Poll: Win, lose or draw?
Cummins on ice for at least the first hour
Marnus’ special place in Test history
No prizes for guessing man-of-the-match honours in this one, short of a match-winning double hundred from Brathwaite, it’ll be Labuschagne with a bullet thanks to 308 runs for one dismissal throughout the match.
Marnus Labuschagne: a force to be reckoned with in the west.Credit:AP
He’s just the third Australian and eighth player in Test history to register a double and a century in the same match, joining some seriously elite company.
Elite company
Players to score a double century and century in the same Test
- Marnus Labuschagne (Australia): 204 and 104* v West Indies, Perth, 2022
- Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka): 319 and 105 v Bangladesh, Chittagong, 2014
- Brian Lara (West Indies): 221 and 130 v Sri Lanka, Colombo, 2001
- Graham Gooch (England): 333 and 123 v India, Lord’s, London, 1990
- Greg Chappell (Australia): 247* and 133 v New Zealand, Wellington, 1974
- Lawrence Rowe (West Indies): 214 and 100* v New Zealand, Kingston, 1972
- Sunil Gavaskar (India): 124 and 220 v West Indies, Port of Spain, 1971
- Doug Walters (Australia): 242 and 103 v West Indies, Sydney, 1969
Why Nathan Lyon holds the key in Perth
Even discounting the traditional day five role of the spinner, and Nathan Lyon’s 2/54 yesterday, the veteran tweaker is Australia’s best bet today – he’s the owner of a very impressive record on this deck.
Lyon v Braithwaite holds the key, Lyon has dismissed him three times in Test matches but the Windies skipper has been willing to come down the track and dictate terms throughout two fine innings so far this match.
Latest on Cummins’ injury
Australia has one eye on these last seven wickets and another on the upcoming day-night Test in Adelaide starting on Thursday.
Skipper Pat Cummins is expected to lead the Australian side out and captain with the quad injury he’s carrying.
Pat Cummins celebrates his 200th Test wicket earlier in the game.Credit:Getty
David Warner on Fox Cricket talking along the lines that Australia are a “bowler down”, with the home side hoping Cummins won’t be needed given Cameron Green looms as a Test-quality fourth bowler for their attack.
“Pat said he’s pulled up ok, I don’t know if he’s going to bowl yet,” Warner said.
Cummins will be eligible to bowl seven minutes after the start of play, once the time spent off the field yesterday is married up with time on it this morning. But as we said, ideally the Aussies don’t use him.
Poll: Win, lose or draw?
Welcome one, welcome all
Welcome one, welcome all to the fifth and final day of an intriguing old Test from Perth.
I’m Dan Walsh here in the Maroubra bureau as Australia chase the last seven wickets, and the Windies eye an unlikely 306 runs, or full day’s stonewalling for a draw.
Malcolm Conn and Dan Brettig are on the ground over in the west and there’s a question mark over a quad injury to Aussie skipper Pat Cummins – in a perfect world Australia won’t need him to bowl but Kraigg Brathwaite has already shown there’s fight in the visitors yet.
