PERTH: Dogged skipper Kraigg Brathwaite scored an unbeaten 101 Saturday to lead West Indies resistance as they chase 498 to win the first Test against Australia after Marnus Labuschagne joined rare company in making a double and single century.

The home side declared at lunch on day four in Perth after reaching 182-2 to go with their first innings 598-4, having bowled out the Caribbean nation for 283.

The in-form Labuschagne belted 104 not out to go with his first innings 204 — only the eighth player to achieve the 200-100 feat in the same Test, joining the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara and Kumar Sangakkara.

In reply, the West Indies battled to 192-3 at stumps, still 306 runs behind, with Kyle Mayers yet to score alongside Brathwaite.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul (45), Shamarh Brooks (11) and Jermaine Blackwood (24) were the wickets to fall.

With fast bowler Pat Cummins out of the attack due to quad soreness, the West Indies openers batted resolutely to guide their side to 84 without loss at tea.

The experienced Brathwaite brought up his 5,000th Test run with a boundary off Cameron Green before completing a second successive 50 after his first innings 64.

Chanderpaul was dropped on 42 with the ball slipping out of Mitchell Starc’s fingers at full stretch in the deep after he hooked Green.

But the speedster quickly made amends when he bowled the son of West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul to snap a dangerous 116-run stand.

Nathan Lyon’s spin accounted for Brooks, a concussion substitute for Nkrumah Bonner, with Steve Smith taking the catch at slip after an edge, and then Blackwood for 24 with Labuschagne the safe pair of hands.

But Brathwaite was unmovable and brought up his 11th Test century off 157 balls.

A fiery morning spell by Alzarri Joseph, bowling with the sort of aggression that was missing on day one, had Labuschagne twisting and weaving early in the proceedings.

Caught at gully off a no-ball on 19, the zestful batsman capitalised on his good fortune and punished the weary fielders in an innings that became ever more belligerent as a lunchtime declaration loomed.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA (2nd Innings, overnight 29-1)

U. Khawaja c Da Silva b Roach 6

D. Warner c Brooks b Chase 48

M. Labuschagne not out 104

S. Smith not out 20

EXTRAS (LB-2, NB-1, W-1) 4

TOTAL (for two wickets, 37 overs) 182 (decl.)

DID NOT BAT: T. Head, C. Green, A. Carey, P. Cummins, M. Starc, N. Lyon, J. Hazlewood

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-20 (Khawaja), 2-101 (Warner)

BOWLING: Roach 7-2-30-1, Joseph 10-1-42-0, Holder 8-1-39-0, Chase 6-0-31-1, Seales 3-0-18-0, Brathwaite 3-0-20-0

WEST INDIES (2nd Innings):

K. Brathwaite not out 101

T. Chanderpaul b Starc 45

S. Brooks c Smith b Lyon 11

J. Blackwood c Labuschagne b Lyon 24

K. Mayers not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-6, NB-5) 11

TOTAL (for three wickets, 62 overs) 192

STILL TO BAT: J. Holder, J. Da Silva, R. Chase, A. Joseph, K. Roach, J. Seales

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-116 (Chanderpaul), 2-133 (Brooks), 3-191 (Blackwood)

BOWLING: Starc 13-3-36-1, Hazlewood 13-3-39-0, Lyon 22-6-54-2, Green 10-0-42-0, Labuschagne 2-0-9-0, Head 2-1-6-0

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2022