(Cricket News) Put in to bat first in cloudy conditions, West Indies suffered a dramatic collapse of 6 for 35 but Shamar Joseph, the visitors’ debutant, first put on a gusty 55-run final-wicket stand to frustrate the hosts and then struck with his first ball in Test cricket to dismiss ‘new opener’ Steve Smith cheaply. Pat Cummins (4-41) and Josh Hazlewood (4-44) picked up four-fers to give Australia opening day honors against West Indies.

The West Indies openers had to work hard to earn their runs as the ball moved fairly quickly during their opening spells, and with cloud cover overhead, Cummins had no qualms about going against venue history and sending the inexperienced opposition in to bat first.

Australia’s new-ball bowlers were very disciplined in their respective opening spells but with little success. In the tenth over, Cummins came on and almost immediately made the breakthrough, luring Tagenarine Chanderpaul into a drive with a full ball outside off, which the opener duly took and sent a thick outside edge to gully.

Later in the same over, the captain of Australia dismissed Kraigg Brathwaite with an absolute peach, capping his courageous 45-ball stay in the middle. As Australia took control of the game, West Indies could only start to regroup when Hazlewood came back into the attack ahead of Lunch and sent Alick Athannaze packing with a nip backer that came back in to disturb the woodwork as the batter looked to leave but without covering his off-stump.

What followed was a series of poor judgment and shot selection from the inexperienced line-up, and a complete lack of application.

After a patient stay in the middle, Hazlewood took Hodge’s wicket in the over, and after McKenzie reached his half-century, Hodge paid the price for a moment of indecision as he sent a thick outside edge to gully attempting a drive off a full ball outside off.

McKenzie himself did not last long after the milestone, nicking behind as both set batters fell nine runs apart. Despite this, Hazlewood and Cummins ripped through the middle and lower order, keeping Australia off for the next hour.

In his next over, Cummins removed both Joshua da Silva and Alzarri Joseph; the former was set up with a short ball ploy and eventually ended up pulling one straight to deep square leg, while the latter edged to second slip.

Sandwiched between the two was Mitchell Starc’s only wicket of the day, that of Gudakesh Motie. Hazlewood grabbed his fourth when another West Indies debutant, Justin Greaves, languidly drove away from the body to offer short cover a regulation catch.

Play in the afternoon session was postponed by 30 minutes, but Australia’s chase of that last wicket continued for 15 minutes after Tea, as Windies’ third debutant of the day, Shamar, bravely faced down Hazlewood’s short ball challenge, scoring two boundaries on the trot and then smashing a six over cow corner.

The no. 11’s heroic knock has contrasted sharply with the other batsmen, who failed to show any application and continued squandering their starts after getting an eye in, eventually falling for 36, but ultimately leading West Indies to a respectable 188 at a tense 133/9.

Usman Khawaja gave Australia’s newest Test opener, Smith, an early reprieve on three off Alzarri Joseph’s bowling, but Shamar, coming in as a first-change bowler, struck gold with a jaffa as he dismissed Labuschagne for just ten.

Khawaja and new no. 4 Cam Green saw through the remaining thirty minutes without any more damage, though there were a few nervous moments for the pair with Shamar in particular asking questions of batters consistently. Despite this, Australia finished the day well in control with 59/2 on board, their deficit lowered to just 129.

Brief scores: Australia 59/2 (Usman Khawaja 30*; Shamar 2-18). West Indies 188 (Kirk McKenzie 50, Shamar Joseph 36; Pat Cummins 4-41, Josh Hazlewood 4-44) by 129 runs.

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