The second Test hangs in the balance after West Indies speedster Jayden Seales dismissed both of Australia’s openers in a damaging late spell on day two at Grenada’s National Cricket Stadium.
After securing a narrow 33-run lead in the first innings, the tourists were tasked with surviving an awkward 40-minute passage of play before stumps, with the unpredictable surface offering plenty of variable bounce. However, Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja weren’t up to the task, each dismissed cheaply by Seales to worsen Australia’s top-order headaches ahead of the marquee Ashes campaign.
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Konstas chopped on for a fourth-ball duck before Khawaja fell in almost identical fashion to his first-innings dismissal, trapped on the pads for 2. The Queenslander wasted a review before marching off the ground.
The Australians are 2-12 at stumps, leading by 45 runs, with Cameron Green (6*) and nightwatcher Nathan Lyon (2*) unbeaten overnight.
MATCH CENTRE: Australia vs West Indies second Test live scoreboard
Earlier on Friday, a career-best performance from Brandon King and a lower-order fightback denied the Australians a substantial first-innings lead in St. George’s. The West Indies were bowled out for 253 in 73.2 overs after King cracked a stylish 75, the highest score of the series to date, with veteran spinner Lyon claiming three wickets.
The hosts were at risk of conceding a heavy first-innings deficit until the tail wagged during the evening session before Seales’ late burst flipped the match on its head.
In response to Australia’s 286 all out from the previous day, the West Indies got their innings off to a dreadful start when veteran opener Kraigg Brathwaite, playing his 100th Test, departed in the second over for an eight-ball duck. Fending with hard hands, the milestone man chipped a return catch back towards Josh Hazlewood, who held onto a sharp chance low his left.
Soon after, captain Pat Cummins produced a stunning piece of athleticism to remove Keacy Carty with his second delivery of the match, sprinting towards silly mid-on and diving with an outstretched arm to complete a one-handed catch inches from the turf.
West Indies opener John Campbell raced towards 40 with an assortment of aggressive strokes before throwing his wicket away late in the morning session, charging at all-rounder Beau Webster and miscuing a lofted glance towards mid-on.
West Indies captain Roston Chase and King added 47 for the third wicket before Hazlewood struck early in the afternoon session courtesy of a review, with the Australians successfully overturning an on-field decision for LBW against the rival skipper.
King reached his maiden Test half-century in 77 deliveries, combining with wicketkeeper Shai Hope for a 58-run partnership for the fifth wicket before Cummins broke the stand with an unplayable wobble-seam delivery that seamed in and bowled Hope through the gate for 21.
The dismissal prompted a brief collapse of 3-5 from 21 balls — at the other end, King gloved a wayward delivery from Lyon down the leg side, with gloveman Alex Carey snaffling the catch and Australian vice-captain Steve Smith deploying another excellent review.
During his following over, Lyon removed all-rounder Justin Greaves for 1, with Carey accepting another smart catch behind the stumps, before Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph launched into an entertaining counterpunch after tea.
The duo thumped 51 runs in rapid time to chew away at the deficit before Alzarri holed out to long-on for 27 to become Lyon’s third victim, with Shamar falling shortly after for 29.
Tailenders Anderson Phillip and Seales frustrated the Australian bowlers, who were struggling with the soft ball, by soaking up 66 deliveries in the middle before part-time spinner Travis Head wrapped up the innings with a return catch. Not for the first time in the series, the third umpire was tasked with adjudicating a low catch that appeared to bounce into the hands, but Nitin Menon ultimately awarded the dismissal.
The second Test between the West Indies and Australia resumes on Sunday at 12am AEST.
