Mitchell Starc says Australia’s battling batters have to get better fast as tricky conditions put West Indies on top

A tricky pitch in Barbados provided some excuses for Australia’s flailing top order in the West Indies, but a senior fast bowler also has a message for his batters.

The newly installed Australian top-order batters are going to have to “learn pretty quickly”, according to teammate Mitchell Starc, after two failures in two days from Sam Konstas and Cameron Green put their team under the pump in the West Indies.

But the looming return of superstar Steve Smith could potentially help stem the bleeding with the Aussies on the verge of losing a second-straight Test to their opponents, this time on a tricky wicket in Barbados that is providing a slight excuse for the batting disaster.

Konstas was dropped twice on his way to making a panicky five runs off 38 balls in a scratchy second innings, having been dismissed for only three 24 hours earlier with the first Test being played in fast-forward.

Australia was all out for 180 first-up, then the West Indies made just 190 as Starc took three wickets on a surface he said was littered with “bare patches and grassy patches” for all batters to navigate.

Sam Konstas was all at sea. Picture: Randy Brooks / AFP

A second-innings lead of 82 for Australia at stumps will need to be pushed well beyond that by unbeaten duo Travis Head (13 not out) and Beau Webster (19 not out) to avoid a big defeat, which would come on the back of losing the World Test Championship final to South Africa at Lord’s.

Whatever the result, pressure remains on teen tyro Konstas and Cameron Green who, brought into replace Marnus Labuschagne at No.3, lasted 90 minutes in his second dig but still only made 15 runs to go with just three in the first innings.

Josh Inglis was also out cheaply again, making only 12, having been inserted at No.4 after Smith suffered a bad finger injury at Lord’s.

Starc said Smith could be back “in the next couple of days” but Konstas and Green need to find a way to improve before the second Test begins on July 3 in Grenada.

“Obviously, it’s a different team without Stephen and Marnus in it for the first time in a while,” Starc said after stumps on day two.

“Steve, I think, is the only batter in that group that’s played in these conditions before, so I think he’s back in the next couple of days, so that’ll be good around the group.

“For the other guys, they’re finding ways in different conditions, so it’s been a challenge for these first two days and they’ve been working as hard as ever.

“So, it hasn’t quite worked so far for a few of them, but it’s the beauty of Test cricket. It’s a challenge and (they’ve) got a good bowling attack to face on testing conditions.

“They’re gonna have to learn pretty quickly for the next two Tests as well.”

Mitchell Starc celebrates taking the wicket of the West Indies' John Campbell. Picture: AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan

Starc weighed in to the debate over four DRS controversies in the match, declaring there had been some “interesting ones”.

West Indies captain Roston Chase survived an LBW appeal despite replays appearing to show the ball hit the pad first before later being given out to a low catch by Australian keeper Alex Carey much to the dismay of the home team’s coach, Darren Sammy.

“There’s been some interesting ones,” Starc said.

“Obviously, a couple more have gone against the West Indies than us, so one for us, obviously looked like there was a gap between the bat and the ball. Cost us 40-odd runs, but then a contentious one to then get the wicket.

“So as players you can only ask a question, we don’t use the technology to make that decision, we can ask a question.

“You might have to ask the umpires about how that’s all perceived from their end, but for us you just ask a question.”

Originally published as Mitchell Starc says Australia’s battling batters have to get better fast as tricky conditions put West Indies on top