Debutant Shamar Joseph took Steve Smith’s prized wicket with his first ball in Test cricket as a rare highlight in an otherwise tough Day I for an undermanned West Indies in the series-opening Test here on Wednesday.
Australia captain Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood took four wickets each as Australia restricted the Windies to 188 after winning the toss and bowling first.
Kirk McKenzie, playing his second Test, made his maiden half-century to top-score for the tourists before a 55-run partnership between Shamar and Kemar Roach for the 10th wicket lifted them towards 200.
The Windies, who have seven uncapped players in the squad, haven’t won a Test match Down Under since February 1997.
Smith’s first innings as a Test opener — replacing David Warner — in his 106th Test yielded 12 runs before Shamar (2/18) ensured it wasn’t a joyous memory for him, by having Australia’s best batter caught at slip with his first ball and then taking Marnus Labuschagne late in the day.
The 24-year-old bowler sprinted almost to the boundary in celebration as he was chased and mobbed by his teammates in a fairytale introduction to Test cricket.
Unsurprisingly, the pacer had a spring in his step and was rewarded with Labuschagne (10) playing an ill-timed hook shot which was caught on the boundary.
Australia was 59/2 at stumps, trailing by 129 runs, with Usman Khawaja unbeaten on 30 and Cameron Green — making his first Test appearance for Australia since last June — batting on 6.
Earlier, Cummins (4/41) continued his strong form by taking two wickets before Hazlewood (4/44) claimed his 250th Test wicket to have Australia on top after the first session. He continued his relentless line and length after lunch to have Kavem Hodge (12) caught by Green before McKenzie was finally removed for a fine half-century off 94 balls.
