Australia’s bowlers were the heroes on day three of the Perth Test against the West Indies, rolling the visitors for 283 to take a commanding first-innings lead of 315 on Friday.
The hosts could only muster one wicket in the morning session, with West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite (64 off 166 balls) surviving through to the lunch break.
But Australia’s formidable bowling attack discovered their mojo in the afternoon, gradually knocking over the West Indies middle order before toppling the tail in a frantic 6-38 collapse.
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Starc & Cummins produce PEACHES early! | 01:18
Mitchell Starc (3-51 from 22 overs) was menacing with the second new ball, while captain Pat Cummins (3-34 from 20.2 overs) once again showed why he’s the world’s No. 1 Test bowler.
In response, Australia was 1-29 at stumps on day three, extending their lead to 344.
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CUMMINS JOINS ELITE COMPANY DESPITE ‘BURDEN’
The Australian skipper joined an illustrious group on Friday afternoon.
Pat Cummins knocked over rival captain Brathwaite with an absolute peach after the lunch break on day three, getting the Kookaburra to nip past the outside edge off a good length and crash into the top of off stump.
The dismissal was eerily similar to Cummins’ unforgettable delivery that knocked over England captain Joe Root at Old Trafford during the 2019 Ashes.
It marked the New South Welshman’s 200th wicket at Test level, becoming the fifth-fastest Australian to reach the milestone.
“He’s got the burden of the captaincy now. Those quick bowlers you see on Australia’s best Test average list, 200-plus wickets weren’t the captain,” former Australian all-rounder Brendon Julian told foxsports.com.au.
“So from his point of view, it’s a big achievement and he’ll only get more.
“How far can he go? I don’t know, but Tests will be the one focus he’ll want to play a lot of.”
No Australian in history has taken more Test wickets at a lower average than Cummins at 21.50.
“At that stage in South Africa (on Test debut) he was just raw, young, express pace, but we knew he had something special on the cards. He was very skillful and he was actually quite a good thinking bowler even from a very young age,” former Australian batter Michael Hussey told Fox Cricket.
“But since then he’s just refined his game, become more consistent. He’s been through a lot of injuries as well so he’s shown a lot of resilience to keep coming back. He’s been incredible really. He’s probably even smarter now than when he started.
“He sort of bowls within himself at times, gets the ball in the right area and he’s so relentless with that line and length.
“We see his skill and pace and what a good a bowler he is but he’s a great character and a great person. And I think that’s what the Australian hierarchy identified in him at a young age. This is the type of person we want to have around our dressing room. But the talent he had was undeniable so it was just a case of getting him fit and strong again and he can do what he does out in the middle.”
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‘CLASS ACT’: LUCKLESS HAZLEWOOD STRIKES
Josh Hazlewood set the tone beautifully on day three, bowling a near-perfect over to West Indies opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul to get the morning underway in Perth.
The Bendemeer Bullet got a couple of deliveries to shoot past Chanderpaul’s bat before a thick edge flew through the slip cordon towards deep third man for a boundary.
But Hazlewood struck the very next delivery, angling the Kookaburra across the left-hander, generating enough movement off the deck to catch the outside edge.
David Warner made no mistakes at first slip.
A sigh of relief rippled through the Australian camp. Chanderpaul batted superbly alongside his skipper on Thursday evening, and an early breakthrough was exactly what the hosts needed to calm the nerves.
“He’s a class act,” Julian said.
“Getting Chanderpaul is not easy … but he’s the type of bowler that is relentless with his pressure and line and length.
“It doesn’t surprise me that he may only get one or two wickets in this innings, but he could definitely take them to the cleaners in the next innings.”
Due to injury and the Covid-19 pandemic, Hazlewood has only played seven Tests since the start of 2020.
When the Australian Test side toured Pakistan and Sri Lanka over the winter, Hazlewood was the unfortunate seamer who slipped out of the starting XI to make way for a second strike spinner.
On the surface, it seems bitterly unfair that a bowler with 216 Test wickets at an average of less than 26 gets axed whenever Australia plays in the sub-continent
But if anything, it emphasises the quality of this Australian pace attack.
GREEN JUST MAKES THINGS HAPPEN
He didn’t get an opportunity to wield the willow in the first innings, but Cameron Green once again proved his worth with the ball on Friday.
The West Australian bowled 10 overs on day three of the Perth Test, regularly exceeding 140km/h as he peppered the West Indies with well-directed seamers.
Green snared the crucial wicket of concussion substitute Shamarh Brooks in the evening session with a full delivery that swung away from the right-hander, who feathered the ball through to gloveman Alex Carey.
The Perth crowd roared with delight as the local hero celebrated his first Test wicket in his home state, having waited two years for the chance to don the baggy green in front of friends and family.
Two summers ago, Green understandably copped criticism for failing to take a wicket during the four-Test series against India.
But since the start of last summer’s Ashes series, the 23-year-old has been exceptional with the Kookaburra on home soil, taking 14 wickets at 17.14.
Green also exploited his added height when attempting bouncers on Friday, troubling West Indies batters Nkrumah Bonner and Jason Holder with short stuff.
His value in the Australian Test side can’t be overstated.
AUSTRALIA ONCE AGAIN IGNORE FOLLOW-ON
Pat Cummins once again elected not to enforce the follow-on on Friday evening, understandably prioritising player workloads ahead of a chaotic Test summer.
Australia boasted a first-innings lead of 315 in Perth, which most would have considered an adequate buffer to send the opposition in for a second dig, but Cummins ensured his fellow bowlers enjoyed a rest before the second innings.
Usman Khawaja, however, fell victim to Kemar Roach’s pace as shadows started stretching across the Perth Stadium pitch late in the evening session, edging behind for 5. He almost had nothing to gain by walking out to bat on Friday evening.
The last time Australia elected not to enforce the follow-on, the decision backfired dramatically.
After securing a 408-run lead against Pakistan in Karachi earlier this year, Cummins chose to bat again before chasing the 10 wickets required for victory.
But Pakistan captain Babar Azam put together a masterclass performance, batting more than 10 hours to help the hosts survive nearly 172 overs and snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat.
Cummins would have been tempted to send the West Indies in again, but the 2022/23 Australian Test summer is relentless, with five matches to be played across six weeks against the West Indies and South Africa.
Australia has been reluctant to enforce a rotation policy in the past, and pending fitness, Cummins and the national selectors would hope that he, Starc and Hazlewood can play all five Tests.
