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Tea Australia 3 for 210 (Katich 92, Ponting 55) v West Indies


Simon Katich fell eight runs short of a century but Australia remained in good health as they reached 3 for 210 at tea on the opening day of the first Test. West Indies fought back in the second session to remove Katich and Ricky Ponting before Michael Hussey, who was often unconvincing, stepped to 47 at the break.

Katich made sure the loss of Shane Watson before the team had scored was forgotten quickly as he and Ponting put on 126 for the second wicket. Everything was happening so easily that the field was spreading and the shoulders of the tourists were beginning to sag, but the couple of breakthroughs at least stopped Chris Gayle, the jet-lagged captain, from dozing off at first slip.

While the pitch offered the bowlers some help in the morning, Katich was able to switch between defence and attack as easily as the wind changes and the increase in tempo was always a shock. He started cautiously before breaking free with a hook and a handful of firm cuts and then wound down again. The next time he changed pace he launched into action against Ravi Rampaul, driving through cover for four and pulling him for six in consecutive balls. Then came another lull.

He was accelerating again, hitting strongly through cover, shortly before his dismissal and had a reprieve on 81 when Sulieman Benn missed a take above his head. Bravo was the unlucky bowler but didn't have to wait for long for his reward, with Katich frustrated to glance to Denesh Ramdin just before tea. There were 13 fours and a six in Katich's 92 and he left the field with his side in reasonable shape.

Hussey entered after Ponting's dismissal and was uncomfortable in the early stages, playing and missing and squirting thick edges between the slips and gully for a couple of boundaries. His mood changed when Chris Gayle woke from his first-slip slumber and came on for an over. Hussey lined up a cut that went for four and it was easily his best shot until a cover drive came two balls later.

Ponting was troubled a couple of times by deliveries coming back into him but was able to ease to a half-century, which came with a six over fine-leg in the over before lunch. After the break Ponting was again worried by a ball darting in and Kemar Roach was unlucky to miss out on a leg-before decision. Next ball Ponting tried to defend but edged behind for 55 to leave the hosts at 2 for 126.

Roach, Bravo and Jerome Taylor all caused batches of trouble and still have work to do to dismiss the hosts for a reasonable total. Their day started badly when Ramnaresh Sarwan, the No. 3, was ruled out with a back injury, but they lifted in the third over when Watson was lbw not offering a shot to Taylor