Adelaide: Australia was set to force an early end to the first cricket test against West Indies after taking five second-inning wickets late on the second day at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday. The Caribbean side was 73-6 in its second innings and still trails Australia by 22 runs going into Day 3. Travis Head earlier scored 119 from 134 balls to help put Australia in a strong position with 283 runs and a first-innings lead of 95 runs.
Shamar Joseph took his third wicket on his debut for West Indies and Australia went to lunch Thursday at 144-5 and trailing the Caribbean side by 44 runs. The 24-year-old Joseph took the prized wicket of new Australian opener, Steve Smith, with his first ball in test cricket on the opening day Wednesday at the Adelaide Oval.
Joseph added the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne before stumps Wednesday when Australia was 59-2. On Thursday, Joseph had new No. 4 batter Cameron Green out for 14. Pace bowler Joseph, who made 36 batting at No. 11 the second-highest score in the visitor's innings had figures of 3-52 at the lunch break.
Australia captain Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood took four wickets each as Australia restricted West Indies to 188 all out and made good use of the Adelaide Oval pitch after winning the toss and bowling first. West Indies, which hasn't won a test match Down Under since February 1997, has brought only five players who appeared in the two tests against Australia in 2022-23 and added seven uncapped players to the touring squad.
The second and final test in the series, a day-night match at the Gabba in Brisbane, begins Jan. 25.
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