After all of the short-form chaos, Test cricket returned with its tranquil rhythms. It also returned to Perth after a 2019 hiatus caused by a pandemic. For the first time in a Test match, Australia’s players took a knee to protest racism in solidarity with the West Indies team.
Australia won the toss and elected to bat, enduring considerable toil against superb bowling to reach 293 for 2 at stumps, with Steve Smith on 59 and Marnus Labuschagne achieving his eighth Test century before going on to score 154.
The day also opened with eyes on Justin Langer, following the former coach’s week of criticizing and then defending his former players. “Perception against actuality. “Perception typically buys newspapers,” remarked Langer, whose full-length photo portrait had been published with his column on the West Australian’s back page days before.
On the pitch before the game, he was all smiles and hugs with the players, who have as much cause as the coach to exhibit grace. The cooperation was edited into a brief film package by Langer’s employer.
As evidence of alleged dissatisfaction with Test cricket or with this Australian team, in particular, the day’s attendance of 10,929 will be referenced. In reality, it was greater than the 10,091 who attended the start of the 1997 West Indies Test in Perth on a Saturday and not far behind the 13,037 in 2009, 15,721 in 1993, or 16,984 in 2000.
The enormous scale of the new stadium makes lesser audiences appear appalling in comparison to how they appeared in the considerably smaller WACA ground.
This West Indies team is inferior to those from the 1990s, but likely superior to those from 2000 or 2009.
A balanced team had four fast bowlers in Jason Holder, Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph, and Jayden Seales, a medium-pace batsman in Kyle Mayers, and a batting spinner in Roston Chase. Throughout the first session, these bowlers were quick, accurate, and hostile.
Historically, patience was the only virtue. David Warner batted for four overs before hitting a pull shot off Joseph. Then, overcome with confidence, he was unable to resist chasing width. The broad bottom edge fell upon his stumps with a frustrated bull’s cry.
By noon, however, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne had scored only 39 runs against seam bowlers. Early brilliance from Roach and Seales was supplemented by asphyxiation from Mayers and a one-run stint from Holder over five overs. Only 23 runs from the spinner, including a Khawaja six over long-on, relieved the pressure, with the score at the lengthy break standing at 72 for 1.
Joseph had already made Labuschagne hop with short deliveries, and after lunch, during a Seales over, he invented an uppercut pull shot before nicking past slip for two fours. But as the ball and bowlers grew exhausted, the task became simpler, and the effort paid off.
Khawaja reached 65 until a brilliant delivery from Mayers curved in at the left-hander and curled away to take his edge, bringing together the old firm of Labuschagne and Smith, both of whom brought a calmer and less flamboyant presence to the middle.
Australia reached tea at 162 for two, then plundered 131 runs in the extended final session, while West Indies could only manage a pair of dropped catches in the following innings. Bouncer strategies were deployed intermittently with catchers on the hook, but the batting duo handled the short ball with growing ease.
The West Indies’ chances now hinge on an early surge with a 10-over-old ball on the second morning, with Smith and Labuschagne’s partnership reaching 142 at the end of the day.
