Australia took the late wicket of Tagenarine Chanderpaul to even the contest after a fascinating second day’s play in the second Test against the West Indies in Brisbane on Friday.
At stumps, the West Indies were 13-1, a lead of 35 runs, after Chanderpaul was given out on review for the faintest of edges off Josh Hazlewood in the last over of the night.
After bowling the West Indies out for 311 in their first innings midway through the opening session of the day-night Test, Australia staged a lower innings recovery, allowing captain Pat Cummins to declare at 289-9 late in the night session.
Leading 1-0 in the two-game series, the home side recovered from 24-4 to boldly declare 22 runs behind at 289-9 in the night session, after fast bowlers Kemar Roach (3-47) and Alzarri Joseph (4-84) inflicted maximum damage.
Having been bowled out earlier in the day after Kevin Sinclair (50) lifted the visitors to 311, the Caribbean batters had to tough out 7.3 overs under lights to reach the day’s close at 13-1.
Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul (4) was caught behind by Alex Carey off Josh Hazlewood on the last ball before stumps, leaving captain Kraigg Brathwaite unbeaten on three.
“I feel really, really good to get the 50 on my debut,” Sinclair said.
New opener Steve Smith, thrust into the role after David Warner’s retirement, fell to Roach for six in the first over of Australia’s innings when a seaming delivery was adjudged lbw on review.
But it was a double strike by veteran Roach on the stroke of dinner to send Cameron Green (8) and Travis Head (0) on their way that sent shockwaves through the home dressing room and brought about a strategy change.
Mitchell Marsh (21) and Carey (65), who found fortune when his bails were hit but not dislodged, played at better than a run-a-ball before holing out while opener Usman Khawaja (75) set anchor.
Off-spinner Sinclair (1-53) brought out a backflip when Khawaja edged to slip and the job of reducing the deficit was left to Cummins, who hammered a career-best 64 not out to provide cheer to the 29,216-strong crowd attending on Australia’s national holiday.
Cricket Australia in 2021 stopped referencing “Australia Day” for matches played on January 26, the 1788 date when the first fleet of British settlers arrived in Sydney, after a recommendation from its Indigenous advisory committee.
Earlier, the eighth-ranked tourists antagonised the world Test champions with the bat for 18 overs after resuming from 266-8 overnight.
An untimely tumble left Roach (8) exposed to a simple run out, prompting Sinclair to attack spinner Nathan Lyon (2-81) and reach 50 with a majestic six over long-on before being stumped off the next ball to end the first innings.