Australia v West Indies: Follow all the action from day 2 of the day-night Test in Adelaide
The Aussies, as expected, are making easy work of the Windies, but more importantly this series doubles as an audition for next year’s Ashes. So who is making a strong case?
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Travis Head has been ordained the man to lead Australia into battle against the Baz Ball revolution next year as Michael Neser made his own impressive Ashes case in Adelaide.
Spinner Nathan Lyon snaffled a caught and bowled under lights to leave the West Indies reeling and surpass Shane Warne for most ever Test wickets at Adelaide Oval with 57, but not before Neser got the pink ball singing to showcase the strength of Australia’s rich fast bowling depth.
Without big dogs Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, enter Neser (2-20) and Scott Boland, who launched straight into their work to assert themselves with the most searching spells of the Test, after the Windies’ bowlers melted before Australia declared at 7-511 on day two.
The Windies stumbled to 4-102 at stumps and appear dead men walking in the second and final Test, with son of a gun Tagenarine Chanderpaul again showing the ticker of his father, the great Shivnarine, and will resume 47 not out as the last hope.
Neser nicked off Kraigg Brathwaite and Shamarh Brooks early with textbook deliveries, and after Lyon’s record-breaking wicket, the night finished with Cameron Green chiming in for a late breakthrough of his own.
Setting the tone was local hero Head, who smashed 175 against the legless visitors in front of a 27,490 strong crowd. His 20 boundaries highlighted the South Australian’s unique ability to change the game with his turbo-charged stroke play at a time when Test cricket is itself being souped-up.
As Head and Marnus Labuschagne (163) combined for a bulldozing 297-run partnership in Adelaide, England flew out of the blocks in their second Test against Pakistan over in Multan, scoring at six runs an over through the first 20.
Even in succumbing inside 52 overs, England still bashed out 281, in another message to Australia about the aggressive go hard or go home mentality they will bring to next year’s Ashes series in the UK.
Greg Blewett, the last South Australian to score a century on home soil at Adelaide Oval, indicated Head is the man to fight fire with fire when Ben Stokes and England’s fearless Baz Ball batters clash with the world No.1s.
“I think Travis has realised what works for him and his style is great for the Australian cricket team as well,” Blewett said.
“Especially the way Test match cricket is going to go I think with scoring rates and who he’s batting behind. It’s just great to see him batting so well.”
Boland (0-13 after 10) already has an official ticket to the Ashes based on last year’s Boxing Day bonanza, but in his second ever Test match, Neser showed why he should also be on the plane, bowling three maidens from his nine overs exactly 12 months after his debut at the same ground.
Neser and Boland both bowled a brilliant probing line and will love England’s nibbling decks under cloudy skies — with their opening spells superbly analysed by the skipper Cummins’ who has shown himself a natural commentary find on Fox Cricket.
Labuschagne continued his extraordinary streak of form to carve his way past 150 and officially rise above Steve Smith (61.17) with an average of 61.42 that now has the world’s No.1 batsman breathing the same air as the greats as he flew past 3000 career runs in just 30 matches.
Head has now matched Darren Lehmann’s record of five Test centuries, and surpassed Blewett’s mark of four tons as he follows in the very aggressive style of his left-handed South Australian forbearers including David Hookes and Wayne Whillips – but possibly with an extra layer of class.
The 28-year-old was filthy at being run out due to a communication breakdown with Cameron Green who appeared to call Head through for a second before changing his mind.
A double century had beckoned, but still it was Head’s highest Test score.
Blewett said it was a special moment to help Head celebrate his treasured achievement on home soil, and believes the 28-year-old has the potential to become one of Australia’s modern-day greats.
“It’s up to him really. I’d love to see him scoring in the double digits Test centuries. That would be great,” Blewett said.
“I think that’s another thing he’s really added to his game. He’s probably been prone to getting a lot of good starts, 50s, 60s and not going on with it, and I think he’s really turned that around the last couple of years.
“I’d love to see him with an average high 40s, around 50, and hopefully playing close to 100 Test matches.
“It’s been way too long (28 years since Blewett was the last South Australian to score a ton at Adelaide).
“It was good to see him Friday morning before play. I shook his hand, had a bit of a hug which was great, because he was obviously disappointed with the 99 in Perth (last Test).
“I was just really happy. I think he’s just really comfortable now in the team. Like a lot of us know, that’s probably the hardest thing about playing Test match cricket is feeling like you belong as part of the team. He knows now he can just play.”
Labuschagne would have been eyeing off his second double century in as many weeks before his magic run was momentarily halted by Devon Thomas.
Having now finished his 51st innings in Test cricket, Labuschagne is in rare company.
Only Sir Donald Bradman (4490) and Everton Weekes (3077) have scored more than Labuschagne’s 3010 runs after that many knocks.
WINDIES ON THE BACK FOOT
Michael Neser has dismissed the Windies’ skipper as well as Sharmarh Brooks, both caught behind by Alex Carey.
Nathan Lyon then struck to dismiss Jermaine Blackwood.
The West Indies were providing some strong resistance but the Aussies have found three breakthroughs in 10 overs.
West Indies: 3/50
AUSSIES’ DECLARATION
Australia have declared their innings closed at 7-511.
It might have been slightly earlier than expected but they set the Windies a tricky period before the tea break and the difficult final session through dusk and into the night.
Alex Carey finished not out on 41 and Mitchell Starc on 5.
Australia declare on 511/7d
— Caribbean Cricket Podcast (@CaribCricket) December 9, 2022
That may be the last time they bat in this series.
If so, Kraigg Braithwaite will end as our top wicket taker with 3 wickets in the series ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜#AUSvWI
For the West Indies, Alzarri Joseph and Devon Thomas finished with two wickets each and Jason Holder and Kraigg Brathwaite one each.
Alex Carey has been locked in from the get go, quickly picking up 41 runs.
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) December 9, 2022
📺 Watch #AUSvWI on Ch. 501 or stream via @kayosportshttps://t.co/f2as0DorY0
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MAKE THAT TWO!
After never looking comfortable, Cameron Green has fallen for 9.
Green chopped Alzari Joseph back onto his stumps to give the West Indies a double strike.
Australia: 6/452
WINDIES MAKE THE BREAKTHROUGH
A mixup in the middle has cost Travis Head his wicket, run out for 175.
Head was sent back by batting partner Cameron Green going for what looked like an easy second run.
Green has not looked comfortable in the middle since he came in to replace Marnus Labuschagne.
Australia: 5/446
Devon Thomas adds an outfield run-out to his two wickets!
— ðŸFlashscore Cricket Commentators (@FlashCric) December 9, 2022
Travis Head goes for 175.
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GONE! MARNUS IS MORTAL AFTERALL.
A great catch behind by Josh Da Silva keeping up to medium pacer Devon Thomas and Marnus Labuschagne is out for 163.
It was almost two in two balls with Cameron Green sending a genuine edge to first slip who was too far back and saw the ball fall short.
Australia: 4/431
DUELLING 150S
Travis Head was first to 150 and a couple of overs later was joined on the milestone by his batting partner Marnus Labuschagne as the Australian batters turned the screws on the struggling West Indies.
The first run of the second day brings up the 200 run partnership between Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head.
RARE AIR FOR MARNUS THE MACHINE
Marnus Labuschagne makes centuries for fun at the moment particularly on home decks.
And the stats back it up, with only Don Bradman having a better average on home soil than Marnus the Machine out of batters with more than 2000 Test runs in Australia.
Labuschagne averages 61.81 in his 30 tests but in Australia, it balloons to 76.34 in 19 tests with nine centuries and eight fifties.
Bradman averaged 98.22 on Australian soil in 22 tests.
Labuschagne also becomes just the third player in Test history to score three consecutive centuries against the West Indies.
Marnus Labuschagne is an absolute run machine in Australia.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) December 8, 2022
Of batters with more than 2,000 Test runs in Australia, Laabuschagne and Bradman are the only two to average more than 70.#AUSvWIpic.twitter.com/3FLpnQkxF4
PACE TURMOIL WITH LATEST SETBACK AND IT’S NOT CUMMINS
Josh Hazlewood is in extreme doubt for the first Test against South Africa in Brisbane next week and possibly beyond, after being ruled out of Adelaide for a second straight year with a side strain.
Michael Neser was ushered in at the 11th hour as Hazlewood’s replacement in an attack already missing Pat Cummins, after the big-right armer pulled up sore from bowling for 25 minutes in the nets on match-eve before being sent for scans.
Cummins is expected to be fully recovered from a minor quad strain for the opening Test against South Africa starting on Saturday week, but there is far less certainty over when Hazlewood might return this summer after Cricket Australia confirmed he has suffered a low range left side strain.
It’s a major blow to Australia and Hazlewood — who after injuring his side against England in the first Test of last summer, missed the rest of the campaign.
“He pulled up pretty sore in his left side after the final day there in Perth,” Cummins said of Hazlewood in commentary for Fox Cricket.
“(He had) a roll yesterday to make sure he was all good and pulled up a little bit sore again.
“He went off for a scan this morning, he’s got a small, very minor left side strain.
“It’s quite different to the one last year, so we’ll manage him over the next little bit, but unfortunate for Joshy, he misses this one.”
Cummins said in the end common sense prevailed with his own quad strain.
“I was a bit too optimistic. It’s about a 7-10 day injury the physio is telling me and today is day six today so it was a bit high risk. I got close, I felt good but a bit too high risk,” Cummins said on Fox.
“Not only for myself, but if I go down early, Starcy (and the other overs, I) put more overs into them than you’d like. So that’s the flow on effect.”
Hazlewood has yet to be scratched for Brisbane and will be assessed in the coming days, but it’s more than likely he won’t be rushed back, with only five days’ between the two series.
There is a massive year ahead for Australian cricket and Hazlewood is crucial.
Based on last year’s experience, it’s possible Hazlewood may have played his last Test for the summer.
CRASH: BIGGEST WARNER BOMB OF ALL COULD BE ABOUT TO EXPLODE
It means that despite Scott Boland and Neser getting the nod in Adelaide, there is a chance Lance “The Wild Thing” Morris is a possibility to make his Test debut at the Gabba if selectors believe his express 150km/h pace could cause havoc on the fast Brisbane wicket.
Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket he was surprised Morris wasn’t backed in for Adelaide.
“I thought they might’ve went with him ahead of Neser given that he’s got that extra pace. (Scott) Boland and Neser are a similar sort of pace,” Waugh said on Fox Cricket. “It would’ve been tempting (to pick Morris). They’ve brought him into the squad so he’s obviously on the radar which is a good sign for Morris.
“150km/h under lights — he would’ve been a handful.”
However, the Gabba is Queenslander Neser’s home ground and he may be backed in for back-to-back Tests if Hazlewood is unable to recover.
The circumstances of Cummins and Hazlewood being withdrawn from the same Test in Adelaide is eerily similar to what happened last summer, when Australia was forced to bring in Jhye Richardson and Neser at the 11th hour.
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