Veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul batted throughout the morning session to make an unbeaten 58 as West Indies reached 291 for five at lunch on the second day of the first Test against Australia. When rain had ended play early on the first day on Saturday, there were only seven more overs until the new ball and Australia took it straight away but it didn’t seem to provide any more movement than the old one. Darren Bravo, in Ryan Harris’ third over, crashed two shots through the covers to the boundary. His innings was a mixture of stubborn defence and booming off-side strikes and that approach was almost his undoing in the 92nd over.
Michael Clarke had a gully and a short backward point in place but the thick edge off a Peter Siddle delivery eluded both of them. Next ball a finer edge went through third slip position with only two in place.
But the plan finally paid off when Bravo played a similar but more tentative shot to the slower pace of Shane Watson, the ball going straight to Mike Hussey in the gully. Bravo had faced 123 balls for his 51 and his slow trudge off the Kensington Oval field showed his clear disappointment. Narsingh Deonarine, playing his first Test for two years in place of Marlon Samuels who is playing in the IPL, was the top scorer in the domestic four-day competition despite failing to score a century.
Australia had a clear plan to serve him up with the odd short ball and, again, their preparation paid off. On 22 he was caught in two minds to a shorter delivery from Harris and as he turned away, the ball came off the edge and went high to wicket-keeper Matthew Wade who took his second catch. It proved to be the best over of the morning as Harris then had Carlton Baugh edging the second ball he faced through a vacant third slip and next ball Ricky Ponting, diving to his right, just failed to hold on to the toughest chance offered so far. Earlier, a slow Kensington Oval pitch and three dropped catches helped the West Indies make a solid start against Australia on the opening day of the first Test on Saturday. When rain curtailed the action, the home side were 179 for 3 with the backbone of the score being a century second-wicket partnership between Kraigg Brathwaite and Kirk Edwards.
Having won the toss, the West Indies’ openers made a steady start and the initial breakthrough for Australia didn’t come until the 18th over. For his second spell, Ryan Harris had replaced Nathan Lyon at the Malcolm Marshall end and came around the wicket to Adrian Barath.
His third ball was a bouncer outside off stump that Barath, who had made 22, hit high in the air for Peter Siddle to get under at fine-leg. Edwards joined Brathwaite and he started slowly but the score was steadily building with Brathwaite being fortunate to survive two tough chances that he offered.
In his third over, Siddle had him playing too early and, as his hand came off the bat, the ball looped back to the bowler who, despite getting his left hand down to the dropping ball, couldn’t hold on. Brathwaite moved on to 44 when Shane Watson induced an edge that went wide to Ricky Ponting’s right at second slip. He did well to reach the ball but he couldn’t grasp it as the ball died on him. It was Watson, himself, who then gave Edwards a life.
Siddle found the edge when the batsman had made 56 and the ball flew high above Watson’s head at fourth slip and, despite getting both hands to the ball, he couldn’t hang on. It came at a time when Edwards had upped the tempo as he hit several boundaries and smashed Lyon over long-on for six. As Michael Clarke looked for options he turned to part-time leg-break bowler David Warner. When Edwards had reached 61 he smashed a return catch back at Warner who took it smartly. It was his first international wicket and he was clearly delighted to have broken the 104-run second wicket partnership.
“Obviously we dropped three catches which can prove crucial in any parts of the game. We’ve got to keep taking our chances, we pride ourselves on that and I think we’ve got to be better tomorrow,” said Warner. “I surprised myself. It got to me pretty fast and he hit it pretty hard.”
Siddle was probably the pick of a pace attack that had kept things tight all day and he was rewarded when Brathwaite played one loose shot too many. He played at a ball slightly wide of the off stump and was caught behind for 57, an innings that had lasted over four hours and 199 balls.
It gave wicket-keeper Matthew Wade special cause for celebration as he had been presented with his baggy green before play and it was his first Test dismissal. “As you all know I take my time, I look to get in and let the batters bat around me, make it easier for them,” said teenager Brathwaite.
