West Indies鈥 pace attack once again exposed the vulnerability of the Australian top-order batting, with the tourists stumbling to 92 for four in their second innings at the close of play on the second day of the first Test at Kensington Oval on Thursday.
Trailing by just ten runs after the Caribbean side was dismissed at tea for 190 in response to the Aussies鈥 first innings total of 180, the match is finely balanced as Australia lead by 82 runs with six wickets in hand.
A day full of events saw ten wickets fall, following the fourteen that tumbled on day one. It also featured contentious television umpiring decisions which left the West Indies feeling aggrieved.
Travis Head, often the counter-attacking star for the men from Down Under in all formats, will carry the battle into the third morning with all-rounder Beau Webster after all four West Indies bowlers used in the second innings so far claimed a wicket each.
Wicketless in the first innings, Alzarri Joseph was first to strike in the long final session when he trapped Usman Khawaja lbw.
Shamar Joseph, who set the tone for the bowling effort at the start of the Test the day before, had to endure Sam Konstas being dropped twice in the same over in the slips before the opener鈥檚 torturous innings ended 20 minutes later when he played on to the same bowler.
Jayden Seales added to his five-wicket haul the day before by removing Josh Inglis for the second time in the match when the right-hander was bowled offering no shot.
Australia鈥檚 continuing experiment with Cameron Green at number three then suffered another setback when he wafted at medium-pacer Justin Greaves to be taken at first slip.
Earlier, West Indies captain Roston Chase and wicketkeeper Shai Hope held the home side鈥檚 innings together with a 67-run stand after they had slipped to 72 for five early on the second morning when debutant Brandon King was bowled for 26 shouldering arms to seamer Josh Hazlewood.
Controversial dismissals
However, Chase, in his 50th Test and playing his first match in the traditional format for more than two years, was ruled leg-before to Australian counterpart Pat Cummins for 44 just after lunch by television official Adrian Holdstock even though the available television replays suggested the tall right-hander had edged the ball onto his pads.
Holdstock was again the focus of attention when Hope, on 48, appeared to have been cleanly caught down the leg-side by a diving wicketkeeper Alex Carey to give Webster his second wicket.
Hope seemed equally convinced as he was almost in the players鈥 pavilion as repeated replays of the dismissal gave a strong indication that the ball had touched the ground as Carey attempted to complete the catch. Holdstock nevertheless upheld the dismissal.
Alzarri Joseph contributed an unbeaten 23 but the innings folded swiftly thereafter with Mitchell Starc finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the innings with three for 65.
鈥淲e can only ask the questions,鈥 was Starc鈥檚 deadpan reply to his opinion on the dismissals of Chase and Hope.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we have the technology for. The questions have to be asked in that direction, not at the players.鈥
On the state of the match, Starc felt the nature of the pitch is keeping the contest close.
鈥淭hroughout the two days it鈥檚 shown that if you bowl in the right areas there are enough chances created,鈥 he said.
鈥淓ven when the ball got older or was changed it still did some sideways stuff so the bowlers have been in the game throughout so far and that is likely to continue tomorrow.鈥
(With inputs from AFP)