Dogged skipper Kraigg Brathwaite yesterday scored an unbeaten 101 to lead the West Indies’ resistance as they chase 498 to win the first Test against Australia after Marnus Labuschagne joined rare company in making a double and single century in the same match.
The home side declared at lunch on day 4 in Perth after reaching 182-2 to go with their first innings of 598-4, having bowled out the Caribbean side for 283.
Labuschagne belted 104 not out to go with his 204 in the first innings — only the eighth player to achieve the 200-100 feat in the same Test, joining the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara and Kumar Sangakkara.
Photo: AFP
In reply, the Windies battled to 192-3 at stumps, still 306 runs behind, with Kyle Mayers yet to score alongside Brathwaite.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul (45), Shamarh Brooks (11) and Jermaine Blackwood (24) were the wickets to fall.
Brathwaite said the team believed they could hang on for a draw or even push for a win.
“It all starts from the first over [today],” he said. “We don’t want to think too far ahead, just take it over by over, session by session.”
“We’ve got to believe,” he said. “It was good to get through today obviously and that first over tomorrow is very, very crucial. Australia are going to come hard and it’s important that we start extremely well.”
In a blow for Australia, skipper and pace spearhead Pat Cummins did not bowl after experiencing thigh soreness.
Starc bowled the son of West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul to snap a dangerous 116-run opening stand. Nathan Lyon’s spin accounted for Brooks, a concussion substitute for Nkrumah Bonner, with Steve Smith taking the catch at slip, and then Blackwood for 24 with Labuschagne the safe pair of hands.
However, Brathwaite was unmovable and brought up his 11th Test century off 157 deliveries.
“For me it means everything ... you know Australia is going to be a tough place for batting and to do it really meant a lot,” he said of getting to three figures.
In Pakistan, the runs continued to flow as captain Babar Azam (136) made the seventh century of the first Test against England after openers Abdullah Shafique (114) and Imam-ul-Haq (121) fell earlier on day 3.
However, the home side were still 158 runs behind with three wickets in hand at stumps last night as they made their way to 499-7 in reply to England’s mammoth 657 all out.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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