Brisbane, Australia:Half centuries from opener Simon Katich, captain Ricky Ponting and Michael ‘Mr. Cricket’ Hussey, handed Australia a distinct but not overwhelming advantage after day one of the opening Test against the West Indies at the Gabba yesterday.
The home side – having opted to bat upon winning the toss – closed on what must have been a gratifying but not domineering 322 for 5 with Marcus North on 42 and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin on nine.
With an Australian tail known for wagging they will have their sights set on a total well over 400 on day two.
By then the pitch – which played a little slower than most anticipated – is likely to quicken allowing for true bounce and carry – a feature the Aussies will relish but which will also offer opportunities to the Windies attack providing they can keep it together.
Dwayne Bravo and Kemar Roach are not the only two faster bowlers firing on all cylinders.
Prior to tea the day was shaping up to be Katich’s – the New South Wales left hander – but he was denied a ninth Test century by just eight runs when he was stupendously caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin’s full length dive off Bravo’s cunning and persevering medium pace.
Katich faced 134 deliveries and his innings was decorated with 13 fours and a six off debutant pacer Ravi Rampaul.
Rampaul initially bowled with impressive accuracy but was later on belted about, ending with figures of 14-1-71-0. Katich’s departure left the score on 200 for 3 shortly before tea but he had, by then, already shared a stabilizing second-wicket stand of 126 with his skipper.
Ponting who made 55, brought up his fifty with a typically audacious pull for six off a Rampaul no ball.
The Katich/Ponting union was formed after the Australians found themselves in an unfamiliar position at nought for 1 with Shane Watson back in the shed for a duck courtesy of Jerome Taylor’s nippy in swing.
Throughout the day Roach – who shared the new ball with Taylor – interrogated all the batsmen with pace, precision and a hint of away swing which eventually resulted in Ponting’s demise.
The Barbadian Roach probed outside Ponting’s off stump after lunch (taken at 114 for 1) and the Australian skipper could not resist nicking to Ramdin who executed a tidy catch.
Flummoxed by Roach, Ponting’s dismissal (126 for 2) brought Hussey to the crease and he survived an initial period of indecision and indifference to register his 17th Test fifty in his 43rd Test, having made his debut against the Windies at the same venue four years ago. The busybody Hussey scored 66 (9×4, 134b) before he lobbed a tame drive back to beanpole left-arm spinner Suliemann Benn who literally snatched – as opposed to gracefully collecting – the ball in glee. The wicket helped to atone for Benn’s miss off Katich from Bravo’s bowling and leaking runs through several fielding blunders.
Hussey and vice-captain Clarke shared a 53-run fourth-wicket partnership before the former exited (253 for 4). But just as Clarke was getting into his silken stride, Bravo produced a delivery which surprised him, induced an edge, and captain Chris Gayle – showing no signs of jet lag whatsoever – pulled off a dazzling lunging catch at first slip (287 for 5). It was to be the final Windies success of the day.
Gayle, who returned just the day before the Test match from Jamaica where he jetted off to be with his ill mother, would be pleased that his bowlers ensured that none of the Australian batsmen were allowed to completely dominate on their home turf. He would not have been equally pleased at the toss having lost the services of key batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan who injured his back on Wednesday and failed a fitness test on the morning of the match.
It provided an unexpected opportunity to Sarwan’s fellow Guyanese right hander – Travis Dowlin – to participate in his third Test match and for the first time against big name opponents – his previous two being against bottom-of-the-table Bangladesh. Dowlin would have edged ahead of another Guyanese – Narsingh Deonarine – in the pecking order with a half century in the warm up match against Queensland in which Deonarine failed with the bat.
Gayle’s woes would have multiplied during the match with Taylor having to leave the field for just over an hour in search of treatment for a suspected back problem.
The Jamaican pacer returned to the field in the final session but did not add to his nine overs – even though the second new ball was taken in the 85th over – and was in obvious discomfort while fielding.
Taylor’s limited availability meant that Bravo was required to perform an all too familiar workhorse role in his first Test match since June 2008. He delivered 21 overs of crafty medium pace which cost 66 runs and he pocketed the wickets of Katich and Clarke.
Benn offered commendable support, his frugal left arm spin – 21 overs all told – costing 54 runs. In the final session, with the ball old, bodies tiring and the Aussie batsmen looking to cash in, Bravo and Benn combined to prevent any free scoring.
While half the job in dismissing Australia in the first innings is complete the entire task is yet to be accomplished and the Windies will want all their bowlers to be on song – a task Rampaul has not found the simplest thus far on tour and Taylor’s travails with injury seem to be extending rather than contracting.
Should he be unable to bowl a full quota of overs and at reduced pace in the rest of the contest, the Windies will be further hampered and may have to begin focusing on hanging on for a draw. Such a scenario will require the Windies batsmen settling in at the crease for the long haul and save for Shivnarine Chanderpaul it is a job they have not always demonstrated proficiency at.
Among the priorities for the team’s think tank after the first day of the series will be to reassess and rethink given obvious resource limitations particularly as they relate to Taylor. It may even mean flying in players to cover for both Sarwan and Taylor.
Players such as Lendl Simmons – a utility player if ever there was one – and Andrew Richardson – a fast bowler who has been with the squad before without playing – would be best advised to not stray too far away from the phone.
