Day-Night Test: WI's collapse puts Australia in command
What's the story
Australia have taken a commanding position in the third and final Test against West Indies, which is a Day-Night affair, after a dramatic second day at Sabina Park. A total of 15 wickets fell on the day, highlighting both Australia's pace bowling prowess and West Indies's batting frailty. By stumps, Australia had posted 99 for 6 in their second innings, extending their lead to a whopping 181 runs.
Match progress
A look at 1st innings summary
Australia had scored 225 runs in their first innings, which was followed by a dismal performance from West Indies who were bowled out for just 143. The Australian bowlers were relentless, with Scott Boland (3/34), Pat Cummins (2/24), Josh Hazlewood (2/37), and Mitchell Starc (1/32) wreaking havoc on the West Indies batting order. Notably, Australia have gone with a four-man pace attack for this Test, leaving out the legendary Nathan Lyon.
Match dynamics
Top order batters from both sides suffer
The West Indies innings crumbled in the afternoon session, with John Campbell (36) and Shai Hope (23) being the only ones to cross 20 runs. They lost their last seven wickets for just 70 runs under pressure from Australia's seamers. In response, Australia's top order faced another onslaught in the final session with Sam Konstas (0), Usman Khawaja (14), Steven Smith (4), Travis Head (16), Alex Carey (0) falling cheaply.
Resilience
Green, Cummins add crucial late stand
Amid the chaos, Cameron Green held his ground, scoring an unbeaten 42. He survived a close run-out chance on 14 and steadied the innings despite regular wickets falling around him. Captain Pat Cummins (5*) joined Green late in the day as they added 30 runs in a crucial stand that could prove decisive in this low-scoring contest. Having extended their lead of 181 runs, the Aussies are certainly in command. They are also 2-0 up in the series.
Boland
Boland attains this record
Boland, who was the pick of the Aussies finished with 3/34 from 13.1 overs. His Test bowling average now stands at an incredible 17.33, making him the best bowler in terms of average in over a century of Tests. England's Sydney Barnes (16.43) is the only bowler since 1900 to have a better average than Boland, as per ESPNcricinfo (Minimum: 50 wickets). Boland has been active since 2021 and has taken 59 wickets across 14 Tests (5W: 2).
Green
Green races past 4,500 First-Class runs
Green, who returned unbeaten on 42* off 65 balls, went past 4,500 First-Class runs during his stay. Playing his 70th FC game, Green has raced to 4,527 runs with his average being over 47. The tally includes 14 tons and 15 fifties with 251 being his best score. Green breached the 1,500-run mark in Tests with a 46-run knock in the first innings of the ongoing game. He now owns 1,565 Test runs at an average of 34.77.
Konstas
Konstas breaks unwanted record of Warner
Konstas's tour of West Indies has been a tough one, which ended with a duck. He scored just 50 runs in six innings in this series, averaging a mere 8.33. David Warner (9.50 in Ashes 2019) and Marcus Harris (9.66 in Ashes 2019) are the only other Aussie openers to clock a sub-10 average after batting at least six times in a Test series since 2000.