An 89 run partnership between Mike Hussey and James Pattinson ensured Australia remained in control at the end of the second day of the second Test against the West Indies on Monday. Hussey (73) and Pattinson (32) helped push the tourists, who are 1-0 up in the three-match series, to 311 all out as the West Indies finished the day on 49 for three, still trailing by 262 runs at Queen's Park Oval.
But Kemar Roach insisted the West Indies were still very much in the match. "We're big boys. We're big men," said the seamer. "So we're a bit behind, but so it goes in cricket. We can come back. We will come back tomorrow and play cricket the way we want to play cricket."
Hussey top-scored for Australia before falling to Narsingh Deonarine. Rain arrived shortly before lunch, just after Hussey had brought up his fifty, and Australia added 59 runs for the loss of one wicket before lunch to take the score to 267 for six. The showers became heavier and another 100 minutes were lost which will mean early starts for the remainder of the Test. Hussey admitted the wicket was hard to bat on.
"The odd one is spinning a lot. The odd one is staying low. The odd one is bouncing a bit. So, again, you can't trust the conditions, you can't trust the pitch to go through with your shots," he said. After the extended break, the West Indian team appeared to be getting more and more frustrated as Hussey and Pattinson were batting with confidence although deliveries were still regularly passing the edge. "I think the times I got most angry with him was when he started to chase the ball and went for those big wild ones outside off stump," said Hussey of what it was like watching Pattinson battle at the other end.
With the score on 297 the breakthrough finally came. It surprised everyone when Hussey didn't move his feet to a Deonarine delivery and simply slapped it to short extra cover where Kraigg Brathwaite held the chance. Like Deonarine's other victim, Michael Clarke, Hussey couldn't believe the shot he had played. He had batted for over four hours in another fine innings.
His seventh wicket partnership with Pattinson had been worth 89 runs but the fall of the wicket opened up the tail. West Indies had lost both of their openers with only 26 on the board. Surprisingly, Pattinson was the fourth bowler to be used by Clarke. He then struck with his very first ball.
He trapped Kieran Powell in front and it was the third lbw dismissal of the innings. He was out for 19 but replays showed that the ball had pitched just outside the line of leg stump. Bravo (16) and Shivranine Chanderpaul (1) saw out the day.
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Scoreboard
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Australia 1st innings (overnight 208 for 5)
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D. Warner c Sammy b Shillingford 29
E. Cowan lbw b Roach 28
S. Watson c Barath b Shillingford 56
R. Ponting c Sammy b Roach 7
M. Clarke c Shillingford b Deonarine 45
M. Hussey c Brathwaite b Deonarine 73
M. Wade c Bravo b Roach 11
J. Pattinson c Bravo b Shillingford 32
B. Hilfenhaus b Roach 5
N. Lyon not out 7
M. Beer lbw b Roach 2
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Extras: (b5, lb5, w1, nb5) 16
Total: (all out; 135 overs) 311
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Fall of wickets: 1-53, 2-65, 3-83, 4-167, 5-178, 6-208, 7-297, 8-297, 9-309, 10-311
Bowling: Edwards 23-11-45-0 (1nb), Roach 27-5-105-5 (1w, 3nb), Sammy 16-6-27-0, Shillingford 49-17-92-3 (1nb), Deonarine 20-6-32-2
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West Indies 1st innings
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A. Barath lbw b Beer 7
K. Brathwaite lbw b Hilfenhaus 0
K. Powell lbw b Pattinson 19
D. Bravo not out 16
S. Chanderpaul not out 1
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Extras: (nb6) 6
Total: (3 wkts for; 25.3 overs) 49
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