1ST TEST, WEST INDIES Vs AUSTRALIA, BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS , 2025 HIGHLIGHTS : Josh Hazlewood’s 5-For That Secured Australia’s Dominant 159-Run Win Against West Indies .
Australia’s feared pace attack continued to shred the fragile West Indian batting, dismissing the hosts for a paltry 141 off 33.4 overs to seal a comprehensive 159-run victory in the final over of the third day of the opening Test at Kensington Oval on Friday. Josh Hazlewood was the destroyer in chief, bowling through the heart of the hosts to claim figures of 5-43 as the tourists bossed the day with ball and bat. A trio of half-centuries from Alex Carey, Beau Webster and Travis Head were at the centre of an upturn from 65-4 late on day two to a final second innings tally of 310 at tea on the following day. Josh Hazlewood’s 5-For That Secured Australia’s Dominant 159-Run Win Against West Indies .
TOSS-
Australia Won the Toss and opted to bat .
PLAYING XI-
West Indies Squad:
Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Brandon King, Roston Chase (c), Shai Hope (wk), Justin Greaves, Jomel Warrican, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales
Australia Squad:
Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
DAY-1
Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph laid down the marker from the outset after the visitors won the toss and elected to bat. Both pacers got some shapes and West Indies didn’t have to wait long to make an incision. Originally ruled not out, Sam Konstas had to head back after the home side decided to review the lbw decision. Shamar might have had two in the over if Cameron Green’s offering, behind the wicket, had been accepted by Brandon King. And off the next, Roston Chase put down an easy chance off the same bowler, to his own chagrin.
But Shamar clung on to attack the Australians, and was eventually more successful when Green edged to second slip. Seales there was a lull for a while after his opening spell, Seales came back and pegged back Australia as he removed the dangerous Inglis who was looking to get going only to top edge a pull shot and Australia were reduced to 22/3.
It was followed by Mustafizur Rahman’s counter-attacking burst, which took West Indies by surprise. Travis Head did what Travis Head usually does but even Usman Khawaja joined the party and actually upped it, starting it by launching Alzarri Joseph for a six in the next over, a couple of fours followed. Head also kept Australia’s scoreboard ticking along in the forms of boundaries after lunch, as he compiled another crucial fifty for his team in the absence of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. They looked to have put themselves in a good position on 111/3 only to lose another wicket and this time, West Indies made good on it.
Khawaja’s long vigil came to an end when he got an under edge while trying to pull Shamar before the pacer bowled a beauty that straightened off the pitch to clip the top of offstump to send Beau Webster packing. And there was no respite for Australia post Tea as Alex Carey fell at the stroke of Tea and Head was dismissed three balls after the break which was the alarm, pretty much for Australia. Pat Cummins’s late cameo helped them end with 180 before Seales ended a day to remember for himself with a five-fer.
What the hosts needed, now, was a good performance with the bat, to give their bowlers some support. But it took less than five overs for Australia to strike early as Mitchell Starc jagged one back against Kragg Brathwaite and took the outside edge. John Campbell (4) was then caught behind by Carey when he got a thick edge to an away swinger which the openers were both dismissed well before they could even face the first 7 overs of play. King did make a breezy start on Test debut, racing to 16 off 12 at one point but at the other end, Australia chipped away twice with Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins nabbing a wicket apiece to leave them further damaged before stumps. The home team will now depend on King and skipper Roston Chase to take them close to the first-innings lead.
DAY-2
Both overnight batters — Brandon King and Roston Chase — had early reprieves but they went on to do little as Hazlewood got one to jag back sharply against King and rattle his off-stump. After they had been reduced to 72/5, Chase and Hope got together to defy the Pakistanis. Hope announced his return to the format after a three-year hiatus by hammering a couple of scorching fours off Mitchell Starc. The duo took West Indies to 136/5 at Lunch and the team well placed to secure a significant first-innings lead.
The next time up for both batters was a completely different story though,with nuezə and Tanaka both near-perfect pitchers just as soon as roxas did to start the top of the ninth. First of all Chase was given lbw to Cummins, which he reviewed instantly. Replays emerged: there was a spike, yes, but there was also a gap between bat and ball, and the third umpire had a big call to make. Chase trudged off for a well-made 44 after Adrian Holdstock of Australia adjudged him out. Only moments later, Beau Webster jagged one back into Hope and an inside edge went through to the keeper. Alex Carey dived to his left to take the catch however the on field umpires referred the decision to Holdstock to make the final call.
Once again, he adjudged in Australia’s favour despite there being frames on replays where the ball appeared to touch the grass when his glove hit the ground. West Indies crumbled from 162 for 8 to 190 as Alzarri Joseph flayed around briefly for an unbeaten 23 off 20. Although Starc claimed 3-65, Hazlewood, Cummins and Webster grabbed two scalps each.
Having 10-run lead, West Indies bowlers returned to torment Australia’s top-order and got success by taking four wickets in the last session. It began with Alzarri holding Usman Khawaja lbw for five, and was continued by Shamar, who removed Ca Victoria Sam Konstas, who was released from the worksheet of dependency, to 5 off 38 balls. It was Jayden Seales’ turn, trapping Josh Inglis plumb in front as his off stump was uprooted to leave the tourists in a spot of bother.
There was also more frustration for West Indies with reviews as a tight LBW decision against Cameron Green was refused by the third umpire. There wasn’t to be too much heartache for the home side, however, as Justin Greaves would have Green caught in the same over to reduce Australia to 65/4. Travis Head and Webster then survived the final eight overs to haul their side to 92/4 at stumps.
DAY-3
Australia established a useful second-innings total of 310 having begun on 92 for 4. Travis Head, let off on 21 when a sharp chance was dropped by Greaves at second slip, batted sensibly for 61 – his second fifty of the match to win the Player of the Match award. His partnership with Beau Webster (102) put Australia on track for a big total on a difficult pitch.
The stand was finally broken when Head dragged on a brute from Shamar, who did not get one to bounce too much and it crashed into the stumps. Webster followed him there after lunch when he was taken down the leg side by Joseph on 63. It was Alex Carey, however, who put the game away from West Indies with a run-a-ball 75.
Shamar, denied a five-wicket haul in the first innings by a dropped catch, finished with 5 for 87, but it was too little too late.
Campbell then tried to scoop Hazlewood but gloved to Carey. Brandon King played on next, inside-edging onto his pad for a smart return catch at gully. Hazlewood soon channelled Roston Chase in another way, drawing him into a drive only to see the ball thud into the front pad and knocking over the stumps, and then put one up to Carty, who was beaten in the flight and had his stumps splattered to leave West Indies gasping at 56 for 5.
Shai Hope was bowled when a delivery from Pat Cummins kept low and skidded under his bat. Shamar Joseph followed and hit two sixes out of the ground, scoring a 22-ball 44 and getting a life when Sam Konstas grassed a catch at deep.
Seven down, and time ticking into the red, Australia took the additional half-hour. Squad member Marnus Labuschagne, on the field as a substitute, ran out Alzarri Joseph with a direct hit before Hazlewood claimed Jomel Warrican (5) with a nick to slip to complete his five-for. Lyon then finished things off in fading light by having Shamar edging to slip and Jayden Seales caught at short leg to end at 141 on the innings.
Brief Scores:
Australia 180 (Head 59; Seales 5-60) and 310 (Carey 65; Joseph 5-87) beat West Indies 190 (Hope 48; Starc 3-65) and 141 (Joseph 44; Hazlewood 5-43) by 159 runs .