Ravi Rampaul’s return to Test cricket brought the wicket of Ed Cowan with just his second ball but after that the opening morning of the third and final Test belonged to Australia here on Monday. They went to lunch at 69 for one with David Warner on 28 and Shane Watson 30. On his return to the side after a bout of dengue fever and subsequently a shoulder injury, Rampaul got just the start he would have wanted.
He brought a delivery back into Cowan who didn’t play a shot and the ball struck him on the pad trapping him lbw. Warner was given a life when he had scored five. Darren Sammy, who has been guilty of putting down some straight forward chances in this series, dropped another one.
Warner’s edge off Rampaul went to the West Indian captain at third slip but the ball went straight though his open hands and hit him in the chest. Rampaul’s good start on his return to the West Indies side was slightly blemished when he was warned by umpire Tony Hill for running down the wicket.
Warner and Watson adapted well to the conditions and played carefully throughout the morning waiting for the loose balls. Although the ball beat the bat a few times, especially from Kemar Roach, there were few scares and Australia will be looking to build a competitive first innings total. The new ball was moving off the seam and there was plenty of carry through to Carlton Baugh behind the stumps. However, the batsmen were hindered by an outfield with plenty of grass on it which slowed the ball down considerably as it headed towards the boundary making run scoring a little slow. In the previous Test at Trinidad both sides had opened their bowling with the slow bowlers but this time spin wasn’t introduced until the 21st over.
