The Prague Post - Shamar Joseph rips through Australia top order in first Test

His dismissals of opening batsman Usman Khawaja for 47 and all-rounder Beau Webster for 11, followed by Jayden Seales' removal of Alex Carey on the stroke of the interval kept the balance of play in favour of the home side, although the energetic defiance of Travis Head remains a threat going into the final session of the day.

Head's unbeaten 59 at the interval has been highlighted, as usual, by flamboyant drives and pulls, the left-hander counting nine boundaries in his 76-ball innings so far. He featured in an 89-run fourth-wicket partnership with Khawaja that lifted the Aussies from the depths of 22 for in the morning session after captain Pat Cummins opted to bat.

It is Shamar Joseph's first encounter with the Aussies since an outstanding effort in Brisbane 17 months ago when he bowled the Caribbean side to their first Test triumph down under for 27 years.

At the Kensington Oval, Joseph dispatched Sam Konstas and Cameron Green in quick succession and should have also accounted for Khawaja but for a dropped catch at first slip by new West Indies captain Roston Chase.

Khawaja made the most of that chance on six and another reprieve on 45, debutant Brandon King missing a second chance at gully after earlier putting down Green second ball off Joseph.

However the opener's luck ran out in mid-afternoon when he under-edged a pull at Joseph to be caught behind while Webster was comprehensively bowled by arguably the best ball of the day from the Guyanese pacer, who closed the session with the impressive figures of four for 30 from 13 overs.

Jayden Seales, who had dispatched Josh Inglis in the morning via a skied catch to wicketkeeper Shai Hope from a miscued pull, claimed a vital second wicket when Carey edged a drive high to Chase at first slip.

Australia are playing a Test match without either Steve Smith or Marnus Labuschagne in their batting line-up for the first time since November 2018 and the early success of the West Indies fast bowlers will only fuel conversations about the stability of the visitors' batting ahead of the next Ashes series in five months' time.

A.Novak--TPP