Aussies tear through West Indies on day one

Cricket365
June 12, 2015

Australia kicked off the Test series in the Caribbean with a bang as their frontline bowlers took just two sessions to dismiss the West Indies for 148.

Denesh Ramdin won the toss and sent his side in to bat, but it didn't take long for the wickets to start tumbling.

Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Johnson each collected three wickets, with Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon combining for three more.

The Windies weren't especially impressive prior to lunch, but with only three down they still stood a chance of posting a decent total. Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope and Darren Bravo all made starts, but weren't able to carry it on.

Things quickly went from bad to worse after the break, however, with Shane Dowrich, Jermaine Blackwood and Marlon Samuels all falling within a four-over period.

From that point on it was a desparate fight for survival, with the Windies losing the fight.

Ramdin and Jason Holder briefly threatened something resembling a partnership, but the Australian bowlers kept plugging away and making breakthroughs, ably supported by some smart catching in the field.

It was all over when genuine No 11 batsman Shannon Gabriel edged Johnson to second slip.

Only Shai Hope's 36 at the top of the innings, which featured five impressive boundaries, gave the home side anything to smile about, while Bravo (19), Ramdin (19) and Holder (21) managed slight contributions as well.

In the Windies defence, batting did not prove as easy on the track as many would have expected, with some deliveries keeping low and others bouncing up sharply – as Australia would soon find out.

Jerome Taylor managed to extract some bounce from the pitch as well and dismissed David Warner in only the third over of the innings. The opener presented point with a simple catch after offering a leading edge to a delivery that was banged in short.

Shaun Marsh was next, nicking Holder to first slip for 19 before captain Michael Clarke edged Bishoo behind a few overs later, reducing the visitors to 61/3.

Steven Smith and Adam Voges steadied the ship, however, guiding Australia to 85/3 at the close of play, trailing the West Indies' total by only 63 runs.