Australia bat in first Windies Test

Captains Jason Holder of West Indies and Steve Smith of Australia with the Frank Worrell Trophy at the Blundstone Arena in Tasmania on the eve of the first Test Match.

West Indies faced another setback when Gabriel left the field with ankle trouble, and the official word from the team management was that he would be further assessed overnight.

West Indies snared David Warner (64) and Steve Smith (10) before lunch, but failed to press on after the break.

Voges, who resumed on 9 after lunch and reached his century before tea at Bellerive Oval, was unbeaten on 174 at the end of play.

“Above 25 and onwards, they’re looking at the exit door and it’s very hard as they’re already set in their way of thinking”.

Having made his Test debut in October against Sri Lanka and capturing 4-67 in the first innings, Warrican was preferred in Hobart to more experienced leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.

“It’s fairly different to Dominica, the conditions were fairly different, there wasn’t a lot of spin today”, Voges said.

Warrican knows the Windies were not good enough on the opening day of the three-match series.

The dwindling fortunes of West Indies cricket have been very well documented in the recent years.

Marsh, meanwhile, carried on with the certainty and improved defensive technique he first exhibited in Adelaide, albeit against bowling of a lesser standard than that provided by New Zealand. But with Usman Khawaja expected to return from injury in time for the Boxing Day Test, there will be some pressure on Joe Burns, Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh to perform in Hobart.

“I think Warner and Smith will be key and once we get them out early then that could give us some leeway to really test them”. I’m just anxious about…getting my preparation right and just trying to do the best I can.

The tourists did just that but they didn’t count on Voges dashing their lunchtime optimism with an effortless and chanceless hundred and Marsh being a more than capable partner in crime.

Although Warrican picked up two wickets, he was expensive too, giving away 111 runs from 22 overs.

If they are to have any chance, then their experienced core of Denesh Ramdin, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor and Kemar Roach are going to have to play out of their skins. “We can beat them because cricket is played on the day”, he said.

HOBART – Australia batsman David Warner has a score to settle with the West Indies. “The areas that they bowl have been more consistent”.

One thing the crowd of 5927 were able to appreciate had nothing to do with the match: the conspicuously high proportion of them who filled the hill are about to start their school holidays. But Australia turned up in a manner so impactful that West Indies would need some serious introspection to realise where they stand, in whatever limited amount of time they would get after stumps on the first day till reaching back at the ground tomorrow morning.