The Gabba Test between Australia and the West Indies is poised for a thrilling finale after opener Steve Smith survived a dramatic evening session on day three.
Chasing a 216-run target for victory, Australia is 2-60 at stumps with Smith (33*) and all-rounder Cameron Green (9*) unbeaten overnight, needing a further 156 runs to secure a 2-0 series whitewash over the West Indies.
Earlier, the West Indies were bowled out 193 after off-spinner Nathan Lyon and paceman Josh Hazlewood each snared three wickets, while Joseph is under an injury cloud after damaging his foot.
The second Test between Australia and the West Indies resumes on Sunday afternoon at 3pm AEDT.
Watch Australia v West Indies on Kayo Sports. Every Test, ODI and T20I Live with no ad breaks during play. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >
Starc’s toe-crusher sees Shamar retire | 01:13
‘YOU GET CONFUSED’: AUSSIE LEGEND SPOTS SLIPS ERROR
It was a near-perfect day for Australia in the field on Saturday, with one exception.
In what could have been a decisive moment of the pink-ball Test, Australian vice-captain Steve Smith put down a one-handed catch in the slips cordon to give West Indies batter Alick Athanaze an additional life on 28.
All-rounder Cameron Green drew the edge from around the wicket and Smith lunged across from second slip with an outstretched right hand, but grassed the chance.
Speaking on Fox Cricket commentary, former Australian batter Mark Waugh suggested that Smith was standing too close to Usman Khawaja at first slip.
“It was right down the middle, it pierced the gap between first and second,” Waugh said.
“I’ve noticed in recent times the slips, their angles have been very narrow.”
‘Don’t tell me it went down!’ Smith drop | 00:45
Waugh, who claimed 181 catches in 128 Tests, was arguably Australia’s greatest slips fielder in history, standing alongside the late Shane Warne for most of his international career.
“We would have been further spread, so that would have been Warnie’s catch,” Waugh continued.
“Because Smith is closer to Khawaja, he felt like he could go for it.
“Your spacing is wrong when you are diving to your right and taking it in front of (first) slip’s left hand. That should be first slip’s catch.
“They’re too tight … he should be another metre to his left, then there wouldn’t have been any doubt. He would have known that was Khawaja’s catch.”
According to Fox Cricket analysts, Smith and Khawaja were standing 2.8 metres apart for the delivery when the catch was dropped.
“I think it should be more like 3.8 metres,” Waugh said.
“When the slips are so close together, you get confused.”
Meanwhile, Smith is two catches away from eclipsing Waugh’s career tally, after which there would only be one name ahead of him on the Australian list – Ricky Ponting.
Most Test catches for Australia
196 – Ricky Ponting
181 – Mark Waugh
180 – Steve Smith
157 – Mark Taylor
156 – Allan Border
HEAD STUCK IN UNWANTED ROLE AFTER MAGICAL MOMENT
Sorry Travis.
The South Australian declared after last week’s series opener at Adelaide Oval that he didn’t want to “pigeonhole” himself as the team’s short-leg fielder, which had recently been vacated by Marnus Labuschagne.
Head claimed a superb catch on day two of the Adelaide Test to remove West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, but the celebrations were bittersweet.
“Spewing about that,” Head told reporters last week.
“Marnus has talked his way out of (short leg), so I’m in there full time.
“I think my hips are going to feel it.
“I don’t want to pigeonhole myself in there. I’d rather be out of there.”
Unfortunately for the Australian vice-captain, he’s locked himself into short leg for the foreseeable future following his latest heroics in the field.
Head ran out West Indies batter Kavem Hodge with a magical piece of fielding on Saturday afternoon, throwing down the stumps at the non-striker’s end with lightning speed. Hodge, who had mistakenly set off for a single, back-pedalled and dived to make his ground, only for his bat to bounce over the crease as Head’s throw struck the pegs.
The dismissal proved a turning point in the match, with the West Indies proceeding to lose 5-37 before Shamari Joseph’s injury wrapped up the innings.
“Marnus has somehow weaved his way out of bat-pad, and Travis has taken it on,” Australian spinner Nathan Lyon told reporters at stumps.
“I know he wants that spot and wants to do a really good job.
“As a spin bowler, bowling to someone who wants to be in at bat-pad is pretty handy. He’s been fantastic.”
After the run-out, Head raised his helmet towards the Australian dugout, which Lyon explained was merely a “bit of banter” with the coaching staff.
“Travis likes to, how do I put this, s*** stir,” Lyon laughed.
“He’s quite a funny little fella.”
When asked to elaborate on whether Head wanted to field at short leg, Lyon smirked and quipped: “Travis is going to be there for the rest of my career.”
‘GIVE HIM CREDIT FOR THAT’: SMITH’S STRATEGIC MASTERSTROKE
On what was a sapping day of Test cricket in the Queensland capital, Australia regularly rotated its players off the field, especially the bowlers.
Pat Cummins would sometimes spend short bursts off the field to replenish, occasionally handing over the captaincy duties to deputy Steve Smith.
And it was during the twilight session that Smith produced a tactical masterstroke, sending West Indies batter Alick Athanaze back to the pavilion in the 42nd over.
Athanaze, unbeaten on 35 at the time, was looking comfortable in the middle until Smith devised a plan with spinner Nathan Lyon that immediately paid dividends.
The left-hander flashed at a wide delivery, with the edge sailing towards Smith at first slip, who swallowed the chance and pointed towards Lyon in celebration.
“I’ll give him credit for that one,” Lyon explained.
“He came up and said, ‘Why don’t you move your mid-wicket into another catcher on the off-side and bowl really wide?’ He didn’t feel like he wanted to leave the ball at all.”
The dismissal elevated Lyon and Smith to second spot for most Test wickets for bowler-fielder combinations, with the duo only sitting behind Sri Lankan greats Muttiah Muralitharan and Mahela Jayawardene.
“I’ve been very fortunate enough to have him at first slip,” Lyon continued.
“As a bowler, when you’re standing at the top of your mark, and you look up and you see someone with Steve Smith’s stature … it gives you so much confidence.
“If I get a nick, 99 per cent of the time it’s going to be taken.”
Most Test dismissals for a bowler-fielder combination
77 – Muttiah Muralitharan and Mahela Jayawardene (SL)
56 – Nathan Lyon and Steve Smith (AUS)
55 – Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid (IND)
51 – Shane Warne and Mark Taylor (AUS)
51 – Harbhajan Singh and Rahul Dravid (IND)
‘NOTHING SHOT’: WINDIES CAPTAIN’S TOUR ENDS WITH A WHIMPER
The evening before the Gabba Test got underway, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite stood alone near the pitch square, shadow-batting under artificial lights.
The 31-year-old, visualising his knock for the following afternoon, leant into an imaginary cover drive before rocking back for a cut stroke. He prodded, defended and caressed for nearly 15 minutes, mentally preparing himself for the battle that lay ahead.
It hadn’t been a successful campaign for Brathwaite thus far, registering scores of 13 and 1 during last week’s ten-wicket loss in Adelaide. He was the West Indies’ leading run-scorer during last summer’s tour of Australia, scoring a gritty 110 in the fourth innings of the Perth Test.
The West Indies needed another captain’s knock from their skipper in Brisbane this week, but Braithwaite couldn’t deliver for his teammates. The right-hander’s dismissal on Thursday afternoon was nothing more than a tentative prod outside off stump, an uncharacteristic mistake for an opener renowned for his temperament and patience.
After nicking behind for 4 on day one, Brathwaite was spotted shadow-batting near the Gabba pitch yet again on Saturday afternoon, preparing for his second dig.
But after crawling towards 16 on Saturday, Brathwaite threw his wicket away yet again, on this occasion spooning a cover drive towards Marnus Labuschagne at extra cover, which the legendary Brian Lara branded a “nothing shot” in commentary.
It was a tame end to a tame Frank Worrell Trophy for the Barbados opener, who finished the campaign with a batting average of 8.50, the fourth-lowest figure for a touring captain in a Test series in Australia.
Lowest batting average among touring captains for a Test series in Australia
6.00 – Dinesh Chandimal (SL), 2018/19
7.75 – Courtney Walsh (WI), 1996/97
8.25 – Ivo Bligh (ENG), 1882/83
8.50 – Kraigg Brathwaite (WI), 2023/24
9.14 – Arthur Gilligan (ENG), 1924/25
* Minimum four innings
MARNUS SINKS TO FIVE-YEAR LOW AFTER WORST TEST OF CAREER
This has been the leanest home Test summer of Marnus Labuschagne’s career, and the Queenslander’s 2023/24 season ended with a whimper at the Gabba on Saturday evening.
Labuschagne departed in almost identical fashion to his first-innings dismissal, edging a length delivery towards third slip where West Indies debutant Kevin Sinclair took a lunging catch to his right.
The right-hander, who has a phenomenal record in day-night Tests, managed eight runs across the match, the lowest tally of his career in games where he batted twice. Meanwhile, his Test batting average has dipped to 50.82, the lowest it’s been since November 2019.
Labuschagne finishes the Frank Worrell Trophy with a batting average of 6.33, comfortably the lowest figure of his career, the previous worst being 20.25 during his maiden Test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in 2018.
Speaking on ABC Radio, former Australian Test opener Phil Jaques identified a potential flaw in Labuschagne’s batting technique that may have contributed to his twin dismissals at the Gabba.
“His bat lift is going out wider, his front elbow is tucking into his stomach which forces it to go out wider,” Jaques explained.
“It’s just a little thing of making sure his hands are in (and he’s) a little more side on with the bat coming down straight.”
Marnus Labuschagne’s batting average in home Test summers
2018/19 – 32.25
2019/20 – 112.00
2020/21 – 53.25
2021/22 – 41.87
2022/23 – 101.83
2023/24 – 28.25
