West Indies weather Carey storm to stay on top at tea

Brisbane (AFP/APP): The West Indies weathered an attacking storm from Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey to keep their noses in front at tea on day two of the second Test at the Gabba on Friday.

At the second break, Australia were 161-7, still 150 runs behind the West Indies’ first innings total of 311. Opener Usman Khawaja was not out 40, with Mitchell Starc falling on the last ball before tea.

Carey, who came to the crease with Australia reeling on 54-5, launched a blazing counterattack, racing to 50 runs off just 38 balls. He and Khawaja put on 96 runs in quick time before Carey, on 65, tried one big shot too many, mistiming a pull shot straight to Tagenarine Chanderpaul at deep fine leg. Kemar Roach took three quick wickets before the first break to stun Australia, leaving the hosts staggering on 24-4 at the first break.

After resuming on 266-8, the West Indies reached 311 in their first innings.
They then struck early to dismiss Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green and Travis Head before dinner, leaving the Australian reply in tatters. The Australian experiment of moving Smith up the order to open the batting after David Warner’s retirement hadn’t worked in the first Test in Adelaide last week, and it failed again on Friday.

After hitting a beautiful straight drive off Roach to the boundary in the opening over, Smith was hit on the pad next ball, drawing a huge appeal from the West Indies. Umpire Nitin Menon said not out but the West Indies reviewed immediately and replays showed the ball would have crashed into middle stump, leaving Australia 6-1.

It was 11-2 in the next over when Labuschagne got a thick edge to fourth slip off Alzarri Joseph, where Kevin Sinclair took a brilliant diving catch to his right. Smith’s move up the order was prompted by the Australians’ desire to bring Green back into the side.

But Green failed in Adelaide and again on Friday, driving Roach on the up to give a simple catch to Kraigg Brathwaite at mid-off.

Head, who smashed a brilliant 119 in the first Test, was out first ball, tickling a down the leg side to be caught by wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva.

Mitchell Marsh smashed his way to 21 off just 19 balls but on his 20th, he miscued a pull shot and got a leading edge to mid-off, giving Alzarri Joseph his second wicket and leaving Australia 54-5.

Carey and Khawaja then launched their recovery before Carey’s dismissal.