Kingston: West Indies fought back on Sunday to reduce Australia to 99 for six in its second innings, a lead of 181, as the pink-ball Test at Sabina Park remained on a knife-edge at the close on day two.
Australia extended its first-innings lead of 82 but was kept in check by the West Indies bowlers as the pink ball proved almost unplayable under floodlights in the final session for the second day in a row.
Alzarri Joseph snared three wickets and Shamar Joseph two to keep their team in the game after their batters earlier collapsed to 143 all out in an eventful middle session.
Shamar Joseph took his series haul to 20 victims with only Australia’s Cameron Green preventing a complete capitulation by compiling an unbeaten 42.
He will resume on the third day in the company of captain Pat Cummins, who is five not out.
Shamar Joseph removed both openers — Sam Konstas for a duck and Usman Khawaja for 14 — to raise the West Indies’ hopes.
Then Alzarri Joseph ripped the heart out of the middle order, taking the prized wicket of Steve Smith (5) and also bagging Beau Webster (13) and Alex Carey (0).
Despite his efforts, Joseph was mindful of Australia pulling itself out of reach of the West Indies if its tail can extend the lead beyond 200.
Earlier, a day after the visitor lost its last seven wickets for 68 runs to be dismissed for 225, the Caribbean side was marginally worse.
The host lost its last seven wickets for 61 from 82-3 as Australia’s array of seamers ran riot.
Scott Boland, selected as a fourth seamer at the expense of veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon, led the demolition with 3-34.
Josh Hazlewood and Cummins claimed two wickets each in a performance that could have been even better had wicketkeeper Alex Carey not spilled two chances. Agencies
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