WI vs AUS | Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood star in Australia’s big win in first Test

‌Brief score: AUS 180/10(56.5) [Travis Head 59, Usman Khawaja 47; Jaydon Seales 5/60, Shamar Joseph 4/46] and 310/10(81.5) [Alex Carey 65, Beau Webster 63; Shamar Joseph 5/87, Alzarri Joseph 2/65] beat WI 190/10(63.2) [Shai Hope 48, Roston Chase 44; Mitchell Starc 3/65, Beau Webster 2/20] and 141/10(33.4) [Shamar Joseph 44; Josh Hazlewood 5/43, Nathan Lyon 2/20] by 159 runs.

Australia kicked off their West Indies tour in dominant fashion with a 159-run win in the first Test at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday. Travis Head scored fifties in each innings as Australia put in an improved batting display in the second innings to set West Indies a target of 301. Josh Hazlewood’s 13th five-wicket haul in Tests during the final innings helped Australia coast to a massive win with the Windies crumbling for 141 within a single session.

Opting to bat first, Australia were bowled out for a below-par total of 180 on day one with Head hitting nine boundaries to top-score with 59 while opener Usman Khawaja made a fighting 47. Pacer Jayden Seales was the pick among the Windies bowlers with an impressive spell of 5/60 while Shamar Joseph ended with four wickets.

However, the Aussies bounced back with an excellent bowling performance to prevent the hosts from running away with the match as they bowled out West Indies for 190, conceding a slender lead of 10 runs, on the second day. Left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc led a collective effort from the bowlers with figures of 3/65 with skipper Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon also chipping in with two wickets. For the hosts, Shai Hope was the top-scorer with 48 while skipper Roston Chase made 44.

With the Aussie top-order failing again and the side tottering at 65/4, Head once again came up with a crucial knock of 61 off 95 balls. The southpaw was involved in a game-changing partnership of 102 runs for the fifth wicket with Beau Webster (63) with Alex Carey also contributing a half-century. His brisk knock of 65 off 75 balls, which included seven fours and two sixes, shifted the momentum in Australia’s favour as they went past the 300-run mark to set the home team a target of 301. Shamar Joseph once again proved his liking for Australia with a spell of 5/87 while Alzarri Joseph picked up two wickets.

West Indies were undone by Hazlewood’s spell in the final innings in the final session of day three as the pacer scythed through the top order to skittle them out for 141 in a single session. The inning lasted just 33.4 overs as Hazlewood registered figures of 5/43 while Shamar top-scored for the West Indies with a 22-ball 44.