Australia’s new-look top-order has been shredded by a familiar West Indian tormentor Shamar Joseph as life without Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith began in wholly unconvincing fashion in Bridgetown.
Joseph, playing against the Aussies for the first timesince his brillianceat Brisbane 17 months ago bowled the West Indies to their first Test triumph down under in 27 years, ripped through the new-look vanguard with four wickets as Pat Cummins’ men were dismissed for 180 in Barbados on Wednesday.
Australia’s big gun, Travis Head, looked to have been caught behind off Joseph when on 53 only to be reprieved by a controversial third-umpire ruling that the ball must have bounced before sinking into wicketkeeper Shai Hope’s gloves. It did not look that way.
But Head was out soon after tea for 59, his 89-run fourth-wicket stand with Usman Khawaja proving the only good news for Australia, whose revamped top-order quite failed to tick in the first Test to be staged at the famous Kensington Oval venue for three years.
Sam Konstas, struggling back in the opening hot-seat, and an uncomfortable-looking Cameron Green were both sent packing for three apiece by Joseph.
Then without either the old steadying influence of the injured Smith and dropped Labuschagne to call on, the newly installed No 4 Josh Inglis got out trying rashly to counter-attack Jayden Seales, hoisting an attempted pull high off a top edge and getting caught behind by Shai Hope for five.
That left the visitors reeling at 3-22 after 15.1 testing overs – and it could have been worse if the West Indians had taken two earlier chances to get rid of a scoreless Green, second ball, and Khawaja, who was dropped at first slip, also off Joseph, for six.
Khawaja and Head began a decent recovery job before Khawaja, after surviving two chances, finally ran out of luck, getting caught behind off an under-edge off Joseph to depart for 47 off 128 balls.
Beau Webster and Alex Carey both fell cheaply before tea with the visitors having been unable to cash in first-up as theydropped Labuschagnefor the first time in six years following the loss in the World Test Championship final against South Africa two weeks ago at Lord’s.
Smith was also out of action because of the finger injury he suffered in the final, although he could be available for the second Test, and it was the first time Australia had gone into a Test without both of them since November 2018.
It was a big opportunity again for Konstas, who made a spectacular debut in December against India at just 19, but he was quickly dismissed by Joseph nipping one back that trapped him lbw on review. He lasted 14 balls for his three.
Green looked as unhappy as he had against Kagiso Rabada at Lord’s before finally being put out his misery when Joseph got him caught pushing hard to second slip Justin Greaves on the 21st ball he faced.
Pat Cummins cracked 28 off 18 balls in a rearguard action but Seales cleaned up the tail to finish with 5-64.