Webster and Carey save Australia top-order blushes again as 112-run stand between the two takes them to 286.
Webster and Carey joined forces to take Australia out of choppy waters in a day that saw their top-order come a cropper once again.
After Australia had been 50 for 3 after a good base evaporated, they were stumbling at 110 for 5 when Travis Head fell, and the TV umpire ruled Shai Hope’s outstanding take clean.
The game threatened to slip away from the West Indies after Webster and Carey contributed 112 runs in 25 overs, but they managed to chip away at the lower order and knock Australia out for 286 in 67 overs, with four wickets taken by Alzarri Joseph. Light kept Australia from having a quick bowl, which benefited the host team, as the umpires removed the players as they were about to return to the pitch.
If the toss had gone his way, Roston Chase would have bowled. He also hinted that uneven bounce would have contributed to the game later on, especially when the delivery scuttled to remove Pat Cummins. Even while Australia’s first-innings total felt competitive, its actual worth won’t be known until tomorrow.
Following his crucial second-innings effort in Barbados and the runs he scored in the World Test Championship final, Webster once again displayed outstanding play, reaching an 87-ball fifty. With a slog-sweep for six off Chase and one of the strokes of the innings when he laced Jayden Seales through the off side, he was confident in defence and chose his time to attack.
Carey’s life was somewhat enchanted. On 10 and 51, he had the chance to be run out; on 46, Shai Hope dropped him when he attempted a ramp; on 68 deliveries, he reached his half-century with an edge between the keeper and a wide slip; and on 55, he edged wide of slip once more.
Earlier, unconverted starts had dominated Australia’s batting performance. Sam Konstas played more aggressively than in Barbados and put up a good early pull shot, but he was also defeated several games, including three times in a row by Seales.
When the innings took on a new appearance, he and Khawaja, who reached 6000 Test runs when he reached 2, had moved Australia to a promising 47 for 0. When Khawaja went to the DRS, he was lbw to Alzarri Joseph, who proved to be a bail-trimmer, for the second time in this series. After four balls, Konstas edged behind for an unsatisfied 25 after driving at Anderson Phillip, who had been recalled after being picked over left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican.
After recovering from a finger injury sustained in the World Test Championship final, Steven Smith top-edged a pull against the dynamic Alzarri Joseph that went high to fine leg, where Phillip made a great decision, turning Australia’s decline into a 3 for 3. The score was a well-known 50 for 3.
Seales’ spectacular over marked the end of the first session. When John Campbell spilt a regulation catch, Cameron Green, who had shaped up encouragingly, drove to cover. Four balls later, Green attempted a powerful drive to the final delivery of the over and hit a heavy edge to the gully, where Chase held it superbly, but he was still unable to reach the interval.
Following a brief rain delay, Head threatened to pull another rescue act but was sidelined early in the afternoon when the TV umpire—this time Nitin Menon—regained focus after Hope made a spectacular catch low to his left and Head looked at an ascending delivery from Shamar Joseph. In contrast to Barbados, the decision went in favour of West Indies, and Head did not appear overjoyed as he left. Hope was certain of the catch, but it went upstairs.
Australia could have been bundled out with another fast wicket, but as they have a tendency to do, a few batsmen managed to score enough runs to provide their elite attack with something to work with.