Nathan Lyon has bowled Australia to a 164-run victory over the West Indies with a fourth-innings six-wicket haul in the first Test in Perth on Sunday.
The West Indies resumed at 192-3 chasing the improbable target of 498 and pushed Australia beyond drinks in the second session before Lyon claimed the final two wickets in successive balls.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins was on the field throughout the final day but did not bowl, due to a quad injury which has him in doubt for the second Test starting in Adelaide on Thursday. Cummins' absence from the attack heaped more pressure on Lyon who shouldered that burden.
Lyon finished with 6-128 from 42.5 overs in the fourth innings, getting the key breakthrough of captain Kraigg Braithwaite, after having Kyle Mayers caught at first slip by Steve Smith in the first session. Braithwaite, who reached his century late on day four, was bowled by Lyon for 110.
Jason Holder was brilliantly caught by Smith at first slip off Travis Head before Joshua De Silva edged to Usman Khawaja off Josh Hazlewood, with the tourists' resistance appearing set to wither at 233-7.
But Alzarri Joseph and Roston Chase put together a stubborn 82-run eighth-wicket partnership which ensured Australia were made to work for their victory.
Head clean bowled Joseph, who belted three sixes in his 43, on the delivery after wicketkeeper Alex Carey dropped a tough chance, before Lyon dismissed Chase for 55 and Kemar Roach in successive balls.
Marnus Labuschagne was named Player of the Match after his scores of 204 and 104* earlier in the contest.
Lyon brings it home for Australia
Australia's all-time most productive off-spinner Lyon finished the job for the hosts with four final-day wickets and six for the fourth innings, having taken two late on the fourth day.
Lyon's five-wicket haul was the 21st of his Test career, but also his fifth in the fourth innings of a Test match, with only one of those coming before 2019.
Positives for West Indies
Not much was expected from the West Indies in this series but they can take some heart from their gallant defeat in Perth, although it leaves them 1-0 down in the two-game Test series.
The West Indies bowling left a bit to be desired but their opening batsmen did well, with Braithwaite scoring 64 and 110, while debutant Tagenarine Chanderpaul impressed with 51 and 45.
Marquino Mindley is travelling to Australia as injury cover for the West Indies Men’s squad ahead of the second Test in Adelaide. The right-arm fast bowler is due to arrive in Australia on Tuesday morning.
All-rounder Raymon Reifer has been ruled out of the tour with a groin injury and Kyle Mayers can no longer bowl in the series after suffering a strain to his right teres major. Nkrumah Bonner has been ruled out of further participation in the current first Test Match due to concussion protocols after being struck on the helmet when batting in West Indies first innings. Shamarh Brooks replaced him as the concussion substitute.
Mindley, 27, has so far played 42 first-class matches with 103 wickets at an average of 24.25 runs per wickets. His last first-class assignment was in August for the West Indies “A” Team against Bangladesh “A” in Saint Lucia where he had impressive figures of 5-59 in the first four-day match.
The first Test is being played at the Perth Stadium and enters the fifth and final day on Sunday, 4 December. The second Test will be a day/night contest featuring the pink cricket ball at the Adelaide Oval, from Thursday 8 December to Monday 12 December. The two teams are competing for the Frank Worrell trophy, named in honor of the former West Indies captain and icon.
FULL SQUAD
Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain)
Jermaine Blackwood (Vice Captain)
Nkrumah Bonner
Shamarh Brooks
Tagenarine Chanderpaul
Roston Chase
Joshua Da Silva
Jason Holder
Alzarri Joseph
Kyle Mayers
Marquino. Mindley
Anderson Phillip
Kemar Roach
Jayden Seales
Devon Thomas
Australia's Marnus Labuschagne is honoured to join an elite band of players to score a double and single century in a match after his efforts against West Indies.
The top-order batsman added a further knock of 104 not out to his first-innings score of 204 to help push the hosts closer to victory in the first Test.
With his efforts at Optus Stadium, Labuschagne is just the third Australian to achieve the feat, after Doug Waters in 1969 and Greg Chappell against New Zealand in 1974.
He is the eighth overall to manage it, joining an illustrious list, and the batsman acknowledged his achievements were yet to sink in.
"I've only found out about the club," Labuschagne said. "I haven’t really had time to reflect on it yet. As a player, you never know how special it is until time goes by.
"You get to those periods where you don’t make as many hundreds, and you miss out a few times. You're like geez, remember that day?
"I feel very privileged to be able to be even named with those players in that club."
West Indies duo Brian Lara and Lawrence Rowe, India's Sunil Gavaskar and England's Graham Gooch are among the others to have achieved the feat, with Sir Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara the last to have done it before Labuschagne.
Australia will look to secure victory on the final day in Perth after finishing Saturday needing seven wickets for victory, having been held off by Kraigg Brathwaite's stubborn century in response.
Kraigg Brathwaite's defiant stand left Australia needing seven final-day wickets to secure victory in the first Test with West Indies at Optus Stadium.
Having seen Marnus Labuschagne achieve the rare feat of a double and single century in the same match with his 104 not out, the hosts had declared on 182-2 on Saturday.
With 498 to defend, hopes of an easy cruise to the finish line proved more complicated for Pat Cummins' side, with the skipper forced off with a quad strain in the fourth innings.
Though he later returned to the field, the tourists proved to be anything but easy pickings in Perth, with Brathwaite (101 not out) leading a spirited charge in pursuit, to finish the day on 192-3.
Nathan Lyon (2-54) and Mitchell Starc (1-36) made some headway with the ball, but there is still work to do for the hosts to finish the job.
The day had appeared to belong to Labuschagne, becoming only the third Australian and eighth player overall to post a double century and a single century across the two innings of a red-ball match.
However, Brathwaite, ably supported by Tagenarine Chanderpaul (45), gave the Windies a glimmer of hope heading into an intriguing final day.
Two declarations the treat for Australia
Having curtailed their own innings twice, it is a testament to the hosts' dominance that they look absurdly sharp ahead of what will be a busy month that also sees them welcome South Africa for red-ball encounters.
For Labuschagne in particular, with his total score eclipsing his previous best of 274 set against New Zealand in 2020, it proves that his resurgence in Galle against Sri Lanka last month was no fluke, too, in what will be a major relief.
West Indies on brink of defeat
Having seen Australia rack up their second-biggest total against them in the country – behind Sydney in 1969 – it was always going to be a long stretch for the tourists to take this one.
With a full day of cricket ahead, it will take some serious effort from their middle order and tail to either play for a draw or mount a shock result.
Australia will take a big lead into day four of the first Test against West Indies after a dominant final session on Friday at Optus Stadium.
Pat Cummins (3-34) and Mitchell Starc (3-51) did most of the damage as Australia dismissed the tourists for 283, before finishing on 29-1 in their second innings to establish an overnight advantage of 344 runs.
Debutant Tagenarine Chanderpaul was at least able to reach his half-century before edging Josh Hazlewood to David Warner for 51, before Nkumrah Bonner retired hurt on 16 after taking a Cameron Green delivery to the head.
Australia struggled to get rid of West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite (64) until he was bowled by a terrific delivery from his opposite number Cummins to bring up his 200th Test wicket.
Starc dismissed Kyle Mayers (1) and Jermaine Blackwood (36) either side of Nathan Lyon getting rid of Jason Holder (27), before Starc had Joshua Da Silva out for a duck with a delivery that swung back spectacularly into the stumps.
Australia cleared up the tail with minimum fuss to leave the hosts heading into their second innings with a big advantage.
Warner began aggressively but almost paid the price as he was nearly run out on 13, though Usman Khawaja (6) was heading back to the pavilion soon after when a nothing shot at a Kemar Roach ball was edged through to Da Silva.
Warner (17 not out) and Marnus Labuschagne (3 not out) saw Australia through to the close and will be confident of building an even bigger lead on the penultimate day in Perth.
200 up for Cummins, Lyon also reaches landmark
It was a fitting way for Cummins to reach 200 wickets, emphatically dismissing his fellow skipper. In his 44th Test, he became the fifth-fastest Australian to 200 behind only Clarrie Grimmett (36), Dennis Lillee (38), Stuart MacGill (41) and Shane Warne (42).
Lyon also had reason to celebrate as his 2-61 took him past Dale Steyn on the all-time Test wicket-taker list, moving up to ninth place on 440, just two behind Ravichandran Ashwin.
West Indies allow faint hope to fade further
It is never easy replying to such a mammoth first innings score, with Australia posting 598-4 dec, but the tourists were ticking along nicely, reaching tea on day three on 237-4.
However, they collapsed once Starc started to wobble them, adding just 46 for their final six wickets.
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite insists he was not surprised by the determined, obdurate display of opening partner Tagenarine Chanderpaul, on his debut against Australia, on Wednesday.
Facing a mammoth 598 for 4 declared, the West Indies ended day 2 at 74 without loss after facing 25 overs. Chanderpaul, the 25-year-old son of legendary West Indian batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, made a solid 47 from 73 balls while Brathwaite himself made a more patient 18 from 79.
Chanderpaul was called into the squad last month as a replacement for previous opening batsman John Campbell, who is currently serving a doping violation suspension. A match-up against top-ranked Australia certainly isn’t the easiest debut for the young batsman, his captain Brathwaite was, however, not worried.
“I wasn’t surprised. I’ve known him for a while. I’ve played against him and he has always had fight always takes his time to bat and bats for long periods,” Brathwaite said at the end of the days play.
“I know he is a fighter, so it isn’t surprising. I just look forward to a lot from him playing for West Indies. It was good to see but we need to continue,” he added.
Chanderpaul previously stood out for the team last week against the Prime Ministers XI where he recorded a century in the four-day affair.
Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith made double centuries as Australia piled on the runs against West Indies at Perth Stadium, achieving a feat last witnessed over a decade ago.
Not since Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke plundered double tons against India in January 2012 had any pair of batters made 200-plus scores in the same innings of a Test match.
This first Test saw Australia follow up their opening-day dominance with more commanding batting to reach 598-4 on Thursday, before West Indies rallied to reach 74-0 at stumps, with debutant Tagenarine Chanderpaul closing in on a half-century.
Labuschagne had been 154no overnight, and Smith was with him on 59, and they went on to post 204 and 200no respectively, sharing in a third-wicket stand of 251 runs. It was a second Test double century for Labuschagne, and a fourth for Smith.
Australia declared when Travis Head was dismissed on 99, edging the 95th ball of his innings into his stumps to give West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite a second wicket, ending a 196-run alliance with Smith.
In reply, Chanderpaul, son of West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul, powered to 47no as Brathwaite battled to 18no, offering hope the tourists may be able to show sufficient defiance to still take something from this match, the first of two in the series.
Smith joins Bradman
Smith's century, which became a double, was his 29th ton in Tests, moving him level with the great Don Bradman on the all-time list. He and Bradman share fourth place among Australia century-makers, behind Ricky Ponting (41), Steve Waugh (32) and Matthew Hayden (30).
Chanderpaul a chip off the old block
Facing the full assault of Australia's pace attack, Chanderpaul did not always look comfortable against Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, but he found a way to survive to the close.
Dad Shivnarine made 11,867 Test runs for West Indies, so Tagenarine is just 11,820 behind now. More relevantly, perhaps, Shivnarine made 62 in his first Test innings, against England in Georgetown in 1994. After this strong start, West Indies will hope his son can go significantly past that score on Friday.
West Indies Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite believes maintaining discipline will be crucial for the unit if they are to pose any type of challenge to Australia in the upcoming series.
Despite a relatively solid year in the red ball format, the Windies will start as massive underdogs against the top-ranked Australians on Sunday. In addition to the fact that West Indies has not secured a win against Australia at home since 1993 the team has won just games in the last 8 Test series.
Having managed solid wins against England and Bangladesh in their last two series, however, Brathwaite will be hoping to spring a surprise. For that, keeping focus will be crucial.
“We have 10 days of hard Test cricket to play. We know Australia are a very, very good team, especially at home. So, the main thing for us is to focus on our discipline,” Brathwaite of the media on Tuesday.
“When we are batting, we want to bat 100 overs plus, when we are bowling, we are looking to get 20 wickets. So that obviously is to help the team win a game. We know Australia is a superior team. We have to play 10 days of hard cricket that’s the focus.”
The West Indies will play Australia in two Test matches. The first will bowl off in Perth on December 4th, followed by a trip to Adelaide from December 7th-12th.
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite believes Tagenarine Chanderpaul can make an immediate impact on his Test debut against Australia in Perth.
The 26-year-old son of Windies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul will make his bow in the five-day game on Wednesday, and Brathwaite suggests he could soon be setting the standards.
Chanderpaul made a century and a fifty against a Prime Minister's XI in Canberra as West Indies prepared for this series, leaving no doubt he will open the innings as the two-Test series begins.
"I think it was great to see. He'll do extremely well at this higher level," Brathwaite said. "He has a lot of patience, he has good defence, and in Test cricket that's the basics you want, and from there you can always branch off and play a few shots.
"He was an example for us in the first game, and if we take a leaf out of his book for this series I think we'll be in good stead as batsmen.
"I didn't open with [Shivnarine] Chanderpaul, but I played with him. Obviously he was a great, so it's not shocking he had a son that's playing. I think 'Tage' will do a fantastic job and let's hope he could even do greater things, like his father would have done."
Australia's men have not lost any of their last 11 Test series against West Indies (W10, D1) and have won their last eight in succession, last suffering a defeat in the format in 1993 against the Caribbean opposition.
Brathwaite appreciates the scale of the challenge this time, saying: "We know Australia is a superior team. We've got to play 10 days of hard cricket, that is the main focus."
Australia spinner Nathan Lyon has taken a standout 14 wickets at an average of 15.5 at Perth Stadium in Tests against India and New Zealand, and now he gets a third outing at the venue.
Lyon told cricket.com.au: "I'm pretty excited to be honest. There's something about the ground. I used to enjoy bowling at the WACA as well, where you're able to use the breeze to your advantage and get some drift. Drift and bounce are the big things over here, and they are my biggest weapons."
Recent form provides hope for Windies
While Australia have dominated this rivalry of late, the current year has been a strong one for West Indies in Tests, with the team winning series against England and Bangladesh without losing a match.
The successive series wins followed a run that saw them win only one of their eight series prior (D2, L5), and West Indies have not won three in succession since a run of success from August 2012 to March 2013.
Cummins closing in
Home captain Pat Cummins (199) is one away from becoming the 19th player to take 200 wickets for Australia in men's Tests. This will be his 44th Test, and if he takes that wicket in Perth it will mean Cummins becomes the fifth-fastest player to reach 200 for Australia (Clarrie Grimmett – 36 matches, Dennis Lillee – 38, Stuart MacGill – 41, Shane Warne – 42).
Cricket West Indies today paid tribute to David Murray, the former Barbados and West Indies wicket-keeper who passed away on Friday night. He was 72. Murray was the son of West Indies batting great Sir Everton Weekes. Murray’s son Ricky Hoyte, represented Barbados and West Indies ‘A’ Team as a wicket-keeper/batsman.
Murray’s first tour with the West Indies was in 1973 to England. He made his international debut in the second One-Day International by a West Indies men’s team, which featured Lance Gibbs, Roy Fredericks Rohan Kanhai and Clive Lloyd. His Test debut came in 1978 against Australia in Guyana. Overall, he played 19 Tests, 10 One-Day Internationals and 114 first-class matches.
Ricky Skerritt, President of CWI paid tribute to Murray.
“On behalf of CWI I want to offer my sincere condolences to Ricky, and other members of David’s family and friends. David was a gifted wicket-keeper and a stylish middle-order batsman. He loved the game of cricket, and played with a smile on his face. He will be remembered as a member of the great West Indies squad which dominated world cricket for over a decade. Devoted West Indies Cricket fans still remember David’s fantastic glove work and footwork behind the stumps to Michael Holding and other members of the fearsome West Indies fast bowling attack of his time.”
West Indies head coach Phil Simmons admits to some disappointment with a draw in the final four-day tour game against Prime Minister’s XI at Manuka Oval but believes it has been adequate preparation ahead of the two-Test series against Australia, which begins next week.
Chasing a total of 309 runs for victory, on the final day, a win seemed possible when the team entered the final break at 221 for 5, needing another 88 runs to claim victory.
The West Indies had a less-than-ideal start to the final session, however, and found themselves reduced to 273 for 8, following the dismissals of Roston Chase, Alzarri Joseph, and then Kemar Roach, in fairly quick succession.
Raymon Reifer and Joshua Da Silva then combined to help West Indies fight for the draw, playing out the final eight overs to finish on 277 for 8.
“I’m not happy with the results, we should have won it,” Simmons said following the final ball.
“We have a few misplaced wickets in the middle, while we were controlling the game, so that was a disappointment, but at the end of the day the way how the guys fought is always greatly encouraging,” he added.
With the players getting plenty of opportunities to bat and bowl in pressure situations, Simmons was though satisfied with what the tour match provided, ahead of a difficult series.
“The two games have been very good for us, mind you, flattish wickets, but the bowlers got the overs in their legs and the batsmen got their time at the crease so that was good for us.”
The four-day tour match between the West Indies and the Australia Prime Minister’s XI ended in a draw after Saturday’s exciting final day at the Manuka Oval in Canberra.
The tourists, who began the final day on 35-0 chasing a further 274 runs for victory, ended up 277-8 when the game was called to an end.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul completed an excellent match by top-scoring with 56, to go with his first innings 119, and was well supported by half centuries from Joshua Da Silva (54 not out) and Devon Thomas (55).
Pacer Mark Steketee took three wickets for the President’s XI while Ashton Agar and Michael Neser, who have both represented Australia in Tests, took two wickets each.
Scores: PM’s XI 322 and 221-4 declared, West Indies 235 and 277-8.
The West Indies will now turn their attention to the first test against the Aussies starting Wednesday in Perth at 9:20pm Jamaica Time (10:20pm ECT).
With just a week left to go vor the Australia vs West Indies Test series concerns have been raised regarding excessively poor tickets sales ahead of the match.
The world number one-ranked Australia will host the Windies in two-matches. The first of the games will be held at Optus Stadium in Perth, beginning on Wednesday 30th.
The public’s interest in the series, however, remains lacklustre to date. According to reports, just hundreds of tickets have been sold to members of the public, so var, well below the stadium’s capacity of the 60,000. There now are concerns the series could set a record low vor Test mathes between the teams.
Australia batsman Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne does not believe the low turnout is an overall lack of interest but believes there may be some fatigue in the fanbase.
The country is fresh off a huge T20 World Cup on home soil and went straight into a three-game ODI series against England.
Matt Renshaw’s unbeaten day three hundred means the West Indies have been set a target of 309 runs for victory in the four-day pink-ball tour game against Prime Minister’s XI at Manuka Oval.
The tourists ended day three 35 without loss at stumps after 16 overs, with Kraigg Brathwaite on 19 and first innings centurion Tagenarine Chanderpaul on 15 needing a further 274 runs on Saturday.
Earlier, day three started with the West Indians resuming their first innings at 234 for 7. They added just one run from a no ball before their innings ended in the second over of the day.
Paceman Mark Steketee (3-33) trapped Alzarri Joseph lbw and two balls later had Jayden Seales well caught at second slip by Peter Handscomb. With Raymon Reifer unable to bat, West Indies ended on 235 for 9.
The PM's XI then reached 221-4 off 70 overs before captain Josh Inglis’ declaration set the Windies 309 to win.
The innings was declared four balls after Renshaw reached his 17th first-class ton, scoring 101 not out off 218 balls.
The 26-year-old, who played the most recent of his 11 Tests in 2018, added 145 for the third wicket with Peter Handscomb, after the Windies had reduced the home team to 13 for 2.
Renshaw, who also top-scored with 81 in the first innings, hit nine fours in the unbeaten knock.
Handscomb, who scored 55 in the first innings, was bowled five minutes before the dinner break by spinner Kraigg Brathwaite for 75.
West Indies call-up Tagenarine Chanderpaul insists he is focused on being himself ahead of a possible debut for the Caribbean team in the upcoming series against Australia next week.
On Thursday, the 26-year-old Chanderpaul made 119 off 293 balls during the team’s warm-up game against a Prime Minister’s XI, in the ongoing four-day tour match in Canberra. The knock featured a risp 11 fours and a six on his way to reaching triple figures.
Chanderpaul, who was called up to the team last month, is widely expected to partner Windies captain Kraigg Brathwaite at the top of the innings for the match-up with the world number-one ranked Aussies, following the suspension of John Campbell.
The John Campbell anti-doping ban: Campbell banned for refusing to provide blood sample on demand
Ahead of the player’s potential debut, comparisons to his famous father, West Indies legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul, are inescapable. In an outstanding 164 Test match career for the West Indies, Chanderpaul scored 11867 runs, which puts him second all-time behind the great Brian Lara. It’s a towering legacy to live up to.
“They’re big boots but I try and be myself. I can only be myself, so I just try and be me,” the young Chanderpaul said after Thursday's match.
Like his father, Tagenarine has shown the propensity to be watchful and patient at the crease, which could bode well for the regional team. The batsman, however, is hoping to eventually be recognized for his own style.
"I try and be myself. I can't replicate him, so I can only be myself. Fingers crossed… I'll try to get some runs if I'm selected."
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