Australia vs West Indies

Jan 4 The second day of the third test between Australia and West Indies was disrupted by rain on Monday with only three balls bowled in the first hour of scheduled play.

Play then resumed after an 80-minute stoppage but the players again were forced off the field after just eight minutes.

Australia’s ploy to play two spinners on an SCG pitch that is likely to remain the driest surface in metropolitan Sydney over coming days was vindicated when Nathan Lyon added yet another major milestone to an already extensive career record.

Spinner Nathan Lyon was introduced into the Australian attack in the eighth over, indicating that spin was likely to make a significant impact over the course of the Test.

The innings fell away disappointingly after a promising opening session by the West Indies, who lost both the first two tests of the three-test series.

Pattinson dismissed Darren Bravo for 33 with a well-aimed bouncer, taken nicely by Usman Khawaja in the deep.

Brathwaite had dropped his bat before retreating to his end and Samuels was stranded by Hazlewood’s throw to the striker’s end.

Josh Hazlewood got him to prod outside the off-stump and he was snapped up by Peter Nevill for nine.

The fact that his dismissal was followed immediately by a two-hour rain break would have given the Jamaican plenty of time to cool his discontent, or to find somewhere in the SCG dressing rooms to hide from his teammates.

Earlier, the off-spinner had dismissed Jermaine Blackwood for 10 with a gem, the ball turning and bouncing after it pitched outside off stump, the No. 5 clean bowled after shouldering arms.

Brathwaite was deceived by Lyon’s extra bounce and attempted to steer the ball past slip.

“It’s a big challenge for me, it’s spinning pretty big and it’s got decent bounce”.

The weather forecast, unfortunately, for the second day’s play isn’t the best.

“Peter has an impingement in his left ankle”, Bupa Support Team physiotherapist David Beakley said today in relation to Siddle’s injury.