MELBOURNE, Australia, CMC – Stylish left-hander Darren Bravo missed out on a second successive hundred while the enterprising Carlos Brathwaite struck a half-century on debut, as they combined to produce West Indies’ finest day of the otherwise ill-fated tour of Australia here yesterday.
However, the odds remained stacked heavily in the Aussies favour after they ended day three of the historic Boxing Day Test firmly in command with an overall lead of 459 runs.
Given little chance of staving off defeat on the pivotal third day after resuming at 91 for six, West Indies rallied admirably through a blend of steely resolve and good fortune, extending their first innings to 271 before they were bowled out five minutes before tea.
Bravo once again spearheaded the resistance, top-scoring with an ultra-patient 81 from 204 balls with eight fours while Brathwaite was excellent in his 59 off 126 deliveries with two fours and a six.
The pair added 90 runs for the seventh wicket, a partnership which frustrated Australia’s attempts to wrap up the West Indies innings before lunch, enforce the follow on and press for another grand victory inside three days.
Instead, with a lead of 280 and their bowlers fatigued, the hosts opted to bat again and finished the day on 179 for three – an already daunting advantage – heading into the penultimate day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Captain Steve Smith, eyeing his second hundred of the game, was unbeaten on 70 while the in-form Usman Khawaja made 56 to go with his first innings century.
They put on 87 for the third wicket after the Windies bowlers knocked over openers Joe Burns (3) and David Warner (17) cheaply to leave Australia stumbling somewhat at 46 for two.
Captain and seamer Jason Holder claimed Burns in the second over when the right-hander nicked an out-swinger to Kraigg Brathwaite at second slip while Warner steered pacer Carlos Brathwaite to Holder at gully.
Holder, who added Khawaja deep in the final session, has been the best bowler with two for 49.
After the wretched capitulation in the Hobart Test, the fight shown by West Indies yesterday was a refreshing change but they needed a healthy slice of luck.
Twice Brathwaite was let off by no-balls from fast bowler James Pattinson. On 13, the right-hander missed a heave and was bowled in the fifth over of the morning with West Indies on 101 for six.
He was already trudging off when replays showed Pattinson had overstepped.
Fortune smiled on Brathwaite again on 50 when he pulled to long leg only for the luckless Pattinson to be no-balled once again.
Brathwaite, resuming the day on three, showed his intent when he slapped pacer Josh Hazlewood authoritatively over cover off the second ball of the morning’s second over.
Surviving his first blemish a few overs later, Brathwaite dominated the stand with Bravo, moving effortlessly into the 30s as the Windies slowly added precious runs.
He attacked Nathan Lyon, taking 11 runs from the left-arm spinner’s 17th over – finding the ropes at long on before going straight back overhead to find the sightscreen. A single in the same over saw him to his maiden half-century.
West Indies looked like making it to lunch without losing a wicket when Brathwaite found himself in a tangle and clipped a return catch to Lyon, in the final over before the break.
Unbeaten on 35 then with West Indies on 173 for seven, Bravo found an ally in Kemar Roach and they further stymied Australia’s advance with a stand of 42 for the eighth wicket.
Roach’s knock was a cameo one, scoring 22 off 44 balls, with two of his three fours coming in one over from Smith’s unpracticed leg-spin.
Bravo reached his half-century off 154 balls, about 45 minutes after lunch but then lost Roach lbw to Pattinson and Jerome Taylor caught at the wicket off Lyon for 15, as the Windies slipped to 239 for nine.
Last man Jomel Warrican, who made 11 not out, helped to add 32 for the final wicket with Bravo who eventually perished, slicing Pattinson to Smith at gully, with tea approaching.
Lyon (4-66) and Pattinson (4-72) finished with four wickets apiece while fast bowler Peter Siddle chipped in with two for 40.
