Windies 207-6 at close in third Australia Test

Carlos Brathwaite shone briefly for West Indies however the rain was the one actual victor on Monday as moist climate washed away all however eleven.

O’Keefe will partner front-line spinner Nathan Lyon and the left-arm finger spinner said he was confident the pair could succeed bowling in tandem against the Caribbean tourists.

Australia did not have to wait much for the first wicket as Josh Hazlewood struck in the fifth over.

For West Indies there is pride and a chance to show more of the fighting spirit that stalled Australia’s victory match in the Boxing Day test in Melbourne last weekend. “But we have got loads of good structure around us and support staff and they get us switched on and Smithy (Steven Smith) makes sure that with 10 minutes to go that we’re ready and out there to do a job”.

Two rain delays saw just 75 overs bowled on day one of the New Year Test at the SCG, the visitors reaching 6-207 at stumps.

“Needless to say the summer after that is an Ashes series and probably that just established tradition will continue”.

Samuels, with a wretched 31 runs from four innings in the series, steered Lyon to Hazlewood at point and immediately set off for a non-existent run. Brathwaite, however, caused confusion as he slipped in the middle of the pitch, dropped his bat and scrambled back toward the non-strikers end, leaving Samuels stranded mid-pitch. Darren Bravo’s 33 was a vital contribution, before he was sent packing by James Pattinson.

In the 84th over he twice hit Pattinson for six, the first a towering shot over extra cover and the second powered over backward square leg, with 15 coming off the over in all.

Bravo looked disconsolate at his dismissal on a flat wicket as he made his way from the ground ending a 91-run partnership with Brathwaite and opening up the Windies batting. “Cricket works in Sydney, it works at the Sydney Cricket Ground because we are connected to the CBD and in the heart of the most densely populated suburbs in Australia”. “He’s a great team man and felt he would be letting the team down (if he played)”.

Fellow spinner Steve O’Keefe was brought on for his first bowl in the 27th over to applause from his home SCG crowd.

“I’m trying to think when we’ve had rain like this for a Sydney Test, even when I played”, he said.

It has not gone unnoticed that while an inexperienced test side has succumbed to two heavy defeats on their current tour of Australia, a string of seasoned West Indies players are starring in the local Twenty20 Big Bash League.