Seales, Joseph rout Aussies - But visitors fight back on opening day

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados:

After a brilliant display of fast bowling by Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph rocked Australia, West Indies' batters faltered in the final session to leave the first Test match interestingly poised at the end of yesterday's opening day, on which 14 wickets fell.

Seales claimed his third five-wicket haul in Tests, while Joseph did the early damage by snaring four wickets, as Australia were routed for 180 after opting to bat first at Kensington Oval.

But the Aussies fought back, with Mitchell Starc grabbing two wickets late on, to leave the home side tottering on 57 for four, still 123 runs behind on first innings.

Australia captain Pat Cummins hurriedly chose to bat first after winning the toss, but would have been surprised to see the bounce and movement Seales and Joseph were able to extract.

Things could have been even worse for the visitors had the West Indies held on to their chances, with Test debutant Brandon King alone responsible for three dropped catches.

Travis Head top-scored with 59, and Usman Khawaja rode his luck with a couple of catches to score 47.

Seales wrapped up the tail by accounting for Starc for a duck, Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, to finish with figures of 5-60 from 15.5 overs.

Joseph, meanwhile, took 4-64.

Faced with a testing 90 minutes, West Indies' openers Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell were both undone by Starc.

Playing in his 99th Test match, Brathwaite made just four before he edged the pacer to second slip where Webster took a low catch, while Campbell edged a delivery that moved away from him, to be out for seven, as the Windies stuttered to 16 for two.

Keacy Carty and Brandon King played positively during a 36-run partnership, but with less than half an hour to go, Carty played at a rising delivery from Cummins that took the edge on the way through to the wicketkeeper.

Jomel Warrican was sent in as a nightwatchman, but he survived just two balls before he was undone by a beauty from Hazlewood that clipped the off stump to see West Indies crumble to 53 for four.

Captain Roston Chase, playing in his 50th Test match, survived a few nervous moments, but he and King ensured there would be no further losses.

Starc has so far taken 2-35.

- CMC