PORT-OF-SPAIN, April 16: Mike Hussey survived a missed stumping to complete an unbeaten half-century and steer Australia out of trouble in the second Test against West Indies at Queen’s Park Oval here on Monday.

When lunch was taken on day two, Australia were 267 for six in their first innings after resuming at 208-5. Hussey was on 54 and James Pattinson on 21.

The session was interrupted for 16 minutes because of rain, then stopped 10 minutes early because of another downpour.

West Indies made an early breakthrough when they dismissed Australian wicket-keeper Matthew Wade in the second over of the day but were unable to make any further inroads on a pitch that was playing low and hard to score runs on.

The hosts took the second new ball at the start of the day and got an instant reward when Wade departed without adding to his overnight score of 11.

Paceman Kemar Roach, the most effective West Indian bowler, captured his third wicket of the match when he found the outside edge of Wade’s bat and Darren Bravo took a low catch at first slip.

West Indies might have had a second wicket when Hussey advanced down the pitch and was beaten by off-spinner Shane Shillingford. But wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh, who dropped Hussey when he was on five on day one, fumbled the ball, allowing Hussey to get back inside his crease before the bails were removed.

Hussey was on 47 at the time and made the most of his let off to reach his 28th Test half century off 147 balls and share an unbroken partnership of 59 with Pattinson.

On Sunday, it was West Indies’ slow bowlers who did most of the damage.

Shillingford captured two vital wickets and took a catch in the outfield to give his fellow off-spinner Narsingh Deonarine a wicket.

Roach also rattles the Australian top order before the visitors dug themselves out of trouble with some disciplined batting.

Shane Watson made a watchful 56 off 172 balls while captain Michael Clarke scored 45 from 99 deliveries.

Roach got a second wicket after lunch when he squared up Ricky Ponting on seven and the former skipper nicked one behind that was fumbled by Baugh but snapped up on the rebound by Darren Sammy at slip.

Watson and Clarke steadied the Australian innings with an 84-run stand for the fourth wicket before Clarke hooked Deonarine to Shillingford at deep square leg.

Shillingford got Watson’s wicket when he had him caught at bat-pad by Adrian Barath.—Reuters Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings, overnight 208-5): D.A. Warner c Sammy b Shillingford    29 E.J.M. Cowan lbw b Roach    28 S.R. Watson c Barath b Shillingford    56 R.T. Ponting c Sammy b Roach    7 M.J. Clarke c Shillingford b Deonarine    45 M. Hussey not out    54 M.S. Wade c Bravo b Roach    11 J.L. Pattinson not out    21 EXTRAS (B-5, LB-5, W-1, NB-5)    16 TOTAL (for six wkts, 90 overs)    208 FALL OF WKTS: 1-53, 2-65, 3-83, 4-167, 5-178, 6-208. TO BAT: B.W. Hilfenhaus, N.M. Lyon, M.A. Beer. BOWLING (to-date): Edwards 18-10-36-0 (1nb); Roach 25-5-96-3 (3nb, 1w): Sammy 16-6-27-0; Shillingford 38-12-70-2 (1nb); Deonarine 15-3-28-1. WEST INDIES: A.B. Barath, K.C. Brathwaite, K.O.A. Powell, D.M. Bravo, S. Chanderpaul, N. Deonarine, C.S. Baugh, D.J.G. Sammy, S. Shillingford, K.A.J. Roach, F.H. Edwards..

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