Australia moved a step closer to clinching their series with West Indies on day three of the second Test thanks largely to the poor drainage at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.

On a day's play made memorable only by Stuart MacGill's shock decision to retire from international cricket, the match did not resume until 3.30pm local time because of a unsuitably sodden outfield.

Perhaps fittingly MacGill took the only wicket of the day when he had Ramnaresh Sarwan (65) well caught by Michael Clarke at slip as the home side finished the day at 255 for four.

Shiv Chanderpaul remained unbeaten on 55 while Dwayne Bravo added 29 before bad light ended play with only 36 overs possible.

Australia need only to draw the match to retain the Frank Worrell trophy after they won the first of the three-Test match series by 95 runs in Jamaica.

Despite clear skies overhead for the majority of the day, groundstaff struggled to clear away excess water in the outfield with umpires Mark Benson and Russell Tiffin only ruling the ground playable after tea.

It set the scene for a frustrating morning during which MacGill announced his intention to retire following this Test match.

The 37-year-old leg-spinner has struggled so far in this Test series, his return to international cricket following wrist surgery.

After a forgettable day with the ball on Saturday, MacGill again failed to find a consistent line or length before producing a trademark vicious turner to remove Sarwan.

The former West Indies captain had brought up his half century from 108 balls before he pushed uncertainly at a good-length delivery that left him sharply.

The ball slid across the face of his bat before Clarke completed a fine one-handed catch low to his right.

The home side still needed a further 97 runs at that point to avoid the follow-on, but Bravo provided a steady presence behind the immovable Chanderpaul who brought up his 47th Test fifty from 110 balls, to bring them within sight of that target by stumps.

But despite their efforts, West Indies' hopes of claiming the victory they need to keep the series alive look improbable with two days left to play.