By Tony Cozier
In ST.JOHN’S
The debilitating effect of five sessions in the field, under a roasting sun, on an unsympathetic pitch and against opponents with the ruthless streak common to all sporting champions, finally took its toll on the West Indies in the hour before tea yesterday.
An exhibition of sparkling, nerveless, uninhibited strokeplay from Xavier Marshall, their latest opening batsman, quickly lifted spirits again after the fast bowlers, Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson, had blasted 65 from 55 balls to allow an Australian declaration at 479 for seven at tea.
But just as quickly and depressingly, the pendulum swung again.
Michael Clarke, who had earlier defied them with the second hundred of Australia’s innings, was summoned by captain Ricky Ponting to send down his seemingly unthreatening left-arm spin as Marshall and captain Ramnaresh Sarwan became entrenched.
Marshall, whose 53 was a virtual shot-a-ball display, was lbw to one of the few he chose to leave alone. Runako Morton replaced him with the end of the day no more than half-hour away, only to slog his fifth ball from Clarke straight into midwicket’s lap, a near repetition of his dismissal in the first innings of the first Test.