PERTH: Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith heaped misery on the West Indies bowlers on Thursday as they each blasted double centuries and helped Australia to a monster total of 598-4 declared on the second day of the opening match of their two-Test series.

West Indies trail by 524 runs at stumps after toiling in the field for 152.4 overs in Perth, but their fightback began well, with them ending the day on 74 without loss.

The hosts closed their first innings when Travis Head was bowled for 99 by part-time spinner Kraigg Brathwaite.

Australia dominated from the outset, with overnight batsmen Smith (200 not out) and Labus­chagne (204) peeling off nearly four runs an over in the opening session.

Smith was first to reach a milestone, working spinner Roston Chase (0-140) down the ground for one to equal former great Sir Donald Bradman’s tally of 29 Test centuries.

Labuschagne continued to ride his luck from the previous day by narrowly evading the slips and gully, with a dropped caught-behind chance giving the 28-year-old another life on 194.

He secured his second Test double hundred with a powerful cover drive, but the 350-ball vigil ended two deliveries later when wicket-keeper Joshua Da Silva clasped an outside edge induced by skipper Brathwaite (2-65).

Head took on the role of aggressor after lunch as Australia accelerated and the tourists surrendered to the inevitability of a declaration.

Smith tickled Brathwaite away for a quick single after tea to reach 200 and consoled his partner who fell agonisingly close to a ton on the next ball, before Australia ended the innings.

In response, Brathwaite (18 not out) and debutant Tagenarine Chanderpaul (47 not out) successfully negotiated a period of hostile pace bowling to ensure a positive end to the day, albeit with several body blows.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings, overnight 293-2):D. Warner b Seales 5 U. Khawaja c Da Silva b Mayers 65 M. Labuschagne c Da Silva b Brathwaite 204 S. Smith not out 200 T. Head b Brathwaite 99 EXTRAS (B-13, LB-2, NB-5, W-5) 25 TOTAL (for 4 wickets decl, 152.4 overs) 598 DID NOT BAT: C. Green, A. Carey, P. Cummins, M. Starc, N. Lyon, J. Hazlewood FALL OF WICKETS: 1-9 (Warner), 2-151 (Khawaja), 3-402 (Labuschagne), 4-598 (Head) BOWLING: Roach 26-3-91-0, Seales 21-3-95-1, Joseph 24-4-83-0, Mayers 15-2-39-1, Holder 23-6-70-0, Chase 31-2-140-0, Brathwaite 12.4-0-65-2

WEST INDIES (1st Innings): K. Brathwaite not out 18 T. Chanderpaul not out 47 EXTRAS (LB-7, NB-2) 9 TOTAL (for no wicket, 25 overs) 74 STILL TO BAT: J. Blackwood, N. Bonner, K. Mayers, J. Holder, J. Da Silva, R. Chase, A. Joseph, K. Roach, J. Seales BOWLING: Starc 7-2-15-0, Hazlewood 8-1-31-0, Cummins 6-1-15-0, Lyon 4-1-6-0

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2022