(Digicel) Perth, Australia: There is only one way to report it – Chris Gayle slaughtered Australia. In the process, the West Indies captain scored the fifth fastest century in all of Test cricket. The big Jamaican’s response to Australia’s imposing 520 for 7 declared was to cane the bowlers to the boundary, beyond it, and even on the roofs – one of those hits must be near the biggest – if not the biggest – six seen in Test cricket in Australia or anywhere.
The Windies ended day two at Perth on 214 for 2 and with the game in the balance. Ramnaresh Sarwan is on a controlled 42 (54 balls, 6×4) and Narsingh Deonarine is by his side on 10. The visitors are 306 runs behind with eight wickets still standing and three full days to go.
At the declaration, the momentum was Australia’s without question, but Gayle – who declared that he was intent on a victory to square the series – in a matter of about two hours swung it firmly in favour of his team as he blasted the bowling to bits with a bone-crushing batting display one would expect in the flashy Twenty20 format. He made 102 all told, from 72 balls with nine fours and six big ones.
His century required 70 balls, one more than teammate Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s 2003 century in Georgetown and one less than Roy Frederick’s also at Perth in 1975. Surely the Australians – victims of all three assaults – must be fed up of it by now. His first fifty came off an astonishing 34 deliveries as he thrashed Mitchell Johnson about and greeted off spinner Nathan Hauritz with consecutive sixes over long on.
Gayle – prior to the start of the match – had rubbished Hauritz’s spin pedigree and emphasized the point by dispatching him for four sixes – the third of which was airborne for a considerable distance before landing on the roof of the Lillee Marsh Stand.
The day began with the Aussies in full command on 339 for 3 with Michael Hussey on 81 and Marcus North on 23. Hussey was the third Australian to post fifty in the innings but was denied a century – a feat which no Australian has achieved this series.
The left hander added just one before Ravi Rampaul extracted a nick from him through to Denesh Ramdin. It brought to an end the 78 run partnership with North for the 4th wicket.
Though Ricky Ponting – 23 retired on the day before after a pair of blows from Kemar Roach – was said to be available to bat he did not risk another Roach interrogation. Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin emerged instead and he proceeded to light up the WACA in what turned out to be but a mere opening act for Gayle’s main event blitzkrieg later in the day before a crowd which will soon claim him as one of their own when he appears for Western Australia in the Twenty20 Big Bash. What a prelude the 5th fastest Test century was for his newest fan base.
Haddin served up a pasting to the Windies bowlers – smashing 88 from 91 balls with 11 fours and a couple of maximums. When 12 short of a century, he fished at a pacy delivery from Roach and suffered the same fate as Hussey. His was the fifth half century of the innings, and the 15th by an Australian in the series.
In between Hussey and Haddin, North played with a calm assurance to post his third career fifty in his tenth match, then he too fell to the half century curse. And it was in a most tame manner – popping a Deonarine full toss which should have been dispatched to the boundary back to the bowler for catching practice. North’s 68 lasted 117 deliveries and included eight fours.
When Gayle ran riot later on his newest opening partner – Travis Dowlin – enjoyed the performance from the best seat in the house – the non-striker’s end. Dowlin did as any sensible batsman in the situation would do – block and take singles – allowing Gayle the strike.
The pair put on 136 before Gayle fell and Dowlin went on to score his third Test fifty – eventually getting out for a well played 55.
Gayle was not cavalier, he did not simply pulverize the bowling without method. He skilfully and methodically waded into the bowlers – but defended when he needed to. Of the 19 balls he faced from Hauritz, nine were dots and he took singles from another four. Gayle batted thunderously but he did not lash out recklessly. He decimated the Australian bowlers as if he was on a mission to lay the foundation for squaring the first innings and securing the series-levelling win he spoke of prior to the match.
When he was out – caught cramped up by a Doug Bollinger short ball which he steered to Watson at point – the captain looked gutted. He seemed to have wanted to make it a double, and with him playing the way he was, it was understandable. The Australians were blindsided and on the backfoot.
Gayle made the heated tugging incident between Sulieman Benn and Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson into a mere sideshow. Indeed everything else was relegated to a sideshow on the day. He led the way on laying the foundation it is now for Sarwan, Deonarine, Brendan Nash, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin and the rest to follow through.
