Marnus Labuschagne cracked a masterful unbeaten 154, whereas Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith hit fifties as a dominant Australia took management of the opening Test in opposition to the West Indies at Perth Stadium on Wednesday.
The host reached an ominous 293-2 at stumps on day one following captain Pat Cummins’ resolution to bat in scorching and dry circumstances.
The complete was constructed off the again of a 142-run stand between Labuschagne and Khawaja, who got here collectively after David Warner was out for 5, then an unbeaten 142 with Smith.
A targeted Labuschagne, who survived probabilities on 75 and 137, introduced up his eighth century in his twenty ninth Test, and with the in-form Smith unbeaten on 59, the omens should not good for the customer, which has didn’t win a Test in Australia for 25 years.
Labuschagne, Khawaja dig deep
The West Indies bowled with loads of self-discipline in entrance of simply 10,929 spectators, however the probabilities had been few and much between.
After getting the early wicket of Warner for 5, it needed to toil for hours within the warmth to bag one other, with Khawaja compiling 65 earlier than edging Kyle Mayers to wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva simply earlier than lunch.
Labuschagne and Khawaja got here collectively after Warner fell to younger paceman Jayden Seales, and hardly put a foot incorrect.
They needed to work laborious in opposition to economical bowling within the opening session of the primary Test between the edges for practically seven years, reaching 72-1 at lunch.
But they accelerated after the break, with Labuschagne mentioning his 50 with a 3 off Jason Holder.
A faultless Khawaja, who has been a rock on the prime of the order this 12 months, quickly adopted, cracking spinner Roston Chase for 4 after which a single to succeed in his 18th half-century in his 52nd Test.
Khawaja had scored 4 Test centuries and reached the 90s twice within the final 12 months, with extra glory beckoning.
But he was undone by an exquisite supply from Mayers, which trimmed the skin fringe of his bat and was a straightforward take for Da Silva.
Undeterred, Labuschagne powered to 3 figures from 192 balls, hitting the milestone together with his thirteenth boundary off Seales.
Smith has reverted to a extra orthodox batting type which noticed him rating 94 and an unbeaten 80 in Australia’s latest one-day sequence in opposition to England, and he once more regarded in good nick.
The 33-year-old was untroubled as he swept to a thirty seventh Test 50, eyeing one other century to attract stage with the good Donald Bradman on 29.
Injury worries
Wearing black armbands to mourn former West Indies wicketkeeper David Murray, who died final week, the customer stored Warner and Khawaja in verify within the opening overs.
Warner’s first attacking shot noticed Seales pulled for a boundary within the fourth over.
But the left-hander’s aggression value him subsequent ball as tried to drive a wider supply solely to pull it again on to his stumps.
The West Indies suffered a blow earlier than the match, with allrounder Raymon Reifer dominated out after choosing up a groin harm.
It handed a debut to batsman Tagenarine Chanderpaul, the son of retired nice Shivnarine.
Top-ranked Australia made only one change from its final Test in opposition to Sri Lanka in July, with speedster Josh Hazlewood in for spinner Mitchell Swepson.