HOBART, Australia, CMC – West Indies suffered their worst Test defeat to Australia in 84 years when they crashed to an embarrassing innings and 212-run loss inside three days here yesterday.
Resuming at Bellerive Oval on 207 for six in their first innings, the Caribbean side were dismissed for 223 with left-hander Darren Bravo converting his overnight 94 into 108 – his seventh Test hundred.
Following on by a massive 360 runs, West Indies produced yet another inept batting display in their second innings to be rolled over in under two sessions in just over 36 overs for a paltry 148, to concede defeat about half-hour before tea.
Only opener Kraigg Brathwaite with a counter-attacking 94 showed any resistance, hammering 13 fours and a six off 122 deliveries before he was last out.
However, the 23-year-old right hander was the only top order batsman to reach double figures and one of just three in the innings overall.
Speedster James Pattinson claimed five for 27 while seamer Josh Hazlewood supported with three for 33, as West Indies shockingly slumped to 30 for five and never recovered.
Brathwaite added 30 for the sixth wicket with captain Jason Holder (17), 31 for the seventh wicket with Kemar Roach (3) and a further 31 for the ninth wicket with Jomel Warrican (six not out), partnerships that only served to delay the inevitable on a chilly day in Tasmania’s capital.
The defeat was the Windies’ 12th in the last 15 Tests against the Aussies and it left their campaign Down Under in a state of crisis, especially following their heavy 10-wicket defeat in a tour match last week against a Cricket Australia XI with an average age of 21.
Hanging by a thread at the start of the day, West Indies had reason for celebration as early as the first over when Bravo twice drove fast bowler Peter Siddle for off-side boundaries to reach triple figures in his first Test innings in Australia.
The hundred, Bravo’s first in a year-and-a-half, came as part of 99-run, eighth wicket stand with Kemar Roach who departed to the fifth ball of the following over to a catch at the wicket off Hazlewood, after failing to add to his overnight 31.
Jerome Taylor perished off the next ball, playing on while attempting to cut and the innings lasted just 18 more deliveries before Bravo was caught at point off Siddle.
The injured Shannon Gabriel was unable to bat.
All told, Bravo faced 177 deliveries in a shade under 4-1/4 hours at the crease and counted 20 fours.
Hazlewood finished with four for 45 while off-spinner Nathan Lyon picked up three for 43 and Siddle, two for 36.
Any hopes of West Indies putting up an improved showing were quickly dashed when opener Rajendra Chandrika edged the ninth ball of the innings from Hazlewood to captain Steve Smith at slip, to register his third ‘duck’ in four Test innings.
Bravo lasted only 13 balls this time around before dragging Pattinson onto his stumps in the sixth over for four and Marlon Samuels (3) sparred at one from the same bowler that jumped from off a length, giving David Warner at gully a simple catch two overs later at 24 for three.
Jermaine Blackwood completed a dreaded ‘pair’ when he was bowled next ball by Pattinson and when Denesh Ramdin’s lavish drive at Mitchell Marsh was taken at gully for four, West Indies were slumping badly.
Holder arrived to join Brathwaite and see his team to lunch at 35 for five but the position was a hopeless one and so it proved after the resumption, despite Brathwaite’s heroics.
Holder’s partnership with Brathwaite was beginning to flourish when the all-rounder played at an innocuous leg-side delivery from Pattinson and was taken behind about half-hour after lunch.
With all hope virtually expired, Brathwaite took matters into his own hands. He cleared the ropes at mid-wicket with Lyon to move into the 40s before caressing the same bowler to the cover boundary a couple overs later to raise his seventh half-century in Tests.
Along the way, he lost Roach to a gloved leg-side catch behind off Hazlewood and Taylor, who was taken at mid-off by Pattinson to give the same bowler his second wicket.
In the next over from seamer Marsh, Brathwaite helped himself to 19 runs inclusive of four boundaries, all textbook strokes on both sides of the wicket.
He moved into the 90s by steering a short ball from Hazlewood over gully for four but with a century in sight, was deceived next ball by one that came back and breached his defence.
Scoreboard
AUSTRALIA 1st Innings 583-4 decl.
WEST INDIES 1st Innings
(overnight 207 for six)
K Brathwaite lbw b Hazlewood 2
R Chandrika c Smith b Lyon 25
DM Bravo c Lyon b Siddle 108
M Samuels c & b Lyon 9
J Blackwood c Burns b Lyon 0
+D Ramdin b Hazlewood 8
*J Holder lbw b Siddle 15
K Roach c wkp Nevill b Hazlewood 31
J Taylor b Hazlewood 0
J Warrican not out 2
S Gabriel absent hurt
Extras (b7, lb10, w1, nb5) 23
TOTAL (all out, 70 overs) 223
Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Brathwaite), 2-58 (Chandrika), 3-78 (Samuels), 4-78 (Blackwood), 5-89 (Ramdin), 6-116 (Holder), 7-215 (Roach), 8-215 (Taylor), 9-223 (Bravo)
Bowling: Hazlewood 18-5-45-4, Pattinson 15-0-68-0 (w1, nb5), Siddle 15-5-36-2, Lyon 19-6-43-3, Marsh 3-1-14-0.
WEST INDIES 2nd innings (following on)
K Brathwaite b Hazlewood 94
R Chandrika c Smith b Pattinson 0
DM Bravo b Pattinson 4
M Samuels c Warner b Pattinson 0
+D Ramdin c Warner b MR Marsh 4
*J Holder c wkp Nevill b Pattinson 17
K Roach c wkp Nevill b Hazlewood 3
J Taylor c Pattinson b Hazlewood 12
J Warrican not out 6
S Gabriel absent hurt
Extras (lb1, w1, nb3) 5
TOTAL (all out; 36.3 overs) 148
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Chandrika), 2-20 (Bravo), 3-24 (Samuels), 4-24 (Blackwood), 5-30 (Ramdin), 6-60 (Holder), 7-91 (Roach), 8-117 (Taylor), 9-148 (Brathwaite).
Bowling: Hazlewood 10.3-3-33-3, Pattinson 8-2-27-5 (w1, nb2), Siddle 7.-1-34-0, Marsh 7-0-36-1 (nb1), Lyon 4-0-17-0.
Result: Australia won by an innings and 212 runs.
Series: Australia lead three-Test series 1-0.
Man-of-the-Match: Adam Voges.
