Kraigg Brathwaite helps West Indies reach 207/6 on rain-hit day

West Indies’ hopes of using two spinners for the third Test match against Australia have been squashed after leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo was ruled out of the final game here starting today (last night Jamaica time).

Samuels has made only 35 runs, at an average of seven, in his five innings this tour.

“I just went out there and tried to play my game, thankfully I got from 30-odd overnight to 69”, Brathwaite said.

Carlos Brathwaite (35 not out) and Denesh Ramdin (23 not out) shared an unbeaten stand of 48 runs for the seventh wicket to lift the West Indies past 200 after winning the toss and electing to bat.

Brathwaite and Bravo have been the two best-performing batsmen in the series for the struggling visitors, with Bravo scoring 108 in Hobart and 81 in Melbourne, while Brathwaite hit 94 in the first Test.

He said: “It’s a good challenge, [Lyon] is bowling quite well and you just have to keep believing in your ability. I think it’s much easier if you’re batting”, O’Keefe said. Left-arm orthodox spinner Stephen O’Keefe will play his second Test and join off-spinner Nathan Lyon in Australia’s first twin spin attack at the SCG since Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill took on South Africa in 2006.

Which, in turn, saw Samuels stranded metres from anywhere as the schoolyard dismissal was completed by ‘keeper Peter Nevill and prompted him to throw back his head, cast an admonishing look at his bewildered partner and saunter off with yet another failure to add to his burgeoning collection.

Spectators received a late Christmas present after rain ruined day two of the third Test between Australia and the West Indies at the SCG – Cricket Australia tweaked its refund policy to give full refunds to all spectators.

“(But) on a first day pitch that spins like that, once we get a score above 300, we put ourselves in a good position”.

The wicket of Jason Holder, who was instinctively caught by Joe Burns at short leg for one off Steve O’Keefe, followed, making Australia end the day as the happier team.

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.

“It is important when we do bowl that we string those dots together, because dot balls can build pressure and that brings wickets”.