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The West Indies find themselves 6/207 and still at the crease after opening the batting on the first day of the Test at the SCG.
REPORT: WEST INDIES BAT, RAIN INTERRUPTS TEST
Kraigg Brathwaite was the best of their batsmen with 85 runs before being bowled by Nathan Lyon and caught by Steve Smith.
When play resumes tomorrow the West Indies will have Denesh Ramdin and Carlos Brathwaite at the crease, who put up 48 runs together before stumps on the first day.
Scores at end of day
Australia yet to bat
West Indies 6/207
With Australia having wrapped up the series in Melbourne, the West Indies only have pride to play for in the final Test in Sydney, but salvaging that pride is of vital importance. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 10am (AEDT).
Australia have lost a total of nine wickets at an average of 131.30 all series, whereas the West Indies wickets have tumbled at an average of 24.31.
It was a series that many predicted would be dominated by the home side, but few expected it to be quite so one-sided.
The Windies have managed pockets of resistance however, with Darren Bravo at the forefront on most of these occasions, having perhaps been the West Indies best player in the first two Tests.
The skill and commitment he displayed at the crease earned him comparisons with the likes of Brian Lara and even Sir Garfield Sobers. But both those men started their careers in far stronger and more experience West Indian sides than Bravo.
Kraigg Brathwaite and Jason Holder have also shown signs of their considerable talent, but with the margin between the teams so pronounced, the West Indies need all-round contributions from their side.
The fact their once-formidable fast-bowling duo of Kemar Roach and Jerome Taylor have only taken two wickets for 448 runs emphasises the West Indies’ need for their veteran players to return.
For Australia, little needs to change. All five primary bowlers are averaging under 30, David Warner holds the side’s lowest batting average at 34.66, while Adam Voges is yet to be dismissed in the series.
Despite this, Australia will go into the Sydney Test with Steve O’Keefe having replaced Peter Siddle, the latter having fitness concerns towards the end of the Melbourne Test.
A decade has passed since Australia played two specialist spin bowlers in Sydney, with Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill, though a young Steve Smith did partner with Michael Beer in 2011.
The reality is that on neither occasion were the spinners particularly successful, despite the Sydney pitch being perceived as good for the tweakers.
Australia’s only real concern is rain scheduled for the first few days of the Test, making the previously unlikely outcome of a draw possible.
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