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Tea West Indies 228 (Dowlin 62, Ramdin 54) and 4 for 106 (Barath 73*, Hilfenhaus 3-20) trail Australia 8 for 480 dec by 146 runs

Ricky Ponting's decision to enforce the follow-on paid off immediately, but Adrian Barath showed some hope for West Indies' future with an unbeaten 73 on debut to push his side to 4 for 106 at tea. After the tourists were dismissed for 228, Ponting made the opposition bat again for only the third time in his captaincy career and they were in huge trouble at 3 for 39 following Ben Hilfenhaus' impressive new-ball spell.

Needing 252 to force a second Australian innings, West Indies started badly when Chris Gayle went lbw to Ben Hilfenhaus in similar circumstances to his dismissal on the second day, with his call for a review not changing the decisions. Travis Dowlin was in good touch after 62 in the first innings, but he fell when playing-on and Shivnarine Chanderpaul felt compelled to pull and top edged to Simon Katich behind square leg. The wickets gave Hilfenhaus 3 for 20 from seven overs and raised the prospect of a three-day game.

Barath, 19, was taking on the unlikely task of saving the game and stood up to his big-name opponents with a spirited innings that included 13 fours in 97 balls. In the first innings he scored 15 and followed up with a display that gained in confidence the longer it went on. He can drive purposely through cover and powerfully off the back foot on the off side, while he was also happy to show a full blade when defending.

In one over he punched Mitchell Johnson for four through point, picked up a boundary to mid-off and then blocked another in the middle of his wide bat. There were flashes as well as maturity and he brought up his half-century with a cut over gully off Peter Siddle and raised his bat with satisfaction.

There was little else for West Indies to cheer. Dwayne Bravo (23) pulled the part-timer Michael Hussey to Ben Hilfenhaus at deep backward square to give the bowler his second Test wicket. It was an awful shot at a bad time - the last over before tea - and left his side in more trouble, with them requiring another 146 to avoid an innings loss.

Johnson and Nathan Hauritz picked up three wickets each as West Indies were dismissed the first time at lunch. Hauritz, who collected 3 for 17 off six, stepped in for his opening wicket of the match in his first over of the morning when Jerome Taylor (8) was caught at short leg. Next ball Michael Clarke raced to his left for a great one-handed catch at first slip to remove Kemar Roach and end the over.

Dowlin faced the hat-trick ball with six men around the bat and danced down the pitch to loft him to midwicket for two, but was soon taken at deep midwicket following a heave to Shane Watson. West Indies resumed the third day at 5 for 134 and Dowlin, who was 40, did his best to delay the hosts, but his partners fell away as they lost 4 for 16 to end the innings.

Denesh Ramdin ensured a bright opening by targeting Johnson with a series of crisp boundaries that pushed him to a half-century. His 54 from 55 balls left West Indies at 6 for 174 and Dowlin was joined by Sulieman Benn in another handy stand as they held up the Australians for 38 runs. They will need much more over the remainder of the second innings to stretch the hosts