Quality fast bowling on a pitch offering plenty, batting frailties and a collection of third-umpiring controversies were among the headlines on another engrossing day at Kensington Oval as the ball continued to dominate with the opening Test between Australia and West Indies set to be a low-scoring scrap.By the close, Australia sat with a lead of 82 as the top-order faltered again in demanding conditions, having bowled the home side out for 190. They would be confident of defending a target of around 200 although will still take considerable work to achieve on a surface where runs have been at a premium. What the unbeaten pair of Travis Head and Beau Webster, along with next batter Alex Carey, can deliver may prove decisive.Sam Konstas, who nearly chopped on to the first ball of the innings, was dropped twice in the second over from Shamar Joseph, first by John Campbell at third slip as he charged and drove, then a low chance to Justin Greaves at second. On the dressing room balcony, West Indies coach Daren Sammy couldn’t contain his frustrations. It took the tally of chances off Shamar Joseph to five in the game.Related
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In the end, he didn’t need the fielders’ help to end Konstas’ painful 38-ball innings as, like in the first innings, he angled one back to expose a technical flaw as Konstas chopped into his stumps for 5. By then, Alzarri Joseph had already removed Usman Khawaja to a borderline lbw from round the wicket and at 34 for 2 the innings needed stabilising.For 10 overs, Cameron Green and Josh Inglis managed that although the former required the DRS to save him when he was given lbw on 13 only for replays to show the ball carrying over the stumps. One run later, Green was at the centre of the day’s latest significant third-umpire moment when Adrian Holdstock ruled there was an edge to what would have been a three-reds decision against Greaves, but it became something of a moot point in the same over when Green slashed to slip.Inglis’ stay had ended a few minutes earlier when he shouldered arms to Jayden Seales and lost his off stump, the second batter to fall in that manner for the day after Brandon King. Head and Webster ensured against further damage with Webster being especially proactive. But Shamar Joseph remained a constant threat, regularly keeping his speeds over 140kph, and struck Head a blow on the hand shortly before stumps.Pat Cummins trapped Roston Chase lbw on 40•Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty Images
West Indies had taken a slender first-innings lead of 10 having potentially been placed for something a little better at 139 for 5. Australia’s bowlers shared the success with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood especially impressive, but the main talking points of the innings came with the wickets of captain Roston Chase and top-scorer Shai Hope whose dismissals were both upheld by Holdstock.Chase was given lbw to Cummins and reviewed straightaway, indicating he thought he had hit the ball, but the on-field decision was upheld amid a flurry of uncertain marks on Ultra Edge. Hope was then brilliantly caught, one-handed, by Carey (who had earlier dropped a much more regulation catch) and Holdstock determined the ball was safely in his glove despite being very close to the ground.West Indies had resumed on 57 for 4 and, to begin a theme for the day, the third umpire was in action early on as Cummins called the DRS when Australia thought Chase had been trapped pad first by Hazlewood. Initial replays suggested that may have been the case, and the Australians became animated, but it was ruled to be bat first.In the second over of the day, Chase was given a life on 4 when Konstas couldn’t get his hands to a sharp inside edge at short leg while Carey gave King a reprieve on 26 when he couldn’t hold an edge that was climbing on him. Soon, though, Hazlewood got the reward he deserved when King misjudged a leave to a delivery that was always angling back and lost his off stump.However, that proved Australia’s only success of the morning as Chase and Hope forged a 67-run stand. Hope, on his return to Test cricket after a three-and-a-half-year absence, unfurled a couple of pristine drives early on, particularly one straight back past Mitchell Starc.Chase, meanwhile, took the introduction of Nathan Lyon as an opportunity to attack. He edged wide of slip off the back foot. A couple of overs later he deposited him twice down the ground, the second occasion for six over long-off.Shortly after lunch Cummins, as he so often does, provided the breakthrough when he trapped Chase lbw. Webster nipped in to remove Greaves then, crucially, Hope when Carey’s brilliant one-handed catch to his left to gather an inside edge was ruled to be clean. Hope had been happy to leave the field while the umpire review was taking place and was back in the dressing by the time the confirmation arrived although Sammy appeared far from convinced.Alzarri Joseph’s forceful 23 turned a potential deficit into a small lead, taking West Indies past Australia’s total with a thumping straight six. And so it was left virtually all-square; a few hours later it would have been a brave person to call how this match will end.
