Hazlewood rips through West Indies as Australia take 1-0 series lead

Bridgetown: Test captain Pat Cummins has lauded Australia’s “brilliant” middle order and Josh Hazlewood’s ability to exploit an up-and-down pitch on the final day of a resounding 159-run win in Barbados.

A five-wicket haul from Josh Hazlewood and some ordinary West Indies batting helped Australia secure a 1-0 series lead inside three days at Kensington Oval, which gives the team a five-day break before the second Test in Grenada.

After two days of mediocre batting from their top order, Australia finally got their act together with the game in the balance, making light work of a West Indies outfit who produced what locals call a “Calypso Collapso” in the last innings of the match to be bowled out for 141 in 33.4 overs.

Play ended one hour and 13 minutes after the official 5pm finish time as officials allowed extra overs to be bowled given a result was a live option.

The match ended in fading light when Sam Konstas took a catch at short leg off the bowling of Nathan Lyon, who took two wickets in as many balls to wrap up the Test. Only two more balls were scheduled in the day.

The West Indies were set a target of 301 to win the opening Test after the visitors’ middle order wrestled back momentum on day three.

But the home side capitulated in miserable fashion as Hazlewood finished the day with figures of 5-43 off 12 overs to record back-to-back five-wicket hauls 10 years apart in the Caribbean.

Australia’s Josh Hazlewood celebrates taking a wicket.Credit: AP

Australia had the West Indies 8-86 before Justin Greaves (38 not out) and Shamar Joseph (44) teed off late.

A fourth day looked likely before Lyon went bang-bang to hand Australia a comprehensive victory.

“When Joshy got the two [wickets] in a row I thought we were half a chance. The wicket was just playing a lot of tricks,” Cummins said. “I thought we’d make decent inroads today but didn’t think we’d get 10.

“Give Joshy a wicket with any little bit in it and he finds it. He just hits the right area, ball after ball, and presents good seam. He was fantastic. I thought he was great at Lord’s last week without perhaps the returns he deserves, so it’s a huge asset to have on our side.”

Hazlewood raises the ball after taking the wicket of Jomel Warrican. Credit: AP

Mitchell Starc took the first wicket of Kraigg Brathwaite but Hazlewood was the chief destroyer, removing John Campbell (23) and Brandon King in consecutive balls before his hat-trick ball went through to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

Hazlewood then snared Roston Chase (2) and Keacy Carty (20) to edge Australia closer to victory. At one point in his spell, Hazlewood took 4-4 from 16 balls.

Resuming on 4-92 with an 82-run lead, Australian duo Travis Head (61) and Beau Webster (63) knuckled down for a commanding 102-run partnership to take the game away from the West Indies.

The West Indies’ terrible fielding in this Test was on display once again when Head was dropped on 21 by Greaves at second slip early in the day. It was the home side’s seventh dropped catch in the slips across the match.

Australia’s Travis Head and Beau Webster bat on day three as West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph watches on. Credit: AP

Head and Webster’s partnership was the first fifth-wicket century stand by an Australian pair in Tests since Mitch Marsh and Steve Smith put on 153 against Pakistan in Melbourne in 2023.

Webster continues to prosper at Test level and now has a very tidy return of 305 runs at 43.57 from eight innings.

Head, who was named man of the match, was out lbw to Shamar Joseph before Webster was unlucky to be caught down the leg side to the same bowler, leaving Australia at 6-208.

Carey pushed the game along by crunching a 40-ball half century, which included two big sixes down the ground.

There was a period in the middle session when Australia smashed 68 from 46 balls.

Australia’s wicketkeeper eventually perished for 65 as Joseph finished with figures of 5-87 for the innings to help bowl the tourists out for 310.

“I thought those three were brilliant,” Cummins said. “They kept the scoreboard ticking over. That was the difference. Those guys took the game away from the West Indies.”

Joseph, who appeared to be carrying some kind of injury, pushed through the pain to pick up nine wickets for the match (9-133) in an impressive display after his heroics at the Gabba early last year.

The West Indies’ highest successful run chase in Bridgetown came in 1999 when Brian Lara made an unbeaten 153 to steer his side to a target of 308 against Australia with one wicket in hand.

On this occasion, they never got close.

A day after West Indies coach Daren Sammy slammed the performance of match officials, the side’s captain Roston Chase also expressed his displeasure.

“There were so many questionable calls in the game and none of them went our way,” Chase said. “We had some questionable calls and that really set us back in terms of creating a big lead on the total that Australia set.

“It’s frustrating because as players, when we mess up, when we get out of line, we are penalised harshly. Sometimes we’re even banned. You’re talking about guys’ careers.”

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