Image Credit- CA
Do the West Indies think they can prevail? It was just
possible for the imagination to wander back in time for a short while when they
destroyed Australia’s best order in double quick time at the Gabba. A line of
five slips stood wide back, the quicks thundering in, and the ball climbing
past the shoulders, heads and edges of the batters—many of whom were soon in
the dressing room.
Debutant Kevin Sinclair, who had already scored his
maiden goal, held Marnus Labuschagne excellently as he fended into the cordon
after Steven Smith missed one that sneaked back. In the fiftyth test, Travis
Head glanced down the leg side first ball after Cameron Green drove to mid-off.
Australia had supper at 24 for 4. Mitchell Marsh’s brief counterattack came to
an abrupt end with an ill-advised draw to mid-on a few minutes later.
Subsequently, Alex Carey’s bond was not reduced.
Shamar Joseph’s ball nibbled over the inside edge, and the sound caused an
appeal for caught behind. West Indies did not write a review. The zing bail
could be seen spinning in its groove on the replay. According to Channel 7, the
ball was moving at 115 kph. Carey was on eight, and they would have been 72 for
six if the bail had been dropped.
Carey was on 10 from 15 balls at the end of the over;
he reached his half-century in another 23 deliveries, and the atmosphere was
starting to shift. The difference was still 150 when he flicked to deep square
leg, and Mitchell Starc quickly followed.
“We only saw it on TV inside. No one knew,”
Kemar Roach said. “There was a noise, but everyone thought it was the pad.
Sometimes you need some luck and it didn’t go for us today. Would have been a
different game, I think, at 70 for 6.”
The West Indies were in a position seldom seen for
visiting sides in Australia after making the significant gains. At the MCG,
Pakistan had a taste of it when they had the home team 16 for 4, but Australia
had grabbed the lead in the first innings that time. West Indies had a
legitimate chance to take the lead, but they were unable to slow down the run
pace following Carey’s lucky break.
“We knew that the wicket gets better after the
new ball disappears so we knew it would be hard work and Australia bat
deep,” Roach said. “We haven’t won [in Australia] in a long time. We
don’t really come here too often, but guys really want to come here and leave a
mark. To win a Test match in Australia as a young side with a lot of debutants
and guys who have played less than ten Tests, that would set a really good mark
for us.”