2ND TEST , WEST INDIES Vs AUSTRALIA, GRENADA, 2025 HIGHLIGHTS : Australia showed Ruthless Against West Indies To Claim Test series By 0-2
Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc made the difference with the ball as Australia held their nerves to secure a convincing 133-run victory over West Indies at the National Cricket Stadium in St Georges, Grenada on Sunday (July 6). Starc grabbed 3 for 24 while Lyon took 3 for 42 as Australia took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The victory inside four days in the second Test now sees the Pat Cummins-led take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ongoing series. Behind the stumps Alex Carey smote a 63-run knock in the first innings and added 30 in the second to win the POTM award while The Uzz’s 137 – donning that stripy get-up – set up the result without featuring in the deciding day’s play. Australia showed Ruthless Against West Indies To Claim Test series By 0-2 .
TOSS-
Australia won the toss and choose to bat.
PLAYING XI-
West Indies Squad:
Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Brandon King, Shai Hope (wk), Roston Chase (c), Justin Greaves, Anderson Phillip, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales
Australia Squad:
Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Cameron Green, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
DAY-1
Australia began brightly with openers Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja adding 47 but the visitors then tumbled after they went to for Lunch. Khawaja was the first to fall leg before to Alzarri Joseph for 16. A ball later Konstas edged Anderson Phillip to the keeper and he was gone for 25 the following over. His partner was out not long after, as Steve Smith went for 3, attempting to pull Joseph but finding the top edge to long leg. Cameron Green rode nervously for a time before being caught at gully on the stroke of lunch off Jayden Seales for an agile 26, with just 93 on the board.
After the interval, Travis Head chipped in with some quick runs but fell caught behind to Shamar Joseph for 29 after the third umpire confirmed a low catch by Shai Hope. Australias were reeling at 110 for 5 but Beau Webster and Alex Carey forged a vital 112-run partnership. Carey was spilled once by Shai Hope but still eased his way to 63 off 81 balls before mis-timing a pull shot off Justin Greaves to lob a catch to Kraigg Brathwaite at mid-wicket. Webster stuck it out and batted 60 off 115 balls, before being run out attempting to take two so that the tail wouldn’t have to face another over.
The lower order did not contribute much. Pat Cummins was bowled by a ball that rolled low from Alzarri, and Mitchell Starc edged Seales to the keeper for 6. Nathan Lyon attempted to hook a short ball but gloved it to Shai Hope, handing Alzarri his fourth wicket.
DAY-2
West Indies were reeling at the beginning of their reply to Australia’s 286 as Josh Hazlewood had Kraigg Brathwaite caught and bowled before Pat Cummins took a sharp return catch to account for Keacy Carty. On the other side of the drinks break in the morning session, Beau Webster then ended John Campbell’s fluent innings to leave the hosts at 64/3. King and his captain Roston Chase then rebuilt with a 47-run stand to carry the home team beyond the 100-run mark. Hazlewood pinned Chase lbw to break the stand but King went on to build another one, with Shai Hope. They added 57 but Cummins and Nathan Lyon then removed them both in the space of an over to raise hopes of a large first innings lead.
That though was dismissed by a low order scrap by Alzarri and Shamar. The fast bowling duo shared 51 runs for the eighth wicket. Anderson Phillip and Seales then frustrated the visitors for 74 more deliveries before Australia eventually dismissed the hosts for 253 – just 33 runs adrift of Australia’s first innings total.
Seales then stepped on the Australians’ throat in his second spell, and removed both openers – Konstas dragged a short and wide one back onto his stumps in the first over and Khawaja was leg before by a back of length ball which nipped back towards him. Australia finished the day on 12/2, a lead of only 45.
DAY-3
Smith, who sat out the first Test with a finger injury, was solid in his run-a-ball 71 while Green compiled a gritty 52, his first half-century in the No 3 position. The duo stitched 93 runs for the fourth wicket after nightwatchman Nathan Lyon 8 fell with them regroup the innings after Australia started the day in a precarious position at 12 for 2. There were several rain interruptions and only 58.3 overs of play but Australia nonetheless batted themselves into a strong position on a challenging surface.
Smith appeared in command for the bulk of his knock despite being struck on the injured finger from the very first ball he faced. Green was a little cautious at the start but gained in confidence the longer he spent in the middle, reaching his half-century with a crisply struck straight drive. But while attempting to cut one too close to his stumps, he was bowled by Shamar Joseph off the following delivery.
West Indies then fought back with the wickets after Tea. Justin Greaves had Smith lbw and also got rid of Beau Webster cheaply. Shamar had Travis Head bowled for 39. Backing himself was the in-form batter Alex Carey, unbeaten on 22, whose contribution helped nudge the lead past 250, and who will have to be key on the fourth day.
West Indies didn’t bowl all that badly in helpful conditions but did so in just patches, with two wickets apiece for Greaves, Shamar and Seales. But the Smith-Green collaboration, and some handy late runs from Carey and Head, have Australia placed nicely and West Indies will need something special from their batters, to chase anything over 250 on this deck.
DAY-4
Shamar Joseph then claimed a second wicket with the first ball of the day when Pat Cummins got an edge behind. Man-of-the-match Alex Carey was the next to go, Shamar claiming his second victim as the batsman was trapped LBW, and Alzarri Joseph finished the Australian innings when he bowled Josh Hazlewood. Although the hosts got the job done without ever having to work up a lather on the fourth morning, they were being set a stiff target on a low-bouncing surface.
By Josh Hazlewood for Australia provided a nip-backer to trap John Campbell lbw, it had taken Australia a mere eight balls to strike. Starc got his first when Keacy Carter nicked one behind to Carey. Brandon King got off to another good start, striking three fours straight after being sent out to bat, but he departed when Beau Webster got one to leave Kraigg Brathwaite and edge behind.
Soon it was 29/3 and then 33/4, Cummins claiming the big wicket of King with a delivery that hit the top of off stump. Hope and Roston Chase hit a few boudaries after lunch, but Hazlewood switched ends and ended the stand with dismissal of the wicketkeeper-batter. Chase was dismissed four overs later and the game was almost up for the hosts. Between them Seales, Shamar and Alzarri Joseph had hit six sixes, yet it hardly made a dent in the deficit as Nathan Lyon swept up all three to put West Indies out of their misery inside 35 overs.
Short scores:
Australia 286 (Alex Carey 63; Alzarri Joseph 4/61) & 243 (Steve Smith 71; Shamar Joseph 4/66) beat West Indies 253 (Brandon King 75; Nathan Lyon 3/75) & 143 (Roston Chase 34; Mitchell Starc 3/24) by 133 runs.