Travis Head recorded his highest ever Test match score, finishing with 175 runs off 219 deliveries. (Photo: @WestEndRedbacks - Twitter)
Australia once again dictated proceedings on Day Two, adding a further 181 runs with the bat before going on to collect four wickets under the bright lights.
It leaves the West Indies in a precarious position in the second Test, still trailing by a whopping 409 runs in the first innings.
Here are the moments that mattered from Day Two at Adelaide Oval.
Australia in cruise control against lacklustre West Indies attack
After a dominant opening day’s play from the Aussies, it was more of the same for the hosts during the majority of the first session of Day Two. Both Marnus Labuschagne and hometown hero Travis Head quickly resumed normal activity, finding gaps at will and keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
Barring a brief fiery spell from Alzarri Joseph who challenged Labuschagne with a barrage of short balls, the West Indies appeared to have no answers to the established Australian batting pair.
What followed was a flurry of milestones, with both Head and Labuschagne reaching 150 within consecutive overs. Head passed 150 first, hitting a trademark cut shot forward of square to the boundary.
Labuschagne then followed suit, before proceeding to notch 3000 runs in Test match cricket. The 28-year-old ranks as the second fastest to reach the milestone, only behind the legendary Sir Donald Bradman.
Devon Thomas gets the long-awaited breakthrough once again
Given the ease with which Head and Labuschagne were batting, it was looking very likely that Australia would finish the first session without losing a wicket. However, the introduction of Devon Thomas to the bowling crease immediately paid dividends for the touring side.
A fullish ball outside the off stump from Thomas elicited a full-blooded drive from Labuschagne, capturing a thick outside edge. West Indies wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva took care of the rest, snaffling a sharp catch behind the stumps.
Thomas is of course no stranger to picking up a big scalp, having trapped Usman Khawaja in front LBW on Day One.
Labuschagne ultimately departed for 163 runs off 305 deliveries, a well-constructed innings that included 14 boundaries.
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Cam Green finally arrives at the crease…nearly departs first ball
Having spent close to 21 hours in the sheds over the past week, Cameron Green would be forgiven for having a serious case of pad rash. He finally got his chance in the 111th over of Australia’s first innings, walking out to bat with around 30 minutes remaining until the lunch break.
A disastrous start to his summer with the bat almost eventuated. Facing his very first delivery, Green fished at a back of a length ball outside off, bringing about a healthy nick. Fortunately for the 23-year-old, the ball failed to carry to first slip, falling just short of substitute fielder Kyle Mayers.
Had Mayers been standing closer, it may have been a very different outcome.
Nevertheless, Green managed to survive a nervy period prior to the lunch interval, joining Head unbeaten. Australia entered the break in a commanding position at 4-436, with Head tracking nicely on 172 not out.
Mix-up leads to Travis Head’s demise…Green follows him to the sheds
In a rather unfortunate chain of events for Travis Head and Australia, a breakdown in communication whilst running between the wickets led to the South Australian being dismissed.
As Green clipped one past short fine leg, Head appeared to think that his West Australian teammate was coming back for a second run. However, despite initially showing a sign of intent to double up, Green sent Head back, who ultimately fell short of his ground despite a full-length dive.
Head looked furious about the run-out, hastily marching off the ground fully knowing that a maiden Test double century had just gone begging. Nonetheless, it was a terrific knock from the local product, who finished on 175 runs off 219 balls to record his highest-ever Test match score.
Shortly after it was Green who would also have to depart. In an innings where he never seemed comfortable at the crease, Green found himself in two minds as to whether to leave an Alzarri Joseph delivery.
This indecisiveness led to his downfall, as he chopped onto his own stumps. The young all-rounder could only muster nine runs off 42 balls during his scrappy time out in the middle.
Declaration comes before tea
Whilst a declaration was always looming from an Australian point of view, it remained to be seen as to when stand-in skipper Steve Smith would make the call. It eventually came with around 25 minutes left before the tea break, forcing the West Indies openers to negotiate an awkward five overs.
Prior to declaring, Alex Carey compiled a valuable 41 runs off 54 balls, utilising his reverse sweep and extravagant stroke-making to heap more pain on a tiring West Indies outfit. He was also well supported by Michael Neser, who made a handy 18 runs. Australia ultimately finished on 7/511.
Confronted by a fresh and fired-up Australian pace attack, Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul did well to survive a brief period before tea.
Scott Boland looked very threatening, challenging both edges of the bat in a typical relentless fashion.
Yet to the West Indies’ credit they fought hard to enter the tea break positioned at 0/14.
Neser strikes twice to give Australia the ascendancy
A disciplined bowling effort from Australia finally reaped some rewards in the 14th over, with Michael Neser claiming the big scalp of West Indies skipper and in-form opener Kraigg Brathwaite.
The Queensland seamer’s probing line and length eventually led to Brathwaite becoming unstuck on 19. Neser captured the outside edge of Brathwaite, with Alex Carey securely pocketing the catch.
Shamarh Brooks then suffered a similar fate in what was practically an identical dismissal to his captain’s. Reluctantly fending at a ball on his off-stump, Brooks hit the faintest of edges to present Carey with another straight-forward catch off the bowling of Neser.
Lyon joins the party and continues his love affair with Adelaide
It didn’t take long for Nathan Lyon to make an impact with the pink ball, collecting the wicket of Jermaine Blackwood for the seventh time in Test cricket.
A loose shot from Blackwood presented Lyon with a simple caught and bowled, an opportunity which the off-spinner gleefully accepted. The dismissal means that Lyon now holds the record for the most Test wickets at Adelaide Oval (57 wickets), surpassing the late great Shane Warne.
For the West Indies, Blackwood’s ill discipline left them faltering at 3-50.
Chanderpaul fights valiantly
In just his second Test match, Tagenarine Chanderpaul continued to show tremendous grit and maturity.
The 26-year-old stood firm in the face of a relentless Australian bowling attack, finishing the day’s play unbeaten on 47 runs off 98 deliveries.
A real feature of Chanderpaul’s game over the last two Tests has been his ability to leave the ball, whilst also pouncing on anything short.
He still has plenty of work to do in order to drag the West Indies out of a difficult spot in this Test, however, his efforts throughout this series indicate that he has the attributes to forge a long and successful career.
At the close of play, the West Indies find themselves 4-102 off 37 overs.
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