25 May, 2008
Windies hit back hard

Australia's top order has been torn apart late on Day 3 as the West Indies turned the opening Test of the series on its head.

The tourists are 4-17 at stumps - an overall lead of 136 - after a gutsy knock from skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul led the West Indies to a first-innings total of 312.

Brad Hodge (0) and nightwatchman Mitchell Johnson (4) will attempt to launch a rescue mission against the fired-up pace attack of the home side on Day 4.

Chanderpaul recovered from a sickening blow to the head to record a remarkable century.

Chanderpaul wore the ball on the bottom of the helmet as he turned his back on a bouncer from Brett Lee and, after collapsing immediately to the ground, appeared to be briefly unconscious

He got to his feet, though, and struck the 14 runs he needed to reach his 18th Test century.

He was eventually last man out for 118 as the Windies were all out behind by 119.

And the drama did not end there as the home attack produced its finest spell of the match to have the Sabina Park crowd on their feet.

Phil Jaques (four) edged Fidel Edwards through to Dinesh Ramdin in the second over and the prize wicket of Ricky Ponting (five) followed in the next over, as Dwayne Bravo held a good low catch off Daren Powell.

Simon Katich (one) was third to go, trapped plumb in front by a full Edwards delivery.

And the wickets kept coming when Mike Hussey (one) played all around a full one from Powell which disturbed the left-hander's stumps.

Earlier, the Windies resumed on 3-115 and a sedate morning session came to life when Stuart MacGill was introduced after drinks.

Runako Morton struck two fours off the spinner's second over of the spell, the second a trademark straight drive to bring up his half-century and the hundred partnership with Chanderpaul, before dispatching the leg-spinner for six over mid-on.

Chanderpaul brought up his 50 in more understated fashion with a leg-side single in the following over.

Morton, though, attempted one shot too many off MacGill and fell to a good leaping catch from Stuart Clark at mid-on, leaving his side 4-197 at the interval.

Bravo joined Chanderpaul at the crease and brought about an increase in the run rate after lunch.
Bravo, who spent most of this month representing the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, showed signs of still being in Twenty20 mode as he smashed MacGill for a six and a four in the third over after the interval - and he repeated the trick off the leg-spinner's next over.

When the 50 partnership came up, Bravo had contributed 36 and Australia took the new ball soon after.

But it was Bravo's attacking instincts which were to prove his undoing as, with the score on 260, he attempted a drive off a wide Lee delivery and edged a comfortable catch through to first slip Katich.

Bravo was four short of a half-century and his wicket was the first of three in 19 balls for the addition of only three runs.

Ramdin immediately looked uncomfortable before feathering Lee through to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin for nought and Darren Sammy was equally ineffective in six fewer balls, flicking a simple catch to Jaques off Mitchell Johnson.

An inswinging yorker from Lee was too good for Powell (three) as the Windies' collapsed to 8-268 at tea.

In the third over after the interval, though, Chanderpaul crumpled to the ground after being struck and the whole of Sabina Park feared the worst.

Remarkably, though, the batsman continued and did so in style.

He resumed slowly, before a boundary off Lee took him to 95 and he eventually reached his hundred with a drive for two off Clark, receiving a well-earned standing ovation in the process.

Stumps Day 3
Australia 1st innings 431
West Indies 1st innings
Smith b Clark 32
Parchment c Haddin b Clark 9
Sarwan c Haddin b Clark 7
Morton c Clark b MacGill 67
Chanderpaul c Hussey b MacGill 118
Bravo c Katich b Lee 46
Ramdin c Haddin b Lee 0
Sammy c Jaques b Johnson 0
Powell b Lee 3
Edwards c Haddin b Johnson 1
Jaggernauth not out 0
Extras 29 (b 2, lb 10, w 3, nb 14)
Total 312 (all out; 106 overs)
FoW: 1-47 (Smith, 14.6 ov), 2-62 (Sarwan, 18.2 ov), 3-68 (Parchment, 20.3 ov), 4-196 (Morton, 62.3 ov), 5-260 (Bravo, 84.3 ov), 6-262 (Ramdin, 86.4 ov), 7-263 (Sammy, 87.3 ov), 8-268 (Powell, 90.5 ov), 9-298 (Edwards, 102.5 ov), 10-312 (Chanderpaul, 105.6 ov)

Bowling
Lee 28-7-63-3 (9nb, 1w)
Johnson 26-6-63-2 (4nb, 1w)
Clark 19-2-59-3 (1w)
MacGill 22-2-100-2
Symonds 11-4-15-0

Australia 2nd innings
Jacques c Ramdin b Edwards 4
Katich lbw b Edwards 1
Ponting c Bravo b Powell 5
Hussey b Powell 1
Johnson not out 4
Hodge not out 0
Extras 2 (lb 1, nb 1)
Total 17 (4 wickets; 10 overs)
FoW: 1-5 (Jaques, 1.4 ov), 2-10 (Ponting, 2.6 ov), 3-12 (Katich, 7.4 ov), 4-12 (Hussey, 8.3 ov)

Bowling
Powell 5-4-4-2
Edwards 5-1-12-2 (1nb)