Recent Match Report – Australia vs West Indies 2nd Test 2023/24

Tea Australia 161 for 7 (Khawaja 40*, Roach 3-23, Alzarri Joseph 3-41) trail West Indies 311 (Da Silva 79, Hodge 71, Sinclair 50, Starc 4-82) by 150 runs

But after the initial carnage, Carey played a counterattacking innings in the mould of Adam Gilchrist, racing to fifty off just 38 balls as he and Khawaja put together 96 off just 99 deliveries. The pink ball softened and batting became much easier with Australia’s innings almost mirroring West Indies’. However, unlike the resolute vigil of Joshua Da Silva, Carey’s stay ended before tea when he holed out to deep square leg off Shamar Joseph for 65 from just 49 balls with still plenty of work to do to avoid a significant first-innings deficit.

Khawaja played the anchor role, just as Kavem Hodge did yesterday, to remain resolute on 40 not out. But he lost Mitchell Starc as well on the stroke of tea with Alzarri Joseph proving too quick to handle as the batter nicked off to slip.

Australia were very nearly 72 for 6 when a 141.7kph delivery from Shamar Joseph whizzed through Carey’s defence and nicked the off bail but the bail spun in its groove without falling to the ground.

Carey made the most of that fortune, thumping Shamar Joseph for three consecutive boundaries through cover. He reverse-swept Sinclair with fearlessness and lofted him over long-on for six. Khawaja was rock solid to allow Carey to play with freedom. But that freedom brought about his downfall at a critical moment when he picked out deep square leg off Shamar Joseph with plenty of work to do.

Without Carey and Khawaja, avoiding the follow-on looked a serious challenge at one point when Roach ran through the top order.

Steven Smith was trapped lbw by Roach in the opening over of Australia’s innings, shuffling back and across too far to a ball that nipped in and hit him flush in front of off stump. Nitin Menon initially gave it not out but it was smashing middle on the ball-tracking projection.

Cameron Green entered and played a lovely off-drive to find the rope, but then meekly chipped an overpitched delivery straight to Kraigg Brathwaite at mid-off to gift Roach a second. Next ball, Travis Head was strangled down the leg side, tickling a half-volley to Da Silva to squeals of delight from the West Indies team.

Mitchell Marsh counterattacked in the same manner as Carey later would. But like Carey, he fell by the sword for 21 off 20, miscuing a pull shot to mid-on having been hurried by Alzarri Joseph.

Earlier, Sinclair and Roach frustrated Australia’s bowlers in the morning session, batting through the first hour without loss. Roach was the immovable object while Sinclair did the bulk of the scoring. Australia’s quicks were left frustrated as the second new ball softened quickly and offered very little sideways movement despite Brisbane’s humidity and heavy cloud cover.

Australia did set some very defensive fields with a deep point placed throughout the morning allowing easy singles to be picked off.

The partnership was only broken because of a huge mix-up. Roach defended a ball to mid-off and called for a single, but Sinclair caught a glimpse of Labuschagne swooping in and made a very late call of no with Roach already halfway down. He slipped over trying to put the brakes on and was run out with ease.

Australia could have removed Sinclair on 30. He poked Pat Cummins straight to gully and Green spilt a sitter at thigh height.

Sinclair made Green and Australia pay with some excellent shots thereafter. He swept Nathan Lyon for four and then lofted him inside-out over mid-off in consecutive balls to bring up his half-century. He fell next ball, running past one that drifted away and was stumped by Alex Carey, who needed two bites to complete the take.