Series: Two matches for Frank Worrell trophy
Day 1 of 2nd Test Match
Venue: Adelaide Oval, South Australia
Toss: Australia won and batted
Live Scorecard: https://bit.ly/ausvwi2ndtest
West Indies found it difficult to contain the Australian batsmen on the opening day of the pink ball fixture and the home team motored along to reach 330-3 at the close under lights at the historic venue.
Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head made unbeaten centuries after they won the toss and chose to bat first. Labuschagne, with scored heavily last week in Perth, continued with 120 not out while the left-handed Head, who missed out with 99 in that game, finished with 114 not out. They have so far added 199 for the fourth wicket after West Indies were in the game at 131-3 in the 43rd over.
THOMAS MAKES BREAKTHROUGH
Devon Thomas, one of two debutantes alongside seamer Marquino Mindley, sent down nine overs and claimed the wicket of opener Usman Khawaja for 62. He proved the unlikely hero, getting the breakthrough on the stroke of the hour after the interval when he gained an lbw decision against Khawaja, who had faced 129 balls and struck nine fours. The batsman took for the review but the verdict stood on umpire’s call.
Mindley unfortunately had the leave the field after just two overs with a hamstring injury. Earlier Alzarri Joseph grabbed the early wick of David Warner (21) – taken behind by keeper Joshua Da Silva, while Jason Holder removed skipper Steve Smith, smartly caught and bowled led for zero.
“This morning we started well. I think we still bowled well. Losing one of the bowlers wasn’t part of the plan so I think commendations must go to the rest of the bowlers for picking up the slack and trying to do well. Mindley, he has maybe a little strain in the hamstring but he’s going for a scan so we’ll find out for sure,” said head coach Phil Simmons.
BOTTOM LINE
We enter Day 2 with a lot of work to do to restrict the Aussie batsmen. Play will resume on Friday at 2:30pm (12 midnight Eastern Caribbean/11pm Thursday Jamaica). Another large and colourful crowd is expected after an audience of 24,449 turned up on Thursday. That was the best first day crowd in Adelaide for a West Indies Test in over 40 years – since 30,121 fans attended in January 1982.
(Westindies Cricket)
