Konstas saw it and threw it at the bowler’s end and the stumps was whipped off by Boland as the 8th one fell now.
We were down to the bowlers now with Jomel Warrican and Shamar Joseph in the middle. Pat Cummins got another as he got rid of Warrican for a duck. Good length delivery outside off, kicking off the surface, Warrican is caught in the crease and has a stab at it. Gets a faint outside edge to the keeper, who makes no mistake as Alex Carey does the rest. The 9th one fell for 137 in 50 overs, with last man Jayden Seales joining Shamar Joseph in the middle.
A few overs later, Scott Boland got the final West Indies wicket to fall as he got rid of Shamar Joseph for 8 off 13 balls. He cleaned up Joseph from around the wicket, full and slanting into the off-stump line. Shamar came charging down the track to have a wild swipe at the ball, but he read the wrong line. The ball went through him and crashed on the off-stump line. West Indies were bowled out for 143 in 52.1 overs, handing Australia a lead of 82 runs in the first innings. Dinner was taken at this stage as West Indies went from 73/3 at the start of session to 143 all out at dinner time. 10 extras given by the Aussie bowlers.
It was a disciplined bowling performance by the Australian bowlers led by Scott Boland, who finished with figures of 3/34 in 13.1 overs. He was ably supported by his captain Pat Cummins, who finished with figures of 2/24 in 11 overs. Josh Hazlewood bowled well and finished with 2/32 in 10 overs. Mitchell Starc got the first wicket of the innings and finished with 1/32 in 13 overs. Beau Webster also got a wicket and finished with 1/15 in 5 overs. There was also one run out in the innings. Australia had a lead of 82 runs, which is very handy on this pitch.
The Josephs dismantle Australia before Cameron Green holds fort at the close of play
Australian openers Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja walked out to bat with Australia having a handy lead of 82 runs in first innings. But it was not a great start by the visitors. It took just 11 balls for West Indies to strike as Sam Konstas was dismissed by Shamar Joseph for a duck as Australia lost a wicket without a run on the board. Short of a length shaping in around off-stump, Konstas gets on his toes and feels for it but ended up getting a thick outside edge that flies to Chase at gully who takes a good catch. It ends a wretched run for Konstas.
Cameron Green walked in at 3 to join Khawaja. The duo slowly started to get runs under their belt. Some nervy moments were there for Khawaja but he got a boundary away off Seales. Shamar was keeping it tight from one end and not allowing Australia to get away. Khawaja hit a pull shot for a boundary but Shamar had his revenge a few balls later getting rid of Khawaja for 14 off 21 balls. Fuller delivery outside off nipping back in, Khawaja looks to drive away from the body and gets the inside edge of the bat that drags back onto the stumps. Steve Smith now joined Cameron Green in the middle at 19/2.
Smith got off the mark and rode his luck by getting a lucky boundary through the slip cordon. Cameron Green looked positive and got occasional boundaries away. But Alzarri Joseph had his man as he got rid of the big fish Steven Smith. Good length delivery on the middle stump line shaping away a tad, with seam beautifully pointed towards slips. Smith looked to push it off the crease but played outside the line of the ball. He got a thick inside edge on it that deflects off the back foot onto the stumps. No foot movement as Smith fell cheaply for 5. Travis Head came out to bat at 5 with the score reading 28/3 in 9 overs.
The duo of Green and Head put their head down and put mind into matter and started negotiating a disciplined bowling performance from the West Indies. Travis Head got a boundary away off Shamar Joseph. Cameron Green also got a boundary away off Justin Greaves. Travis Head took Jayden Seales to the cleaners by hitting a boundary of his own.
Few run-out chances were missed by the West Indies. The 50 was soon crossed by Australia before Greaves broke the budding opening stand after the break. It was a back-of-a-length delivery pitching outside the off-stump and shaping away from the batter. Head poked at it away from the body and got a thick outside edge to Kevlon Anderson at second slip. The ball carried and the TV umpire agreed as Head went for 16 off 24 balls with 3 boundaries to his name. Australia were 4 down now for 50.
Beau Webster came and got off the mark with a boundary showing positiveness. Webster survived a close LBW call off Seales as Umpire’s call helped the batter survive. He hit Seales for a lovely elegant drive as well for a boundary. But Alzarri Joseph was not to be denied as he got rid of Webster for 13 off 18 balls. It was a length delivery scrambled seam angled into the off-stump line and straightens after pitching. Webster leans forward a tad and plays all around it. The ball flirts past the outside edge of the bat and thuds on the top of off-stump. He had bowled a sharp bouncer on previous delivery before setting up this dismissal.
Alex Carey the keeper batter came into bat next and was hit on the helmet straightaway by Alzarri. Soon, he had his man as Joseph picked up the prized scalp of Carey. Good length delivery scrambled seam delivery shaping away outside off-stump. Carey charged down the track and swung hard at it but managed to get the outside edge to Brandon King at first slip who takes a good catch. Australia were 69/6 in 21 overs at this stage when skipper Pat Cummins joined Cameron Green at the crease.
Cameron Green got a move on at the start of this partnership while Cummins held fort at one end. He got some streaky runs and some authoritative runs. Alzarri could have had Cummins in the 23rd over but the umpire gave it NOT OUT and they decided against the review. Replays suggested that there was a spike when the ball hit the gloves. West Indies could not believe their luck and were smiling. Then there was a run out chance which the Aussies survived.
Green continued playing his shots and got a boundary against Shamar Joseph as West Indies struggled to break this stand. Cummins kept defending while Green hit boundaries from time to time. The cover drive was a sight to behold from Green.
Cummins survived a last ball scare as a short of a length delivery angled into the batter. Cummins hops and looks to get away with this, but gets hit on the handle of the bat. The ball falls short of the diving short leg fielder. The duo have added 30 runs unbeaten off 48 balls to take the score from 69/6 to 99/6 in 29 overs. Green is batting on 42* off 65 balls while Cummins is with him on 5* off 25 balls. 4 extras given by the West Indies so far.
The two Josephs stole the show in the night session. Alzarri Joseph has been the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/19 in 8 overs. He was ably supported by Shamar Joseph who has figures of 2/26 in 9 overs. A wicket for Justin Greaves as he has figures of 1/19 in 4 overs. Jayden Seales is yet to get a wicket in his 8 overs for 32 runs. A riveting Day 3 awaits us all.
What Lies Ahead
26 wickets have fallen on the first two days of this Pink Ball Test in Jamaica. Australia’s lead is 181 with 4 wickets in hand and a set batter at the crease. Pat Cummins is at the crease with Mitchell Starc and the rest to come. The tail can wag. Looking at pitch conditions and West Indies batting, any lead over 200 will be tough to chase batting 4th. Australia will aim to get as big a lead as possible while West Indies will aim to chase as low a score as possible.
The stage is set for what is called the moving day but in this case could be the end of the Test match if wickets continue to fall like first two days. Will Australia complete a whitewash? Or will West Indies fight and get a win to end the series? Only time will tell as Day 3 approaches us soon.
Also Read: WI vs AUS: Australia’s Dramatic Collapse Gives West Indies Edge