KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Shambolic batting once again derailed West Indies and left them with a mountain to climb, as Australia stamped its authority on the second Test with an emphatic display yesterday.
Chasing Australia’s carefully constructed 399, West Indies were dreadful in reply and slumped to 143 for eight – still 256 runs adrift at the end of the second day of the lopsided contest at Sabina Park.
Jermaine Blackwood stroked a typically bold top score of 51 and Shai Hope got 26 but no other batsman made it past 14, in yet another lifeless first innings display which has severely compromised their hopes of leveling the series.
They were undermined by seamer Josh Hazlewood (3-15) and off-spinner Nathan Lyon (3-35) both of whom grabbed three wickets apiece to cripple the innings.
The tone for the innings was set when West Indies lost debutant opener Rajindra Chandrika without scoring in the third over and wickets then fell steadily, with Blackwood and captain Denesh Ramdin resisting briefly in a 42-run, sixth wicket stand – the best of the innings so far.
Blackwood was carrying West Indies’ fight admirably, having struck seven fours and a six off 80 balls in almost two hours at the crease, when he squandered his wicket in the day’s penultimate over.
That was the break the Aussies needed and they promptly had Veerasammy Permaul caught behind on review in the day’s final over, to end the day on a high.
The Windies’ batting ineptitude overshadowed the brilliance of fast bowler Jerome Taylor, who claimed career-best figures of six for 47 as Australia were dismissed 45 minutes after lunch.
Stroke-maker Steve Smith fell agonizing short of his first career double hundred when he became Taylor’s sixth victim, lbw for 199.
The right-hander faced 361 deliveries, in just over 8-1/2 hours at the crease, and struck 21 fours and two sixes.
Resuming the day on 135 with the Aussies on 258 for four, he lost overnight partner Shane Watson who added just five to his overnight 20 before offering no stroke to Taylor and having his off-stump clipped in the third over of the morning.
Six overs later, wicketkeeper Brad Haddin missed a drive and was bowled by Taylor for 22 off 23 balls with three fours and a six.
Mitchell Johnson hung around 18 minutes before nicking seamer Kemar Roach to Darren Bravo at slip for five and Mitchell Starc was last to fall before lunch, bowled by seamer Jason Holder (2-64) for six, as Australia reached the interval at 350 for eight.
Smith and Hazlewood, who made 24, added a precious 63 for the ninth before Smith failed to negotiate a fast, full-length delivery and was plumb.
Hazlewood holed out to long-on five balls later in the next over to end the innings.
The Windies carnage started early when Chandrika drove at a wide ball from left-armer Starc and edged a simple catch to wicketkeeper Haddin.
In the eighth over, Kraigg Brathwaite (4) pushed down the wrong line at Lyon in the bowler’s second over and was bowled and Darren Bravo was looking comfortable in making 14 from 23 balls before playing back to Lyon and finding himself palpably lbw.
Once again, Shane Dowrich shaped up well and had counted two fours in 13 in an hour at the crease when he wafted at a wide one from Hazlewood and edged behind at 44 for three.
Blackwood and Hope attempted a repair job in a fifth wicket stand of 33. Both batsmen played positively with Hope, dropped by Watson at first slip off Starc on seven, twice taking boundaries on either side of the wicket off Hazlewood in the next over.
He was eventually out tamely, edging a forward defensive prod at Lyon into Haddin’s lap, after hitting four fours off 63 balls in 79 minutes.
Blackwood, dropped on 22 by captain Michael Clarke at first slip off Lyon, played his natural game. He came down and lifted Lyon over long-on for six and in the same over, deposited the bowler over mid-off for four.
He lost Ramdin to an uncontestable lbw decision at the hands of Hazlewood but safely made his way to his first Test half-century on home soil. He twice collected off-side boundaries in the same over from Starc to move to 48 and then waited 13 balls before collecting two to mid-wicket to reach his landmark.
Disappointingly, he was out four balls later, picking out David Warner at mid-off with a loose drive off Hazlewood.
