Match report
That’s it from us. We’ll be back, of course, for Day 2.
Stumps - Day 1, West Indies 266 for 8
What a remarkable day. West Indies chose to bat and it was a procession just like Adelaide. They were gone at 64 for 5, but then the partnership from Hodge and da Silva revived them, such patience and application combined with skill.
Then late in the evening, Starc and Lyon breaking down those two. Sinclair coming in swinging, looking like the player to counterpunch, then Alzarri Joseph making even Sinclair stand still as he took over the attack.
Three wickets in hand tomorrow, and going by history and the relative ease of batting against the older ball, making 300 here probably won’t be enough. But it would give West Indies a chance to make it enough.
89.4 overs: West Indies 266-8 (Sinclair 16) So, technically, they haven’t quite bowled 90 overs. They started the 90th over, but Hazlewood will have to bowl two more balls of it tomorrow.
That’s stumps.
WICKET! A Joseph c Smith b Hazlewood 32, West Indies 266-8
More amazing than any shot in the last few overs is this: Australia will bowl the full 90 overs in a day. With the extra half hour, admittedly, but even with that they’ve rarely got close in the last few years.
Hazlewood might wish he didn’t have to, because Joseph clears his front leg and slams the first ball over mid off for four. Not timed, it goes high rather than long, but trickles over the rope.
But he’s glad that he got the chance three balls later, as Joseph tries to do the right thing, defends a ball that rears at him, and gives up a big edge to Smith at slip.
89th over: West Indies 262-7 (Sinclair 16, A Joseph 28) Huge swat from Joseph, flaps at a length ball as if to bozo it over cover, but Starc’s bounce clears the bat. Gets the next one though! Flashing square drive for four! Over backward point.
Goes again! Pure luck this time, big outside edge near the toe of the bat and it clears Smith at second slip by a good few metres.
Starc follows up with a top delivery, a touch shorter, that moves away and nearly takes the edge. Has a few words for Joseph too, suggesting that he wasn’t as close to smacking that one. Frustration boils over.
Joseph isn’t worried, he calmly takes a single to square leg from the fifth ball and keeps the strike.
Joseph has 28 from 18 balls!
88th over: West Indies 253-7 (Sinclair 16, A Joseph 19) Another Joseph boundary, all luck this time as he pushes defensively at Cummins and the ball perfectly splits Marsh and Green. It bounces as it reaches the line of the cordon, so neither could have reached it with a dive I don’t think, you can’t dive across and get that low in the split second you have. Joseph follows up with a straight drive, not perfectly timed but he gets three past Cummins, with Hazlewood chasing it. Joseph has racked up 19 in no time.
87th over: West Indies 246-7 (Sinclair 16, A Joseph 12) Full and searching again goes Starc, clipped to midwicket but the fielder is there. Then wild bounce and angle across the right-hander, the ball is arrowing towards Khawaja at first slip when Carey’s glove gets in the way. Slap into the palm.
Doesn’t fuss Sinclair though! As soon as Starc pitches up, Sinclair smokes four. Straight drive, Joseph does the limbo to get out of the way at the far end.
86th over: West Indies 242-7 (Sinclair 12, A Joseph 12) Cummins on to bowl, and Joseph takes him for another boundary, gliding between slip and gully from back of a length. Then Cummins gives away four more with swing down the leg side, that ball swerves! Carey has no chance, rude to call those byes against the keeper’s name. Feeling good, Joseph check-drives the last ball of the set for four over mid off! On the up, hits it with a blade angled up at the sky. Runs.
Not many Cummins overs go for 13.
85th over: West Indies 229-7 (Sinclair 11, A Joseph 4) No change in the batting order from Adelaide, thus far. Alzarri Joseph keeps his ranking above his namesake Shamar Joseph. And perhaps justifies that spot with an on drive from Starc for four!
WICKET! Hodge c Smith b Starc 71, West Indies 225-7
Mitchell Starc with the new ball will not be denied! You feel for Hodge, he has played so well, but Starc can be irresistible. He has sprayed the ball around in the last few overs but when he gets it right, there is danger. Good length this ball, swinging into the right hander, he has to follow the movement to protect his pads, but the ball straightens off the seam and goes on straight. That means it takes the edge to slip. You can’t do much better in playing that.
84th over: West Indies 225-6 (Hodge 71, Sinclair 11) Early run for Hodge square on the leg side, and now Sinclair has to face Hazlewood. The Windies debutant is doing a lot of the work! But he gets through the over, and nearly beats Green in the gully for more runs steered away.
83rd over: West Indies 224-6 (Hodge 70, Sinclair 11) Freakish fielding from Green as per, plucks a one-hander on the bounce after Sinclair smacks a cut shot into the ground. Another appeal turned down by Nitin Menon as Starc swings the ball into Sinclair’s ankle, the batter overbalancing towards the off side as he tries to play across it, but again it’s too close to leg stump when it starts swinging in. Actually hit him outside leg stump on the ball-tracker. Starc gets the line right next ball, but not quite full enough, and Sinclair can keep it out. Gets smashed on the pads again two balls later, after one goes past his edge. Quite the over.
82nd over: West Indies 224-6 (Hodge 70, Sinclair 11) Josh Hazlewood to partner Starc with the new globe. Sinclair faces up. Guides it for four! Plays it late and with touch, that’s a good shot even though the cordon is stacked, it’s right down into the ground and skips through the serried catchers.
Follows with a single in front of point, again just placing the ball. This is good batting. Hodge drives but finds the man at extra.
81st over: West Indies 219-6 (Hodge 70, Sinclair 6) Shiny pink Kookaburra. What a concept. Starc gives Sinclair one let-off, shaping down the leg side. No such luck with the swinging yorker, but it’s just going down leg and Umpire Menon says sorry mate. Sinclair wore that on the toe. Mouth open as Starc runs in, then closes it as he gets ready to play. And he escapes! Squeezes a full ball out to leg and hustles through.
Forty minutes for Hodge to negotiate. Starc sends a huge full toss down, high and wide off off stump, it pitches halfway to Carey. The next one only pitches a metre or two behind the stumps. Gets the length right at last and Hodge keeps it out.
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80th over: West Indies 218-6 (Hodge 70, Sinclair 5) Backing away to make room, Sinclair smacks Lyon through the covers and races back for a third run as Cummins tracks back. Hodge is content with the forward defence. Just keeps out a skidder. No more runs before the new ball.
79th over: West Indies 215-6 (Hodge 70, Sinclair 2) It’s still Head bowling, and Sinclair wants to hit him, flat-batting to mid on, leading edge to cover, can’t score. Fishes and misses a couple of times, looks very unsure. But gets another run last ball of the over, backing away to cut off his stumps. Dicey stuff.
78th over: West Indies 214-6 (Hodge 70, Sinclair 1) So it’s a high-stakes entry on debut for Kevin Sinclair, the spinning all-rounder who can bat fairly well. Gets his first run in Test cricket by pressing the ball into the covers and sprinting.
WICKET! da Silva lbw Lyon 79, West Indies 213-6
Forget the new ball! Nathan Lyon does it as he has so many times before: around the wicket to a right-hander, drifting across to pitch in line with the stumps, straightening down that line, and rapping the pads in front. Joshua da Silva misses his attempted shovel to leg and he’s a dead duck. He reviews it but that was never missing anything. Top of middle and off stumps.
Fine innings through from the West Indies keeper, he has saved the day.
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77th over: West Indies 213-5 (Hodge 70, da Silva 79) Head continues, around the wicket, moustache bristling. Drops pretty short, Hodge swings at it, misses out on a fresh pie down the leg side. Smith was interested in whether Hodge had gloved it. Carey wasn’t. No touch. Three singles from the over though.
76th over: West Indies 210-5 (Hodge 69, da Silva 77) A couple of singles from Lyon. The new ball, and how this pair handle it, is the key to this innings now.
75th over: West Indies 208-5 (Hodge 68, da Silva 76) It was indeed two and done for Starc, with Travis Head coming on. Six overs before the new ball. One hour left to bowl tonight, which means about half an hour with the new one given Australia’s over rate. Theoretically they’re supposed to bowl 16 in the next 30 minutes, but even with the added half hour they won’t get those.
No undue hesitation from da Silva against the part-timer. Lines up a few powerful drives, two runs from the first, four when he belts straight through mid off, none when he finds cover, four when he goes straight of that fielder into the gap.
Ten from the over, the Windies are past 200, and this stand is worth 144!
74th over: West Indies 198-5 (Hodge 68, da Silva 66) Finally, an easy one for Hodge: short from Lyon and able to be helped on its way behind point by the swivelling batter. Singles to follow.
73rd over: West Indies 192-5 (Hodge 63, da Silva 65) Another stroke of luck for Hodge! Inside edge this time, Starc finding the thick edge as Hodge is too late in trying to leave, but it goes past his leg stump. Gets off strike, da Silva rotates strike again immediately, to point. Hodge is able to reciprocate to midwicket, then da Silva laces a ball to end the over, but his drive is straight at the cover fielder.
72nd over: West Indies 189-5 (Hodge 61, da Silva 64) Lyon bowling his 18th, and Hodge is able to get a single at last, pushed to cover. No such problems for da Silva, doing it comfortably. The partnership is 125. Drinks.
71st over: West Indies 187-5 (Hodge 60, da Silva 63) Interesting that Starc is coming back now, rather than waiting a few overs to at least split his spell with the new ball. Maybe he’ll just bowl a couple and then wait? If he bowls through from here he will have bowled five overs by the time the new one is due.
But! It nearly works! Dropped by Green! A real fingertipper in the gully. Green’s balance isn’t moving the right way, his left leg collapses underneath him as he tries to get across, rather than taking off from his left leg. He’s pushing from his right foot. So as he dives to his left, his arm is reaching but his feet haven’t pushed him far enough across. Touches the ball, which no other player would have, but only just.
Only one slip and the gully.
70th over: West Indies 184-5 (Hodge 59, da Silva 61) Lyon hunts for that outside edge to Hodge. Josh da Silva has been collecting singles really well the last few overs, just keeps ticking. Hodge can’t find the gaps as easily against Lyon.
69th over: West Indies 183-5 (Hodge 59, da Silva 60) More defending, more dodging, then Hodge finishes the over perfectly. Too full from Cummins, Hodge steps into it and checks his cover drive, no follow through to speak of, just holds the bat in that pose for a couple of satisfying seconds as he watches the ball speed for four. Gallops down the pitch in excitement to chat to his partner at the end of the over.
68th over: West Indies 178-5 (Hodge 55, da Silva 59) I reckon Hodge is tiring. He’s keeping the ball out but doesn’t seem to have much of a plan for how to score. He’s vocal though, chatting to himself as he punches Lyon to cover for none.
67th over: West Indies 177-5 (Hodge 55, da Silva 58) A really tight over from Cummins, hard on the stumps. There’s not much going for the bowlers though, no swing and precious little seam. They’re still 13 overs from the new ball, it’s a bit too far away to be playing for that.
66th over: West Indies 176-5 (Hodge 55, da Silva 57) Looking comfortable against the spin, da Silva drives Lyon for one down the ground. Hodge is being very decisive with his footwork and determined in defence, looks very suspicious of everything in that over.
65th over: West Indies 175-5 (Hodge 55, da Silva 56) Edged by Hodge! But Cummins no longer has a second slip. Smith flies across but it’s too wide for even one of his trademark right-handed hangers. Hodge has earned that gap in the cordon by batting for this long. Gets four. Smith moves wider in the cordon.
Stokes out for 70 in India, England 246, and Tom Hartley has just been launches for two sixes in his first over in Test cricket.
64th over: West Indies 171-5 (Hodge 51, da Silva 56) Hodge has been quiet since reaching 50, but after da Silva turns over strike he heaves at a pull shot when Lyon drops short. Only one.
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63rd over: West Indies 169-5 (Hodge 50, da Silva 55) Cummins is back. It’s logical but it’s also kind of crazy that Australia’s bowling attack tonight is made up of the four highest wicket-takers in day-night Tests.
Starc has 64, Lyon 38, Cummins 34 and Hazlewood 33.
A run for da Silva behind point, worked away.
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62nd over: West Indies 168-5 (Hodge 50, da Silva 54) Steps right back, does da Silva, to work Lyon off his pads and down past short leg to rotate strike. Lyon wicketless having conceded 43 runs into his 13th over. A good ball next up, slipping on past the outside edge as Hodge pushes. Lyon is over the wicket for that line. The pink ball shining in the spotlights. It does tend to skid at night, we’ve seen him take quick wickets in these evening sessions before.
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61st over: West Indies 167-5 (Hodge 50, da Silva 53) Once more the pull shot, Green the bowler this time as da Silva places it better in front of square and picks up two. It’s not exactly a worry for Australia yet, they would be confident of cleaning up the remaining batters for about 50 more runs should a wicket fall. But if these two get the score to 200 they will at least have something to work with. Another pull, another run, this time behind square.
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60th over: West Indies 164-5 (Hodge 50, da Silva 50) Matching fifties, and in mathematically apt style that raises a century partnership for the pair. Lyon comes back on, Joshua da Silva drives him with restraint through the covers for four, placement more than power, to move to 49, then turns a run square for the milestone. His fourth in Tests, plus one ton.
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Half century! Hodge 50 from 118 balls
59th over: West Indies 159-5 (Hodge 50, da Silva 45) Green bowls outside off stump, and Hodge reaches his first Test fifty in fortuitous style! Only playing his second Test of course, debuted in Adelaide. Not a young player but inexperienced at this level. Drives at Green and gets a thick edge but it dies in front of Marsh at gully, giving him an awkward half volley that he deflects for a run. Then Green angles in and moves the ball away, beating the edge nicely.
Stokes and Leach batting together in Hyderabad. Seen that one before.
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58th over: West Indies 157-5 (Hodge 49, da Silva 44) Hodge wants a run as he shovels Hazlewood towards mid on, da Silva says no. Nicely flicks the yorker next ball though behind square for one. Another pull for da Silva, to deep square, one more. Smart cricket from Hodge then as he waits for a slower ball and times his drive through cover, three runs. That’s the one that sits forward in Hazlewood’s fingers and just floats out at low speed. Back to full pace and da Silva defends.
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57th over: West Indies 152-5 (Hodge 45, da Silva 43) Furious with himself, da Silva! Swishes his hands at a good lifter from Green, similar to the Starc ball that sucked in Hodge earlier. The bounce takes it over the edge of the slightly angled bat, and luck goes with West Indies on that one. But da Silva is tilting his head back and yelling in frustration before the ball even reaches the keeper’s gloves. Keeps out an underpitched yorker attempt unconvincingly, leading edge back down the pitch. Nearly gets runs from the last ball, guides it sweetly behind point, but Marsh at gully flies across and takes it one-handed, and Green pretends to celebrate a wicket. It was on the bounce. Great fielding though. Scoreless over.
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56th over: West Indies 152-5 (Hodge 45, da Silva 43) Hazlewood goes searching with the yorker, trying to burrow through but Hodge gets down and keeps it out as it angles in. Similar shot next ball. Hazlewood has a 5-4 field only slightly in favour of the odd side, so that suggests he’ll target the stumps. Hodge gets a thick outside edge along the ground to gully but can’t score, a loud “Wait!”
Two out for the hook, plus a midwicket and mid on, but he manages to get the next ball squarer and take a run. Same line of attack to da Silva, same scoring method.
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55th over: West Indies 150-5 (Hodge 44, da Silva 42) Beautiful sunset over the Gabba now, suitably mango coloured and vibrant for Queensland. No doubt about da Silva’s next shot, as he punches Green behind point for four, fine of Lyon at backward. Green’s bouncers have had no menace today, he loops another one well over the batter’s height, and wide of off stump.
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54th over: West Indies 146-5 (Hodge 44, da Silva 38) My nerves can’t take this. Hazlewood opening up after the break, drops short, da Silva pulls again. Every time he plays that shot it’s anxiety inducing. Plays that one well though, only gets one run for it with the fielder back square. Risk-reward doesn’t tally for me, for a guy who got out cheaply twice to the shot in Adelaide.
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Meanwhile in Hyderabad, England are currently 215 for 8, with Ben Stokes partway into a decent innings and Mark Wood offering support. We’ve got coverage of that one for you too.
Tea or dinner or whatever we call it - West Indies 145 for 5
A great recovery from this pair. They’ve put on 81 together now, been disciplined for the most part against the faster bowlers, they’ve picked off scoring chances when those have come along, and they’ve dug their team out of real trouble at 64 for 5.
Of course it still won’t be much of a score if these two fall soon after the break, so they have to reset themselves for another session of batting after this.
53rd over: West Indies 145-5 (Hodge 44, da Silva 37) The cliches of captaincy. Get a part-time spinner on for one over before a break. Marnus on his home ground sets his field meticulously. A half ring on the off side. Deep point, two deep on the leg side, with a mid on and a slip.
Gets a bit of turn, Marnus, but too short and whipped square by da Silva for a run. Hodge wants to cut but the bounce fools him, under edge. Leaves the next, a solid leg break that dips and spins from a good length. Defends one floated towards the toes, and another. That is that.
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52nd over: West Indies 144-5 (Hodge 44, da Silva 36) Bustling up, Cummins, in what should be the last over before the second break. Hodge leaves, leaves, sways away from the short ball like a tree in high wind. Then gets forward and drives the overpitched ball for four! A low full toss by the time he makes contact, decisive footwork. Classy.
We’ll get one more over. Labuschagne.
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51st over: West Indies 140-5 (Hodge 40, da Silva 36) Gorgeous from Hodge! Gets the fuller ball and drives it sweetly down the ground, right past the bowler’s boots for four. Goes back ahead of his partner on the scoreboard.
Gorgeous from Starc in the comeback delivery, getting one to left from a length and deck away. Hodge can’t resist following it, has to play the initial line and then his gloves are pulled magnetically to following it. Luckily for him there’s no edge. Mistimes a drive next ball but clunkily hits through extra cover for a run, straight of the fielder.
Joshua da Silva can’t help a hook shot but misses it. Wish he would put that away.
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50th over: West Indies 135-5 (Hodge 35, da Silva 36) A tight leave from Hodge facing Cummins, could have been curtains had that ball decked in as Cummins deliveries on that line are wont to do. Hodge leaves as many as he can, ducks the bouncer, and jams out a single to leg from the last ball. This is great temperament so far.
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49th over: West Indies 134-5 (Hodge 34, da Silva 36) Much more circumspect over for da Silva facing Starc after Hodge drives a single.
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48th over: West Indies 133-5 (Hodge 33, da Silva 36) Cummins gets himself back on. This is the danger point for West Indies, so often he’s the one to get a wicket on returning. Keeps low and hits da Silva on the gloves trying to pull, down into the ground, da Silva has to come down on the ball. Then he’s hit in the solar plexus, ball jagging back in. Drops to his knees for a moment, Cummins just turns and walks back to bowl. Finally da Silva gets onto a pull shot square, though it only brings him one. Hodge gets one squeezed off his pad via the edge.
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47th over: West Indies 131-5 (Hodge 32, da Silva 35) Now suddenly da Silva is off and going again. Starc comes on and the bowling change suits him, driving an overpitched delivery first up for four, then driving for two more thanks to an overthrow that followed a slow first run. He forces one more off the back foot through cover, a productive over and he’s gone past Hodge’s score. The stand is worth 67.
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46th over: West Indies 124-5 (Hodge 32, da Silva 28) Just the one from Lyon, da Silva finally moving off 27 with a leg-side nudge.
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45th over: West Indies 123-5 (Hodge 32, da Silva 27) Green bowls on as evening encroaches, Hodge happy to prop forward and block. The sun is close to dipping behind the roof of the stadium. The whole playing surface is in shadow now, just some of the seats getting some final golden rays. Mitch Marsh is back on the field after going off earlier. Hodge thinks about hooking a bouncer but bails out, huge lift from Green going miles over the bat. No run from the over.
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44th over: West Indies 123-5 (Hodge 32, da Silva 27) Lyon to continue, over the wicket to the right-handed Hodge, giving them some loop. Hodge is respectful when the line is straighter, but when Lyon slips too wide he throws the bat and strikes it square through point for four. Lyon switches to around the wicket immediately, wanting to keep that suffocating line at the stumps. Slip, leg slip, short leg waiting as Hodge drives a run to long on.
Another position passed on now that David Warner is gone: it’s now the age of Two Hats Khawaja. He’s doing it his own way, wearing Alex Carey’s cap backwards over his own cap with the brim forwards, as Carey dons the helmet keeping up to the stumps.
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43rd over: West Indies 118-5 (Hodge 27, da Silva 27) Green is just placing the ball outside off stump at the moment, well fielded by Lyon at point diving across after da Silva’s back-foot punch. That’s after a bouncer gets called wide for height. It’s the only run from the over.
The crowd figure is given as 22,398 – a Gabba record for Day 1 against West Indies.
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42nd over: West Indies 117-5 (Hodge 27, da Silva 27) Thanks Jim. This is a nice recovery for the Windies now, the partnership up to 53 as Hodge back-cuts Lyon to the rope after a couple of singles.
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41st over: West Indies 111-5 (Hodge 22, da Silva 26) No wickets for Green so his solo celebration will have to wait. Loins girded for that one. A couple of runs to Da Silva and my work here is done, Geoff Lemon is here to guide you into the gloaming…
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40th over: West Indies 109-5 (Hodge 22, da Silva 24) Lyon whirls away after drinks. Da Silva tucks him down to mid-on for a single. Ah, now Cameron Green is coming into the attack. He’s got the ’rona poor chap and must be having a weird experience out there as he’s doing some half impression of isolating whilst very much playing in a Test match. If he gets a wicket he’ll be left to celebrate on his toddle?
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39th over: West Indies 107-5 (Hodge 21, da Silva 23) A fifth maiden for Hazlewood, Da Silva reining in his attacking attentions and showcasing some stout defence. Shadows getting chunkier at the Gabba and it is time for a drink.
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38th over: West Indies 107-5 (Hodge 21, da Silva 23) Two runs off Lyon. This has been a battling last hour for West Indies.
Stokes, Foakes and Woke. #AUSvWI #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/RDW16EWDBs
— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) January 25, 2024
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37th over: West Indies 105-5 (Hodge 20, da Silva 21) Hazlewood stitches together his fourth maiden. He has 1-14 from his ten overs. My front room is slightly more eventful as the toddler refuses to put trousers on and starts a a bare buttocked stomp of protest. Such fun.
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36th over: West Indies 105-5 (Hodge 20, da Silva 22) Double change – Nathan Lyon is summoned for a sundown twirl. A slip, leg slip, and a short leg crowding the bat. Da Silva rocks back in his crease and flicks a single.
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35th over: West Indies 104-5 (Hodge 20, da Silva 21) Hazlewood returns and is miserly as per. Da Silva takes on a short ball but doesn’t get a good piece of it, the ball dropping in the turf and allowing a single to be scampered.
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34th over: West Indies 103-5 (Hodge 20, da Silva 19) Just a single off Marsh. Sun beginning to bid farewell in Brisbane. The bins are being emptied in the murk outside my window in London. I’m glad I’m not me.
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Over in Hyderabad… play that Jonny!
An absolute beauty from Axar Patel to dismiss Jonny Bairstow!#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/GJHXhTvQqv
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) January 25, 2024
33rd over: West Indies 101-5 (Hodge 20, da Silva 19) Cummins is going to go for some shock and awe, but with three fielders placed out on the rope the former is pretty well signposted. One particularly wild delivery is just hauled in by Alex Carey above his head and called a wide by the umpire. If West Indies can deprive Australia of wickets and build partnerships then they can frustrate and build a semi-decent total. At the minute they are still in the skittling danger zone. Hodge drives for two to bring the ton up for West Indies.
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32nd over: West Indies 97-5 (Hodge 18, da Silva 18) Marsh thunders in, he’s one of life’s reluctant bowlers, somewhere in the mould of Jacques Kallis. I think he admitted as much when he was mic’d up during the Adelaide Test. He gives it his all though and is on the moolah from the off. Da Silva works off his pads for a single, the only action of the over.
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31st over: West Indies 96-5 (Hodge 18, da Silva 17) Cummins reels off his eight over, he hasn’t been as dangerous as Starc and Hazlewood so far today. Still, he’s tidy enough, just a single off the over as the shadows begin to elongate across the outfield. Mitch Marsh and his splendidly feathered mullet are coming on for a bowl.
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30th over: West Indies 95-5 (Hodge 18, da Silva 16) More positive intent from West Indies after the break, they are having a decent thirty minutes here. Starc slams one into the middle of the pitch and Hodge decides to take it on, getting the swivel pull out and executing it very well – the ball soaring into the coloured seats. Sixer!
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29th over: West Indies 87-5 (Hodge 11, da Silva 15) QuickDaSilva! Back to back boundaries for the keeper-batter, off Pat Cummins no less. A bouncer is smashed away on the pull shot and the following full ball is driven powerfully back down the ground for four more. Counterpunch, lovely stuff.
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28th over: West Indies 79-5 (Hodge 11, da Silva 7) Mitch Starc nearly adds to his haul – Hodge fences at a steepling ball and just manages to get it wide of the gargantuan Green in the gully and away for four. Cummins has put two slips and two gullies in place and Hodge plops one just short of the latter – another short ball – another spliced edge but somehow lands safe.
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27th over: West Indies 72-5 (Hodge 3, da Silva 6) Pat Cummins hurtles in to Da Silva who goes back and across and gets a thick edge wide of Green prowling in the gully. The visitors pick up three runs.
More good news from Brisbane, with now only a 40% chance of rain on Saturday and the estimated rainfall amount for Sunday decreasing. Should be plenty of time for a result. It wasn’t looking good earlier in the week. #ausvwi
— Rory Burnside (@RoryBurnside) January 25, 2024
The forecasters piling in on West Indies now too is it?
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26th over: West Indies 69-5 (Hodge 5, da Silva 3) Here come the players after some scran – Mitch Starc has four balls left in the over. West Indies need their tail to wag like a happily hopped up Hungarian Puli. Joshua da Silva is the new batter and he’s off the mark right away with a lean into the covers. Starc goes full off the next ball and Da Silva mis-times a drive down the ground but still comes back for two.
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Lunch/tea time reading/plugging:
“Not right away of course, but the game had him in its clutches. Anyone who has ever tossed themselves an apple from the fruit bowl and imagined that they’ve just held a skier at the SCG or spun a nectarine from one hand to the other a la Shane Warne at the top of his mark will recognise what came next. Joseph bowled with anything he could get his hands on. At first this was lemons, limes and guava, later it was ad hoc games with a ball made of tightly wound tape.”
Arf Arf.
Imagine what his average would be if he wasn't so bloody woke, though. https://t.co/Je2KNmNsEV
— Dave Tickner (@tickerscricket) January 25, 2024
Right, I’ll be back soon. Time to get my Catherine Zeta Jones in Entrapment* on and sneak past my sleeping toddler’s bedroom to brew some strong coffee. Wish me luck.
Feel free to drop me a line if you are tuning in. We might well be here for a good time rather than a long time judging by the last few hours. I’m on email and Twitter/ X and will have a sift through the OBO mailbag ‘pon my caffeinated return.
*Whaddya mean that’s not a very current pop culture reference?
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Afternoon Tea/Dinner Break - West Indies 64-5
Pat Cummins, sporting Judge Dredd style shades, gives a brief interview whilst leaving the pitch. Fair to say he’s pleased with the last few hours’ work. He’s full of praise for Mr 350 – Mitchell Starc:
350, that’s a lot. He was so impressive there. He is the most resilient bowler, always wants to play, even sometimes when he shouldn’t”
WICKET! Greaves c Khawaja b Starc 6 (West Indies 64-5)
Starc has another on the stroke of the afternoon tea break! Greaves offering a low edge that is well scooped by Khawaja at first slip. That’s five edges and five catches in the first session and Australia stride off the Gabba turf in full control of this match. The visitors will have to dig in under lights (if they even make it to sun down) later on to make a fist of this.
Photograph: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images
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25th over: West Indies 64-4 (Hodge 3, Greaves 6) Josh Hazlewood would have had his fourth maiden of the morning but for overstepping with his size 11s to give away a no ball. He has 1-13 off his eight overs so far. Tidy.
24th over: West Indies 63-4 (Hodge 3, Greaves 6) West Indies really can’t afford to lose another before the interval, they’ve got a couple of overs to cling on. They’ve still got the tricky gloaming period to encounter a bit later on too. Greaves eases a couple in front of point off Starc.
23rd over: West Indies 61-4 (Hodge 3, Greaves 4) Hazelwood. You guessed it. Maiden.
350 magic moments* for Mitchell Starc:
It is always so good to see Starc do well. Man prioritizes test cricket, despite being a white ball monster💛
— 🔁 (@Tutterdotcom) January 25, 2024
350 test wickets 🚀#AUSvWI #AUSvsWI https://t.co/y3y96aLef8
*One for the Perry Como ultras out there.
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22nd over: West Indies 61-4 (Hodge 3, Greaves 4) Justin Greaves - a fellow debutant with Shamar Joseph at Adelaide – joins Hodge in the middle. Shot! Greaves plays the shot of the morning so far to his very first ball, driving Starc elegantly through the covers for an emphatic four. Starc has a rueful grin on his face, he takes his baggy green from the umpire and lomps down to fine leg where he receives a hearty cheer from the Gabba faithful.
WICKET! Alick Athanaze c Carey b Starc 8 (West Indies 57-4)
Mitch Starc racks up his 350th Test wicket! Alick Athanaze the unfortunate milestone man, prodding at a length ball and getting a big ol’ snick through to Carey. The Aussie players mob Starc, a lovely moment for the big leftie.
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21st over: West Indies 57-3 (Athanaze 8, Hodge 3) Josh Hazlewood is a master. He puts together a devilish maiden, targeting pads, stumps and the outside edge. Giving Hodge’s technique the interrogation treatment.
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2oth over: West Indies 57-3 (Athanaze 8, Hodge 3) Kavem Hodge arrives in the middle. Hello Gruesome. Starc says g’day with a brutish short ball. Hodge leaves the next and then gets off the mark with a nice push down the ground for three.
Dawn starting to creak here in London. “I could pass for seventeen if I just get a shave and catch some Z’s”
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WICKET! Chanderpaul c Smith b Starc 21 (West Indies 54-3)
You edge it we’ll catch it! Starc draws Chanderpaul into fencing at a ball he perhaps could have left, on that nagging length just outside off stump. The knick is taken and swallowed by the assured palms of Steve Smith in the slips. Could this be the beginning of some real strife for the visitors? Nervy twenty minutes or so incoming.
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19th over: West Indies 54-2 (Chanderpaul 21, Athanaze 8) Josh Hazlewood replaces Cummins, he’s looked the most dangerous bowler for the home side in the early exchanges this afternoon. Yep, he squares Athanaze up on the crease and takes the edge of his splice, fortunately for the batter the nick is meaty enough to fly wide of the slips and away for four. Mitch Starc is going to replace Lyon for a burst before lunch/tea/whatever.
18th over: West Indies 49-2 (Chanderpaul 20, Athanaze 4) Lyon joins five dots together to Athanaze after Chanderpaul clips a single off the first ball.
Classic from K O'Keefe re Lyon bowling to both Chanderpauls. He's bowled to the father and the son. Next stop is the Holy Ghost #AUSvWI
— Where's my blue tick? (@RMalacari) January 25, 2024
17th over: West Indies 48-2 (Chanderpaul 19, Athanaze 4) Athanaze is into his work, picking up two with a clip through midwicket and another couple into the off side off with a watchful drive. Hmmm – nothing watchful about that – A full blooded cut attempted to a ball that is too close to the body. The ball flies past the edge and the slips let out a collective groan.
16th over: West Indies 42-2 (Chanderpaul 18, Athanaze 0) Lyon keeps the pressure on and rattles through his over. Just a single to Chanderpaul into the covers.
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15th over: West Indies 42-2 (Chanderpaul 17, Athanaze 0) Yeeesh – Cummins nearly gets new man Alick Athanaze first ball! A fast delivery zips off the pitch and takes the thigh pad rather than bat, ballooning to the Covid beleaguered Green in the gully.
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WICKET! McKenzie c Khawaja b Cummins 21 (West Indies 42-2)
Have some of that! Cummins goes too full and McKenzie greets it with a flowing blade, driving through cover for four. Now now Kirk… McKenzie plays an audacious back foot slash at the next ball and is well beaten. GONE! A slash to a back of a length delivery and a sharp grab by Khawaja to his right at first slip. West Indies lose their second of the morning.
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14th over: West Indies 38-1 (Chanderpaul 17, McKenzie 17) Cat and mouse stuff between Lyon and McKenzie. The GOAT beats the outside edge with one that straightens sharply and McKenzie decides attack might be the best form of defence, sweeping the next ball away for four and flicking off his toes to collect a couple more.
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13th over: West Indies 31-1 (Chanderpaul 17, McKenzie 10) Cummins drops short and wide, Chanderpaul pounces and cuts away behind square for four. Big Pat chastises himself and comes back over the wicket. Chanderpaul plays late and glides for two to point. First hour done in Brisbane, time for a drink.
12th over: West Indies 25-1 (Chanderpaul 11, McKenzie 10) Now then! McKenzie sees Lyon drop the ball on a length and decides to have a piece of it. He gets a big piece! Lofting the ball high and proud into the stands for SIX. The visitors getting some momentum into the early stages of their innings now after the loss of Brathwaite.
11th over: West Indies 19-1 (Chanderpaul 11, McKenzie 4) Shot! West Indies hit back after a quiet start – Chanderpaul unfurling a lovely on drive off a Cummins half volley, the ball tracing across the baize and away for four through mid on.
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10th over: West Indies 15-1 (Chanderpaul 7, McKenzie 4) A double change as Nathan Lyon replaces Hazlewood. Slip and a short leg in place, Lyon bounds in, shades on and the sun bouncing off his pate. Close! He takes the edge of McKenzie’s bat but the ball flies wide of Steve Smith’s grabbers and away for four welcome runs to West Indies.
First boundary of the Gabba Test arrives in the 10th over. A somewhat different tempo to Hyderabad #AUSvWI
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) January 25, 2024
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9th over: West Indies 9-1 (Chanderpaul 5, McKenzie) Captain Cummins replaces Starc. He’s around the wicket with three slips and a gully. There’s no let up in this Aussie bowling attack. Cummins bookends the over by beating the outside edge.
“Hi James”
Hello to you Rohan O’Farell!
“Loving this coming on today, the house is full of family hunkering down waiting for the cyclone to appear! Space in front of the TV (and decision making rights on what to watch) are at a premium. Hope the West Indies can post something approaching competitive that makes for a contest.”
Here’s hoping Rohan, and also that the gnarly weather passes you by. Glad to have you on board with us.
8th over: West Indies 9-1 (Chanderpaul 5, McKenzie) A wicket maiden for Hazlewood and first blood to Australia. Kirk Mckenzie arrives at the crease and survives the rest of the over.
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WICKET! Brathwaite c Carey b Hazlewood 4 (West Indies 9-1)
It was coming… Brathwaite plays a half hearted drive to a Hazlewood stock delivery and serves only to feather an edge through to Carey behind the sticks! The pressure told in the end, seventeen dots in a row for the Windies skipper preceded his demise.
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7th over: West Indies 9-0 (Brathwaite 4, Chanderpaul 5) The pressure cooker starts to hiss as Starc sends down another maiden. Something’s gotta give soon.
6th over: West Indies 9-0 (Brathwaite 4, Chanderpaul 5) A one handed slice through point brings Chanderpaul three runs. Hazlewood tests out the middle of the pitch and the ball steeples onto the splice as Brathwaite gets in behind it well enough.
5th over: West Indies 6-0 (Brathwaite 4, Chanderpaul 2) Just a single off Starc’s third over as Chanderpaul drives compactly into the off side. Starc responds by whipping one past his outside edge.
Get the Ferrero Rocher’s out – Don of the OBOs Rob Smyth is over on the other channel calling the early knockings between India and England. Knockings it is too – out of the corner of me peeper I can see Crawley and Duckett giving it some tap in Hyderabad. Yes you can have a quick squizz… as long as you promise to come back – I’ve a feeling this one is going to liven up soon.
4th over: West Indies 5-0 (Brathwaite 4, Chanderpaul 1) Australia burn a review hoping that Brathwaite got a tickle down the leg side to Alex Carey off Hazlewood. No dice – the ball clipped the hip not the blade. Chanderpaul opens his account with a plinked edge into the leg side. Fidgety stuff so far from the visitors but they are unscathed.
3rd over: West Indies 4-0 (Brathwaite 4, Chanderpaul 0) Brathwaite plays and misses at another full ball and then squirts an edge from a back of length ball that doesn’t carry to third slip. Starc stitches together a maiden – his pink ball record is exemplary: 61 wickets @ a lick over 18s. When those floodlights come on later he’ll be licking his lips once more.
2nd over: West Indies 4-0 (Brathwaite 4, Chanderpaul 0) Cripes! The first ball from Josh Hazlewood thuds into Brathwaite’s front pad and is given out by the on field umpire but the decision is overturned. There was a sizeable inside edge. Jittery start for the visitors and the officials. My oh my. Next ball Brathwaite aims a booming drive but connects only with the Brisbane breeze. Settle down now. A clip to leg brings a couple to the Windies skipper and he pokes to mid-on for a single to keep the strike. The ball is zipping through off the surface, don’t go anywhere.
Although already having one shocker - Hope Shahid Saikat has a strong test as the first Bangladeshi umpire to stand in a test in Australia and second overall to stand internationally #AUSvWI
— Joshy (@the_joshy_boy) January 25, 2024
It was a bit of a shocker. Umpires have nerves/feelings too you know.
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1st over: West Indies 1-0 (Brathwaite 1, Chanderpaul 0) Starc steams in with the afternoon sun on his back and there is sizeable movement from the off! The pink ball hooping and decking off a full length. Brathwaite knocks into the off side for a single and Chanderpaul does well to survive the rest of a probing over. This won’t be easy for the visitors.
Play is imminent. Just time for me to brew something dark and heavily caffeinated. The clock ticking round to 4am here in a black treacle skied south London. Mitchell Starc has the shiny pink orb in his south paw…
The players emerge onto the Gabba outfield for the anthems – poor Cameron Green has tested positive for covid but is still allowed to play, albeit he’s being made to keep his distance. ENTER JOKE HERE.
Cameron Green keeping his distance #AUSvWI pic.twitter.com/YNskbRXDKR
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) January 25, 2024
Here he is looking completely normal and at ease the toss.
A big first hour coming up for Kraigg Brathwaite, the skipper will stride out with his opening partner Tagenarine Chanderpaul very shortly and will be hoping to set a solid platform. I enjoyed this footage of him getting in the zone last night:
Captain cool Kraigg Brathwaite getting in the zone in the middle of the Gabba with some elite shadow batting #AUSvWI pic.twitter.com/iM52tGMJ3y
— Josh Schönafinger (@joshschon) January 24, 2024
Some pre first ball reading:
Forgive the self plugging, I’ll crawl back under my bushel immediately. Shamar Joseph’s story is one to savour and his debut performance last week in Adelaide was a stirring one.
Joseph’s journey to that moment on the green turf of the Adelaide Oval is barely believable. Here’s a kid from the tiny remote village of Baracara in deepest Guyana, its population of about 350 people were isolated from much of the wider world until five years ago when mobile and internet coverage arrived. As a child, Joseph had happened upon some footage of Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh doing their thing on a black and white TV and it changed his life.
Not right away of course, but the game had him in its clutches. Anyone who has ever tossed themselves an apple from the fruit bowl and imagined that they’ve just held a skier at the SCG or spun a nectarine from one hand to the other a la Shane Warne at the top of his mark will recognise what came next. Joseph bowled with anything he could get his hands on. At first this was lemons, limes and guava, later it was ad hoc games with a ball made of tightly wound tape.”
Teams: Australia unchanged, Kevin Sinclair given a Test debut for West Indies.
Australia Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
West Indies Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Kevin Sinclair, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Shamar Joseph
Windies legend Carl Hooper presents Kevin Sinclair with cap No.338 #AUSvWI @cricketcomau pic.twitter.com/u0wqBy2kPJ
— Josh Schönafinger (@joshschon) January 25, 2024
Toss - West Indies win the toss and will bat first
Kraigg Brathwaite calls the coin correctly and decides to have first use of the facilities. The pitch isn’t as green in hue as it looked a day or so ago. He’ll be willing his side to knuckle down and post a competitive first innings score, give the Aussies something to think about.
As pitches & ice cream flavours go, the Gabba surface has gone from strong pistachio two days ago to more almond-pistachio (badam-pista for the Indians) right now #AusvWI pic.twitter.com/qpEY2spiFh
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) January 25, 2024
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the OBO of the first day of the second Test between Australia and West Indies. Who’s ready for some pink ball action at the Gabba? Well Pat Cummins’ side, that’s who. It’s been a golden year for Cummins and his men and one more victory in this Test will see a 5-0 scoreline returned in the home summer and the World Test Champs’ wagon will keep on rolling.
A spirited West Indies side stand in their way, perhaps some inclement weather too, although the forecast has improved a smidge in the last day or so. The pitch had a green tinge a few days out and when the lights crank into action a bit later on it could be lots of fun… for the bowlers.
Australia have an impeccable record in day/night Tests – they have won all eleven matches they have played with the pink ball, If West Indies are to challenge the Cummins juggernaut then they will have to improve with the bat and hope their bowlers can do the business in the gloaming, the heartening performance (and incredible story) of Shamar Joseph in Adelaide the blueprint to follow in Brisbane. I’ve got a feeling this is going to be a corker, fast and fun.
Jim here with the call for the first session and a bit, I’ll bring you news of the teams and toss very shortly. Play gets underway in a little over 30 minutes 2pm local time/3pm AEDT. Do drop me a line with any thoughts, theories or general musings. Let’s get stuck in!
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