Key events
Summary
Steve Smith’s opening punt seemed to fail but Pat Cummins’ rare gamble paid off to give Australia a winning hand against the West Indies on day one of the first Test.
Report:
Stumps: Australia 59 for 2, trailing by 129 in the first innings
Geoff Lemon
So ends a satisfactory day for Australia – sent in West Indies, bowled them out cheaply, last-wicket annoyance notwithstanding, and have made a good start after that target although it hasn’t been at the sort of run rate we’ve been accustomed to with David Warner around.
It was, at the same time, a great day for Shamar Joseph, who was awarded his cap in the morning, made runs at 11, grabbed a wicket with his first ball, and followed up with another.
Plenty of work for West Indies to do tomorrow to have any hope of staying in the match, but perhaps individual wins like Joseph’s are just as important at this stage.
We’ll see you tomorrow.
21st over: Australia 59-2 (Khawaja 30, Green 6) Last-over spin. A classic. Motie lets Khawaja escape first ball, then comes around the wicket to Green. Bowls flat and fast in at the stumps. Doesn’t show much of his wares.
20th over: Australia 58-2 (Khawaja 29, Green 6) Soon back on strike, Green pushes and prods and gets beaten by Alzarri a couple of times.
19th over: Australia 57-2 (Khawaja 28, Green 6) Not much left in the day now. A couple more overs. Green plays out most of Shamar Joseph’s set, but ends it with a classy back-foot punch, square of the wicket, an effortless four.
18th over: Australia 53-2 (Khawaja 28, Green 2) A big cheer for a steward who runs on to pick up a couple of plastic wrappers that are distracting Green by blowing around in the wind. Alzarri Joseph comes back to bowl. No great stirrings of the earth greet this over.
The official attendance is 26,361.
17th over: Australia 52-2 (Khawaja 28, Green 1) Gets a little ragged for Shamar Joseph: Green off the mark with a run, Khawaja flicks four, then Joseph loses the ball during his load-up and has to try again. His subsequent attempt seams in sharply at Khawaja and goes just past the stumps. Good bowling. And again! Squares up Khawaja utterly, a ball that jumps from the surface and past the outside edge as the batter plays off the back foot.
16th over: Australia 47-2 (Khawaja 24, Green 0) Khawaja is just hanging back, doing his thing as calmly as ever. Wickets, no matter. Bowlers, no matter. Occupies the crease for the whole Roach over, glances two runs from the final ball.
15th over: Australia 45-2 (Khawaja 22, Green 0) Now for the other part of the Australian selection cabinet reshuffle – Cameron Green at No4. He wants time to start slow. Plays his first defensive block to end this over.
WICKET! Labuschagne c Motie b S. Joseph 10, Australia 45-2
Another one goes! Labuschagne has been getting out to the short ball a fair bit lately. Hooks or pulls a lot of the time. Does so here, but it looks like Joseph does him for pace there, a high top edge to fine leg. Motie looks dicey under it, palms above his head, in front of his face, but he manages to hang on.
14th over: Australia 41-1 (Khawaja 19, Labuschagne 9) Roach now, driven by Labuschagne through the covers for three. Just pushes it really. Khawaja, by contrast, fully extends his arms, through that ball and away for four.
13th over: Australia 34-1 (Khawaja 15, Labuschagne 6) Shamar Joseph carries on, Labuschagne looking to leave wherever possible. Plays when he has to, angled at his pads, and gets a run to the leg side.
12th over: Australia 33-1 (Khawaja 15, Labuschagne 5) Roach is back after a drinks break. Four slips and a backward point. Khawaja picks up a couple of runs from the first ball, flicked.
11th over: Australia 31-1 (Khawaja 13, Labuschagne 5) Finally, something doesn’t go right for Shamar Joseph. He overpitches and Labuschagne shimmers that away through midwicket. Quatro.
10th over: Australia 27-1 (Khawaja 13, Labuschagne 1) It’s double Joseph now, but Khawaja is able to deal with Alzarri, hanging back and nudging away a single when the chance presents. Labuschagne is less sure, nicking one down to fine leg for his first run.
9th over: Australia 25-1 (Khawaja 12, Labuschagne 0) Nice bowling again from Shamar, who sends a ball flying over Labuschagne’s bails. The batter pulls out next ball because of some movement outside the enormous roped-off section of the hill at Adelaide Oval. Right as the bowler was about to launch.
Either way, it’s a wicket maiden to start Test cricket for Shamar Joseph.
WICKET! Smith c Greaves b S. Joseph 12, Australia 25-1
What a day Shamar Joseph is having! A wicket with his first ball in Tests! From memory that club has 22 members – whatever the number is, another has joined. Unbelievable!
Back of a length, good pace and bounce, it jumps a bit at Smith and he fends at the ball angling in. Surprised by it. Slices an outside edge into the gully for a good low catch.
Opening the batting isn’t easy.
8th over: Australia 25-0 (Smith 12, Khawaja 12) A no-ball from Alzarri Joseph, a nudged Smith single, and the game rolls on.
Here comes the other Joseph, warming up.
7th over: Australia 23-0 (Smith 11, Khawaja 12) Doesn’t look to be much bounce in this pitch. The ball keeps looping down as it approaches the keeper. When Roach drops short it doesn’t get up, and Khawaja punishes the pull for four. Later, Roach overpitches, and Khawaja drives the long half volley through long off. Plays a sharper ball down off the edge into the gully.
Australia on top already.
6th over: Australia 15-0 (Smith 11, Khawaja 4) Another pull for Smith, but finds mid on. He has one fewer catcher now, a midwicket set square along with a mid on and an extra cover. Smith plays the ball square, the backward point and the gully swoop. Three dot balls, four, but Smith breaks the deadlock by again stepping across and pulling off a length from outside off. That gets him four, well in front of square.
5th over: Australia 11-0 (Smith 7, Khawaja 4) Contrast between the bowlers, Roach is so much shorter and muscular and bustles in. Joseph is tall and lean. Chunky gold chain around Roach’s neck as that stacked cordon waits behind Khawaja, seabirds on a fence rail. Khawaja gives them nothing to feed upon.
4th over: Australia 11-0 (Smith 7, Khawaja 4) A boundary for Smith. Little step across, sees the length is shorter from Alzarri Joseph, tugs the ball around the corner. Very attacking field from Kraigg Braithwaite. Keeper, four slips, gully, point. Two fielders in front of the wicket at vaguely mid on and mid off, with one back at long leg, almost deep backward square. Smith gets two more in that direction, another pull with the ball not very short.
3rd over: Australia 5-0 (Smith 1, Khawaja 4) Full defensive mode now for Khawaja, who sees out the Roach over in that slow-motion unruffled way that he has.
Dropped!
2nd over: Australia 5-0 (Smith 1, Khawaja 4) It’s Pakistan all over again. Alzarri Joseph winds up for maximum effort, fires the ball down, hurries Khawaja, and gets a thick edge that spins up from the bat and down towards the cordon. The wicketkeeper da Silva leans away to his left and must have just not watched the ball closely enough. It hits the heel of his left hand and spills.
1st over: Australia 2-0 (Smith 1, Khawaja 1) Here it is, Steve Smith’s first over as a Test opener. He blocks a couple, then gets his first run in that position. Nudging to midwicket, surprise surprise. Khawaja does similar. Roach the bowler.
West Indies all out 188 after Australia chose to bowl
62.1 overs: West Indies 188-10 (Roach 17) Job done for Australia, though it took longer than they would have anticipated. Kirk McKenzie played well with an even 50 at first drop. Nobody else did much, until that fine bit of resistance at nine down.
Shamar Joseph with 36 has equalled what Norman Cowens made on debut for England at No11 during the WACA Test of 1982.
Higher scores: Dane Paterson of South Africa made 39 not out, Chamila Gamage made 40 for Sri Lanka, Warwick Armstrong (who was not a true 11, he made six Test hundreds) made 45 not out at the MCG in 1902, and Agar (who wasn’t a true 11) made his famous 98 at Trent Bridge.
That ends up being 55 for the last wicket, which means the West Indies position isn’t as bad as it could be. Still miles short of a good score though.
WICKET! S. Joseph lbw Lyon 36, West Indies 188-10
A Lyon staple to end a fun story. Around the wicket to the left-hander, straightening the ball down the line of the stumps. Hits the pad just below the knee roll, nowhere near the inside edge. Joseph reviews, of course, but it’s a very healthy orange light on the top of leg stump.
62nd over: West Indies 188-9 (Roach 17, S. Joseph 36) This innings grows in stature: Joseph drops and runs a single to cover, from a Cummins length ball. Roach does a fine job of blocking out the rest of the over, great application for all five balls.
Fifty partnership for the last wicket!
61st over: West Indies 187-9 (Roach 17, S. Joseph 35) They’ve only bloody gone and done it. Lyon continues, Roach thumps him over midwicket with three on the fence, and makes it. The crowd applaud. It’s pretty quiet in here right now though. Slog sweep from Roach.
As for Shamar Joseph, there have only been five higher scores by a No11 on debut. (Yes, Ashton Agar is top of the list.)
60th over: West Indies 181-9 (Roach 11, S. Joseph 35) We’re back, and Joseph is still scoring! Lashes Cummins out through cover for two, then lifts him unconvincingly over mid on with a horizontal bat for two more.
Cathy Freeman is also, unsurprisingly, leading our reader poll for the top 50 Australian sporting moments.
Have a look at David Squires’ drawing, which is a masterwork that nearly broke the great illustrator’s will to carry on.
Good tea break? While thinking about triumphs against the odds, I thought about Cathy Freeman running the 400m at the Stawell Gift with a handicap of over 100 metres.
Tea – West Indies 177 for 9
The Windies last pair has survived the extra half hour. Pakistan’s tail got bowled out from seven down when the half hour was taken in Melbourne not long ago. The team is still in a pretty bad position, but it’s something.
Shamar Joseph has the highest score by a West Indies No11 on debut. The partnership is worth 44.
59th over: West Indies 177-9 (Roach 11, S. Joseph 31) So it’s Lyon vs Joseph. For potentially a full over. This should be interesting. Plays a couple normally, but fourth ball there’s a huge swipe and more luck, the ball scooting past the stumps for three runs.
58th over: West Indies 174-9 (Roach 11, S. Joseph 28) Another step-away from Joseph facing Hazlewood, opens the front leg and swipes through midwicket. Only for one, they have a fielder back now. They had one back when he hit that six, mind you. Roach back on, conventional field, but he gets a run right away, inside edge behind square. The field spreads for the No11, which seems strange to say. Deep long leg, deep backward square, deep forward square, deep point. He finds the deep backward fielder with another meaty slap.
This pair – they’ve almost seen off the extra half hour! They’ve put on 41!
57th over: West Indies 167-9 (Roach 6, S. Joseph 26) Lyon to Roach, who eventually squeezes out a leg bye trying to sweep. Joseph has one ball to face against the spinner, so he leans away to leg and tries to barrel a cross-bat whack through cover. Toe-ends it, and it just falls short of catching cover. Gets a run on the bobble.
56th over: West Indies 165-9 (Roach 6, S. Joseph 25) Backing away, Joseph, and trying to murder the ball from Hazlewood, baseballing at a length again. Misses. But next delivery, the charge is upgraded from attempted murder to the full deal. Slots it waaaay over deep midwicket for six! What a shot that is.
Hazlewood goes full to change it up. Joseph misses his huge drive. Hazlewood switches over the wicket, having been around the wicket so far to the left-hander. Angles across and Joseph pulls anyway, missing by a mile. Then right back next to the off stump goes Josh H, and Joseph leaves!
55th over: West Indies 159-9 (Roach 6, S. Joseph 19) Got a tailender swinging? Get your spinner on. Here comes Lyon, but Roach has the better of it, thumping a boundary over mid on. Why is it so often the lower order making runs where the top order cannot?
54th over: West Indies 155-9 (Roach 2, S. Joseph 19) Hazlewood replaces Starc, and starts bashing away at a length like he never stopped. But Shamar says, that’s too predictable! Second ball of the over, leans back, slams the ball off that length over midwicket for four. Quite the shot. Tee-ball. Then goes again, down the ground! This time he nearly cleans up his batting partner. Shuffles to leg to give himself a touch more room. Roach sees the ball coming at his midriff and has to stick his butt out like he’s in a music video, creating some space for the ball to fly through. The technique works. And now Joseph has the lust for fours, and flings his bat at two short balls without making contact. But connects with the last ball of the over. Backs away and cannons a cut shot through cover! Gets another two. Audacious shot.
53rd over: West Indies 145-9 (Roach 1, S. Joseph 6) We were due for tea then, but the umpires must have extended the session with nine wickets down. Cummins will keep on Cumminsing. Just the two slips with a gully. Two deep for the hook. Short leg for the fend. Mid on, mid off, point, inviting the drive. Roach dead-bats the lot though.
52nd over: West Indies 145-9 (Roach 1, S. Joseph 6) Strong drive from Joseph, over the bowler’s head – wobble seam, I think Starc got a fingertip on that while throwing his hand up for Detroit. Three runs for Joseph #2. Kemar Roach drops a run to square leg and walks through. They’ve put on 10. Joseph ducks a bouncer, which is called wide. Misses a full ball but the yorker misses the leg stump.
51st over: West Indies 140-9 (Roach 1, S. Joseph 6) Huge swish from Kemar gets him nothing. Cummins hunting another five-for: he took two of them in Melbourne and one in Sydney. Doesn’t get it here, though, his slips remain unfed.
50th over: West Indies 140-9 (Roach 1, S. Joseph 6) This batting caper is easy. Shamar Joseph gets a full ball on his pads and clips it nicely for four. Midwicket. Starc makes him hop once or twice… then that’s nasty. I retract, it’s not easy. Shamar gets grilled, as in smashed in the grille, leaning away from a short ball, trying to limbo it, but unable to dodge the rising ball. It seems the contact was mostly upwards, pushing the helmet up rather than making his skull rattle. He carries on, tries an uppercut but misses.
49th over: West Indies 136-9 (Roach 1, S. Joseph 2) One Joseph replaces another, with Shamar at 11 taking over from Alzarri at 8. Kemar Roach is already out there, having replaced Motie. The last pair find three singles basically by holding the bat in the way of the ball. Might want to suggest that to a few colleagues.
WICKET! Joseph c Smith b Cummins 14, West Indies 133-9
These wickets don’t seem worth the exclamation marks. Perhaps Joseph thinks, why am I applying myself here when everyone else is throwing the bat? He sees a ball way back of a length but plays a back-foot punch, on the up. Unsurprisingly Cummins gets some deck and moves it enough to take the edge to second slip. Another one for Smith’s bank of catches.
WICKET! Motie c Lyon b Starc 1, West Indies 133-8
48th over: West Indies 133-8 (Joseph 14) Starc to Motie, three slips, gully, point, and after he faces four balls with confidence, Starc brings in a short leg to try getting in the batter’s head. And it works! The fifth ball is short but down leg, easy to avoid. The sixth though is fuller, at the leg stump, but Motie is already on the move to the leg side, backing away, so he hacks at the ball but only corkscrews it up and down to point.
47th over: West Indies 133-7 (Joseph 14, Motie 1) Gudakesh Motie, a left-hander, is next to the middle. Nudges a run square first ball.
WICKET! da Silva c Head b Cummins 6, West Indies 132-7
Gee, that’s pretty weak. Cummins has a few out for the short ball, not the full barrage field but a deep square leg and a fine leg with a midwicket. Joshua da Silva plays a pull anyway, edges it behind square, and is fortunate to see it land safe. So how does he respond? Plays another one, and this time hits it straight to deep square leg. Good catch leaning forward. But still. Why play the shot? He did roll the wrists a bit but didn’t gauge the bounce.
46th over: West Indies 130-6 (Da Silva 4, Joseph 14) Starc comes on, and Joseph will keep swinging. Fresh air shot first ball, driving straight. Then another fresh air shot, but this one gets his team four. It swings down the leg side, isn’t hit, and swings away from Carey for byes. Joseph gets more serious and starts blocking for a while, but last ball of the over he plays a purring shot! Cover drive, down on one knee, a touch of width on the full ball, and Alzarri puts it away.
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