Australia batted cautiously after losing opener David Warner and was 72-1 at lunch on the opening day of the first cricket Test against the West Indies at Perth Stadium on Wednesday.
After Warner was out for 5, Usman Khawaja, 34 not out off 77 balls, and Marnus Labuschagne, 26 not out, defied the West Indies pace quartet on a pitch that appears soft on the first day. The forecast hot weather will allow the pitch to dry out and quicken over the course of the match.
Warner, who hooked Joseph Seales for the first boundary in the fourth over of the innings, then bottom-edged a delivery to give the tourists an early breakthrough after Australia had won the toss and batted.
Perth was hosting its first test in three years following the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the Western Australian borders to close for domestic and international visitors.
Labuschagne survived a couple of shouts for lbw, and also took a nasty blow to his hand when a delivery from Alzarri Joseph bounced up.
Australia’s 50 came in the 23rd over with the introduction of offspinner Roston Chase.
Four overs later, Khawaja stepped out and hoisted Chase over the long-off boundary for six and brought up the half-century stand for the second wicket.
West Indies capped Tangenarine Chanderpaul, the son of former batting great Shivnarine, for his first Test. Chanderpaul, 26, a lefthander like his father, will open the batting for the tourists alongside captain Kraigg Brathwaite.
Left-arm swing bowler Mitchell Starc will spearhead the three-man pace attack for Australia that includes captain Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, who returns to the side after missing the last four tests in Australia’s matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the Asian subcontinent earlier this year.
Nathan Lyon is the only spinner in the Australian side.
West Indies lefthanded allrounder Raymon Reifer has been ruled out of the series with a groin injury.
The West Indies players wore black armbands as a tribute to former test wicketkeeper David Murray, who died on the weekend at the age of 72.
It is the first test between the two sides in seven years. The second test, a day-night game, will be played in Adelaide beginning December 8.
