Bridgetown: The West Indies shot out Australia for 180 and discovered how tricky the Kensington Oval pitch was by losing four wickets on day one of the test series opener.
The home side was 57-4 at stumps Wednesday with Brandon King 23 not out on debut, trying to make up for his three dropped catches in the field.
Teammate Jayden Seales took 5-60, his third test five-for, all at home, but Shamar Joseph was the more impressive bowler with 4-46. In nine tests, he has 34 wickets, 17 of them Australians. He owned the morning session.
Australia was all out inside 57 overs for its lowest total in the West Indies after batting first.
Only three batters got into double figures: Usman Khawaja (47), Travis Head (59) and captain Pat Cummins (28).
There was some deja vu for Australia from the World Test Championship final against South Africa less than two weeks ago at Lord’s. Australia was out for 212 on the first day when 14 wickets were also taken.
Cummins followed tradition in Bridgetown when he won the toss and chose to bat first. What looked like a bat-first pitch — mainly bare and dry — was revealed as a trap gifting the pacers seam, swing and the odd shooter. Of the day’s 14 wickets, 10 came from edges.
After an hour, Australia was 22-3.
Sam Konstas, replacing the dropped Marnus Labuschagne, was out for 3 in the fourth over, lbw on the back leg to Shamar Joseph.
Cameron Green came in and was dropped in the same over at gully by King. Green was still bagged by Shamar Joseph on 3 after nicking to second slip.
Josh Inglis, covering for an injured Steve Smith at No. 4, pulled Seales but top-edged high up for wicketkeeper Shai Hope, playing his first test in four years. It was the first of Hope’s four catches.
Khawaja had been been hunkering down but when Head arrived they counter-punched. They continued after lunch, when Khawaja was dropped, again by King, on 45.
Head passed Khawaja to 50 off 57 balls, but Khawaja was out for 47 off 128 after nicking Shamar Joseph. Their 89-run partnership was the longest of the day.
When Beau Webster was castled, Shamar Joseph had 4-25 off 12 overs.
Shamar Joseph also appeared to then claim Head, who under-edged behind. But the third umpire said video was inconclusive that the ball carried to Hope.
Seales got his second wicket after Alex Carey edged to first slip on 8 right on tea.
Head was out straight after tea on 59 off 78 balls, including nine boundaries. He edged Justin Greaves behind.
Seales mopped up the last three wickets.
Kraigg Brathwaite couldn’t get through the fifth over of the West Indies’ reply, nicking Mitchell Starc on 4. Starc also got the edge of the other opener, John Campbell, on 7.
Cummins prised out Keacy Carty for 20, and Josh Hazlewood joined the party by removing nightwatchman Jomel Worrican for a duck.
That forced new captain Roston Chase to join King, and they survived the day’s last 3.1 overs. Chase, playing his first test since March 2023, had 1.
