West Indies will resume day three at the Adelaide Oval on 4-102, still 409 runs behind Australia’s first innings of 7d-511, with Tagenarine Chanderpaul (47*) and Anderson Phillip (1*) at the crease.
Michael Neser was the pick of the Aussie bowlers with 2-20, while Nathan Lyon 1-13 and Cameron Green 1-23 were also amongst the wickets late on day two.
While Australia is once again in a commanding position, Travis Head went cheaply for 175 after a costly run out mix-up with teammate Green.
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Australia continue to dominate Windies | 03:28
Speaking about that incident after the day’s play, Head admitted he has been “pretty filthy” about wasted opportunities in the past fortnight, having been dismissed for 99 last week.
“It’s amazing how the game works, it’s a great humbler,” he said.
“I’ll enjoy it at some point but obviously it felt like there was a few out there. You don’t get many opportunities I guess to feel the way I did and be in that situation of the game to really make the most of it. It was a disappointing way of ending but it has to end at some point.”
Speaking of making the most of opportunities, both Michael Neser and Scott Boland have done just that, helping fill the fast-bowling void for Australia and doing so in style.
Australian pace spearheads Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were ruled out of this Test, with Boland and Neser replacing them.
Boland finished the night without a wicket and a bowling average of 10.27 while Neser took two wickets.
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“He’s one of the beauties of the team,” Head said of Boland.
“He brings unique personality, and his skillset is ridiculous. We’ve known that for a long time.
“I don’t think (his average) is going to stay at 10. I think everyone knows that it’s probably going to drift out. But we might as well make the most of it while we’re at it. So hopefully he knocks a few over tomorrow and keeps it close to 10.”
Neser, meanwhile, removed Perth century-maker Kraigg Brathwaite for 19, with wicketkeeper Alex Carey taking a regulation catch after the West Indies skipper got a feather-edge, and Shamarh Brooks for eight in a mirror dismissal.
“Our batters did a good job to put on such a massive total, set it up in the first two days, and today we took advantage of the evening conditions,” said Neser.
“It was a great feeling (to take wickets), I just bowled in the right areas and let the wicket do the work for me.”
Australian XI
David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
West Indies squad XI
Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Shamarh Brooks, Jermaine Blackwood, Devon Thomas, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Roston Chase, Alzarri Joseph, Anderson Phillip, Marquino Mindley
Recent form (most recent first)
Australia WLWWD
West Indies LWWWD
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