Belligerent batting and aggressive captaincy by Pat Cummins has revitalised Australia in the day-night Test against the West Indies at Brisbane’s Gabba.
The tourists went to stumps on the second night of the second Test at 1-13 in their second innings, an overall lead of 35, after Tagenarine Chanderpaul was caught behind on review for 4 from the slightest of nicks.
Cummins was unbeaten on 64 from 73 balls with eight fours and a six when he declared on 9-289, 22 behind, to have the last half an hour bowling under lights.
“We’ve seen with that new ball there’s enough opportunity, so it’s a big morning (first session) for us tomorrow,” Alex Carey said after play.
The most successful fourth-innings chase by Australia at the Gabba was 7-236 against the West Indies during 1951-52. The only better chase was India’s remarkable 7-329 during 2020-21 to win the series and cost Australia a place in the inaugural World Test Championship.
“We obviously know that the first 20 overs is the new ball threat,” Carey said. “Get through that and there’s potential to score a big target.”
That Australia were able to get so close yet again highlighted the Jekyll and Hyde nature of day-night cricket’s pink ball. It can be virtually unplayable while hard for the first 20 overs or so then batsmen are seemingly undismissible when it goes soft.
Australia crashed to 5-54 and it would have been 6-72 but for a zing bail reprieve which allowed Carey to play his best innings of the summer. It helped compensate for a Steve Smith-led batting collapse. On the first day the West Indies went to lunch at 5-64 and then added 202 for the loss of three wickets, with no dismissals in the second session.
Carey’s 65 from just 49 balls complemented Uzman Khawaja, announced on Thursday night as the International Cricket Council’s 2023 Test player of the year. Their 96-run partnership began to right Australia’s ship.
“I just felt like I reacted pretty well to what was bowled at me and had good intent,” Carey said. “I think we’ve seen that this summer with Mitch Marsh and Travis Head. They’ve played that way.”
Australia would have collapsed to 6-72 if a zing bail had been dislodged instead of rotating in the grove when a delivery from the lively Shamar Johnson cut back and clipped the stumps of Carey on just eight.
“It didn’t feel like a nick, but there was a good sound and the guys around me as in the West Indians saw it nick the bail,” Carey said. “I ended up seeing it afterwards and saw it rotating in the groove. You need some luck in cricket.”
It is the first time the heavier zing bails have been used this season. They light up at night, adding to the spectacle of a day-night match, but are also heavier than normal wooden bails and harder to dislodge. Twice in the Big Bash this season zing bails have failed to come off the stumps when hit by the ball.
Smith lasted just six balls as Australia slumped to 4-24 at the first break from five overs with ageing fast bowler Kemar Roach the destroyer, walking off to dinner with 3-13.
Smith was lbw on review for six to Roach once again moving too far across his crease. During last week’s first Test in Adelaide, when he replaced the retired David Warner at the top of the order, Smith was caught in the slips for 12 playing at a ball he could easily have left. He made an unbeaten 11 in the second innings as Australia chased 26 for a ten-wicket victory.
Marnus Labuschagne was three when he pushed at a ball from Alzarri Joseph’s first over he could easily have left. Labuschagne was brilliantly caught a fourth slip by debutant Kevin Sinclair, who continued a fine match after making 50 batting at No.8. He has been picked as an off-spinner and offered the highlight of the night with a cartwheel and backward summersault after claiming his first Test wicket, Khawaja taken at slip after anchoring Australia with 75.
Cameron Green, the talented young man who has slotted into Smith’s spot at No.4, looked good for eight until he played a half-hearted drive at a fullish ball from Roach, bunting it straight to West Indian captain Kraigg Brathwaite at mid-off. Adelaide century-maker Travis Head then flicked at his first ball down the leg side and wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva took a fine tumbling catch.
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