MELBOURNE, Australia, CMC –West Indies delivered a better all-round batting display but were overpowered by Australia inside four days to suffer a 177 run defeat in the second Test at the MCG here yesterday.
Captain Jason Holder and Denesh Ramdin scored powerful half centuries to lead a gutsy fight back but the Aussies prevailed to secure the series two-nil and retain the Frank Worrell Trophy.
All seven frontline batsmen got starts as Windies showed determination before they were bowled out for 282 in their second innings after Steven Smith’s overnight declaration on 179 for three.
Ramdin and Holder spearheaded the resistance by adding 100 runs for the sixth wicket but tackling a 460 run deficit was always going to be a tall order.
Jason Holder’s men were off to a shaky start when they lost Kraigg Brathwaite early in the innings to Nathan Lyon for a well-played 37.
After hitting Lyon for a boundary, Brathwaite perished in the next ball when he attempted to cut and was caught at slip.
West Indies slumped to 83 for two after Darren Bravo, who had an early reprieve when Josh Hazlewood dismissed him with a no ball, was caught a few overs later for 21.
Bravo prodded at a delivery from Peter Siddle he should have left alone but edged to Peter Nevill.
Mitchell Marsh four for 61, Lyon three for 85 and James Pattinson two for 49 as the Aussies dismantled the Windies middle order reducing them to five for 150 shortly after tea.
Marlon Samuels struck two fours before he edged a delivery from Marsh to Neville when he was on 19 while Jermaine Blackwood picked up three boundaries enroute to 20 when he was trapped lbw to Lyon.
Blackwood went for a pull shot to a ball not that short which hit him on the back thigh and the appeal was immediately upheld.
Then came the century stand initiated by Ramdin who found a willing partner in his captain holder as the two threatened to take the match into a fifth day.
Ramdin cracked eight fours on his way to 59 while Holder, who top scored with 68, picked up seven boundaries and two sixes.
West Indies fought hard but eventually lost their final four wickets for 32 runs in ten overs.
Marsh ended the West Indies encouraging run when he broke the partnership by removing Ramdin who took an edge attempting to drive through mid-off while Holder scooped a ball from Hazlewood straight to mid-off.
Marsh and Pattinson then cleaned up the Windies tail with three quick wicket as the home side maintained possession of the Frank Worrell Trophy for 20 unbroken years, stretching back to 1995 in the Caribbean.
