Australia vs West Indies 1st Test, Day 2: West Indies batsmen struggle after Voges' double ton

Voges hit a majestic double-hundred to guide Australia to 583/4 in their 1st innings.

Records were shattered in a heap, as Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh continued to demolish the West Indies on day two of the first Test of the Frank-Worrell Trophy at the Bellerive Oval, Hobart. West Indies finished on 207/6 with Darren Bravo and Kemar Roach unbeaten on 94 and 31, in response to Australia’s 583 for 4 declared.

Voges, unbeaten on 174 from day one, completed his double century off 226 balls, which is also the fourth fastest 250 by a Test batsman in terms of strike-rates. Marsh completed his 150 off 227 balls as Australia soared past 500 before lunch.

There was some success for the visitors in the first session though, when Marsh finally fell to Jomel Warrican for 182, when he was caught by Darren Bravo. But, it was already too late for the West Indies as Voges and Marsh had built up the highest 4th Wicket partnership in the history of the game.

Their partnership of 449 runs bettered the previous best between Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera, who had put up 437 against Pakistan for Sri Lanka. This was also the highest partnership at the Bellerive Oval, the highest partnership for any wicket in Australia, as well as, the highest partnership in an Australia vs West Indies Test. The magnanimity of the feat achieved by Voges and Marsh would definitely take some time to settle.

Voges finished unbeaten on 269, as Australia declared at 583/4 after lunch. Warrican finished as West Indies’ highest wicket-taker in the innings with 3/158, but at an economy rate of 5.64.

If the bowling suffered, their batting didn’t fare any better either, as Josh Hazelwood trapped Kraigg Brathwaite leg-before in the 9th over to draw first blood and reduce the visitors to 17 for 1. The decision by the umpire Marais Erasmus was reviewed by the opener, but was struck down by the TV umpire Chris Gaffaney.

Bravo and Rajendra Chandrika tried to settle the innings as they stitched a 41-run partnership, before Nathan Lyon got Chandrika caught behind by Steve Smith. This initated a mini collapse as Marlon Samuels, Jermaine Blackwood and Denesh Ramdin fell on either side of the tea break.

Lyon took a brilliant return catch to dismiss Samuels, and got Blackwood caught by Joe Burns at short-leg for a duck to restrict the Windies to 81/4 at Tea, while Hazelwood struck again after break to bowl Ramdin off a ball that kept low and snip the visitors to 89/5.

Skipper Jason Holder and Bravo, then led a brief comeback as they put up 27 runs for the sixth wicket, but Peter Siddle spoiled their chances to score any further, when he dismissed Holder leg-before. But the replays showed that the ball would have easily gone over the stumps, as was evident when it struck the tall West Indian captain just around the knee roll.

Holder didn’t review it perhaps because they’d already taken two unsuccessful reviews, and had just one remaining for their 1st innings before 80 overs.

Kemar Roach along with Bravo, fought back decently thereafter as the duo shared 91 run stand, that saw Bravo complete his half-century. He is now just 4 runs short of what would be a terrific hundred under pressure as West Indies still trail Australia by 376 runs.

Scorecard:

Australia won the toss and chose to bat

Australia 1st innings: 583/4 dec.

Joe Burns	33 (43)
David Warner	64 (61)
Steven Smith	10 (32)
Adam Voges	269 (285)
Shaun Marsh	182 (266)
Mitchell Marsh	1 (11)
Total	583/4 dec.

Bowling:

	Overs	Runs	Wickets
Jerome Taylor	17	108	0
Kemar Roach	16	99	0
Shanon Gabriel	10	59	1
Jason Holder	24	75	0
Jomel Warrican	28	158	3
Kraigg Brathwaite	13	52	0
Jermaine Blackwood	6	25	0

West Indies 1st innings:

Kraigg Brathwaite	2 (26)
Rajendra Chandrika	25 (58)
Darren Bravo	94* (159)
Marlon Samuels	9 (14)
Jermaine Blackwood	0 (5)
Denesh Ramdin	8 (15)
Jason Holder	15 (29)
Kemar Roach	31* (89)
Total	207/6