- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The West Indies begin their tour of Australia with the first Test of the series in Hobart, and you can follow live scores and a blog of the opening day’s action from 10.30 am (AEDT).
AUSTRALIA VS WEST INDIES DAY 2 LIVE BLOG
All the media focus leading up to the series has been on how one-sided these three Tests could potentially turn out to be.
Beating Australia at home hasn’t been the easiest exercise for most teams in recent times but for the West Indies, whose Test cricket ranking has fallen off the cliff following years of poor performances, it borders on the impossible.
The nature of West Indies’ task can be summed up in the following line: the West Indies last won an away series, not counting Bangladesh or Zimbabwe, in 1995.
I rubbed my eyes in disbelief reading that statistic, but that’s how it is and despite what bowling coach Curtly Ambrose has to say about their chances, it will require a series of freak occurrences to give them any hope.
Ambrose wasn’t a happy man in his press conference two days before this opening Test, almost as angry as he was bowling at Steve Waugh on occasions.
He said: “You as reporters have got to report what you see. So I’ve learned over the years to, I won’t say ignore, but know what to take from the reports and what not to take.”
“But we’re going to be focused. We’re not going to worry about what has been said about us not being a good team or not going to compete. At the end of the day when we perform and beat Australia, then the reporters will have to change their tune.”
The West Indies will hope to take some positives from what transpired in the series between these two teams back home in 2012. They still lost that three-match series 2-0, but it got slightly too close for comfort.
In the first Test, the West Indies had made 449 batting first, and Australia chased down the 192 they needed in the final innings for the loss of seven wickets. In the final Test, West Indies fell 75 runs short of the target of 370.
Their showing in their most recent tour game, however, makes it tough to side with their chances. Against a Cricket Australia XI side consisting of greenhorn cricketers, the West Indies were bowled out for 243 and 210 and went down by ten wickets.
But Australia will know better than to take their opponents lightly and that’s more to do with their line-up, which has lost quite a few of their first-choice players from a year ago.
Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Shane Watson, Chris Rogers and Mitchell Johnson have retired, and Mitchell Starc’s injury has left them with Josh Hazlewood, Peter Siddle and James Pattinson to lead the pace bowling department.
That said, Australia are coming off a 2-0 win over New Zealand, and it looked a convincing performance.
David Warner and Steven Smith have continued to carve out the runs as they have done over the last couple of years while Hazlewood’s performance in the Adelaide Test will keep the West Indian batsmen on their toes.
Joe Burns seems to have taken to the opening slot well while Shaun Marsh’s innings during Australia’s chase under the lights in Adelaide helps him retain his place in the side.
There were talks of the pitch being laced with grass a couple of days before the Test, but Bellerive Oval curator Marcus Pamplin said things had been blown out of proportion.
“I think the ball will come right through to the batsmen. It will be pretty tough for the first session, but then it will be a nice batting track. I wouldn’t be surprised if they bat first whoever wins the toss.”
You can follow the live scores and a blog of the first day of this first Test between Australia and the West Indies from 10:30 am (AEDT) and post your comments in the section below.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.