Australia are in a wonderful position to start their summer on a winning note against the West Indies. The Kangaroos racked up a big total on the board. Usman Khawaja played a steady hand of 65 off 149 balls with five fours and one six. Then Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne scored 200 off 311 balls with 16 fours and 204 off 350 balls with 20 fours and one six.
Travis Head played wonderfully but was dismissed by Kraigg Brathwaite on 99. Australia declared on 598-4 in the first innings. The West Indies were well short in their first innings as they were all out for 283. Australia had a lead of 315 runs. They did not enforce the follow on and batted in the second innings.
They declared on 182-2 in the second innings on the back of David Warner’s 48 off 71 balls with five fours and a quick fire hundred from Labuschagne as he made a 104 off just 110 balls with 13 fours and two sixes. An incident happened in the second innings when Labuschagne had just started playing.
This happened in the third ball of the 15th over of the innings, where Alzarri Joseph bowled a rapid short ball that came back in, Labuschagne looked to pull but took his eyes off the ball. The ball took the top edge and went to gully before hitting the helmet. It was a superb delivery. But the celebration of the West Indies players was interrupted as the delivery was deemed as a no ball.
Here is the video
Brute of a ball!
But Joseph's joy comes quickly to a halt… #AUSvWI pic.twitter.com/OEAmGqRGGF
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 3, 2022
In the end, West Indies needed 498 runs to win and they have to bat five sessions to remain in this test.On the other hand, to emerge victorious Australia need 10 wickets. At the time of writing the West Indies have got off to a good start in the fourth innings and are 53-0 after 21 overs. Brathwaite is batting on 24 off 53 balls with one boundary and Tagenarine Chanderpaul is batting on 27 off 77 balls with three fours. The series has two tests. Australia will look to wrap the match up and start the series on a winning note.
