JAMIE PANDARAM, Sydney Morning Herald: “Not to say the Windies aren’t capable of taking 20 wickets over five days but sustaining pressure is an art they have yet to master. Good in patches, great in glimpses, but overall foreign to the foot-on-throat caper.”
PETER ROEBUCK, Melbourne Age: “It’s been a long time since a Caribbean paceman tested the batsmen’s reflexes as regularly as did Kemar Roach in his morning and afternoon stints. Bounding to the crease off a shortish run, the Barbadian sent down several flashes of lightning and deserved more than one wicket.”
MALCOLM CONN, The Australian: “Australia must be wondering if it has lost the ability to land the killer punch. Every time it appeared that ugly Ashes memories were evaporating in the Brisbane sun…another batsman failed to turn a start into a century. Like too many occasions on the England tour, Australia failed to nail its modest opponents, going to stumps comfortably but not brilliantly placed.”
DON KOCH, The Australian: “Australia is on top, but the West Indies showed plenty of heart and remain right in the contest at the end of day one.”
ANDREW HAMILTON, Melbourne Herald-Sun: “The West Indies produced spells of hostile bowling and patches of brilliant fielding but it was punctuated by long periods of apathy that applied no pressure to the Australian batsmen.”
JIM MORTON, Australian Associated Press: “A long, hot summer awaits the West Indies with only the inability of Australia’s top order to convert solid starts into centuries saving them from an opening day mauling.” Ends.
