Sydney Test day three washed out

The West Indies were 248 for seven at the close after a rain-marred second day of the third Test between Australia and the West Indies in Sydney on Monday.

The hosts had rolled the dice on the twin spin attack at the SCG for the first time in a decade and got their reward when Lyon and O’Keefe got plenty of turn off a straw-coloured wicket.

Nathan Lyon (2 for 68) snared the key wicket of Kraigg Brathwaite in the 62nd over with the opener caught off a top edge by Steve Smith in the slips for an excellent 85. “It’s an opportunity to look at Stephen and see how he goes”.

He failed in farcical fashion looking for a quick single that always looked like a gamble, left stranded when Brathwaite scuttled back to his crease as Peter Nevill broke the stumps.

Play was officially abandoned at 4.35pm as the rain continued to cascade down on Sydney Cricket Ground, with the 14,266 optimistic souls who came through the gates in spite of the gloomy forecast being offered a full refund.

WestIndies made 271 in reply to Australia’s mammoth total as Darren Bravo made 81 off 204 balls with eight fours and Brathwaite scored 59 off 126 balls.

“Peter Siddle’s still a bit sore and he’ll have a rest for a couple of weeks and hopefully get himself right for New Zealand”. The man himself had been inspired by Kevin Pietersen, a batsman of similar reach and a matchless capacity to put a bowler off balance with agile footwork and blazing shots, not all of them in the coaching manual but plenty played with disarming flourish.

Brathwaite was dismissed cheaply by Lyon in both innings during the Boxing Day Test, but fared better on Sunday before falling to the spinner again.

Brathwaite smashed Pattinson over cover for his first powerful blow before flicking another off his pads for an effortless six over backward square leg.

But he said suggestions the series-opener in Brisbane would also be a day-night match were premature.

Shai Hope (9), a late selection for the injured Rajendra Chandrika who injured a groin in the warm-up, was the only wicket to fall in the opening session, caught behind off Josh Hazelwood. Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo is still not fully recovered from a shoulder injury he sustained in the warm-up for the Melbourne Test.

“An early summer day-night Test at Sydney Cricket Ground would have to be a chance to draw a crowd greater than the 44,377 who watched that first day nighter in ’78”.

“But we have got loads of good structure around us and support staff and they get us switched on and Smithy (Steve Smith) makes sure that with 10 minutes to go that we’re ready and out there to do a job”.