Brandon King’s 75 showcased an ability to adapt his white-ball prowess to Test cricket, while Jayden Seales’ double-strike exposed Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja’s familiar frailties
Andrew McGlashan05-Jul-20250:31
Konstas chops on for a duck
Jayden Seales played his part in keeping Australia’s openers waiting for 51 minutes, uncertain when exactly their need to run off and pad up would come. Then, when it did, he struck a pair of blows that could have significant short and longer-term consequences.If West Indies’ last wicket had gone quickly, Australia’s time with the bat would have been closer to an hour-and-a-half. That does not mean events would have transpired any more favourably for them, but what they ended up with was one of those nothing-to-gain scenarios. Neither Sam Konstas nor Usman Khawaja, players at opposite ends of their careers, could make it through to the close.Konstas dragged on for a duck, his third single-figure score of the series, and looked forlorn as he made his way into the dressing room. Khawaja, yet again, was pinned lbw from around the wicket. He insists he doesn’t have a problem with that angle, but the evidence is starting to suggest otherwise.Related
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In the here and now, it has meant for the second time in the series a Test is finely balanced after two days. Australia ahead by 42 on a pitch that is playing tricks, albeit not quite at the rate of Barbados, but that could well change on the third day, and the new ball is especially demanding. “Anything under 200 runs, I think we’ll be able to get that,” West Indies captain Roston Chase said.With a slightly longer lens, it has left next week’s day-night Test in Jamaica as potentially pivotal in how Australia’s top-order shapes up for the Ashes later in the year. Barring a major reversal from the selectors, Konstas will play at Sabina Park. He has two innings left to make a score substantial enough to at least quieten the debate around him.”You’re here for a reason. I guess you just trust that,” Josh Hazlewood said when asked about the challenges of being a young player in Test cricket having made his international debut as a 19-year-old.”You’re in this position because you’re a good player. Every time I’ve bowled [to] him in the last few months, he just keeps getting better and better, it feels like. He got thrown in a tough situation there. But we saw in the first innings, he played some really nice shots, put some pressure back on the bowlers. I think he’s turning in the right direction. But it’s tough at 19.”Meanwhile, if you go by the selectors’ words, Khawaja’s position is safe. His 47 in the first innings in Barbados was important (although he was dropped on 6) but the pattern of dismissals is hard to ignore.
“I think even if you’re an aggressive batsman in Test cricket, you still have to go with the ebbs and flows. There’s times when bowlers will bowl good spells and you have to battle it out especially on difficult wickets, you can’t attack right through”Brandon King to ESPN
In that regard, West Indies’ bowlers have been exceptional in keeping the pressure on the duo, albeit in favourable conditions. Plans have come together. In Barbados, Shamar Joseph twice brought the ball back at Konstas to exploit a technical weakness. Now in Grenada, clearly looking to play more positively, he has edged behind driving and dragged on looking to play through the off side.”We obviously have our plans for each and every batsman,” Chase said. “I guess that’s the area we’re trying to exploit and it’s been working for us so far.”This West Indies team is beginning a new phase under Chase, named captain after a two-year absence from the side, and coach Daren Sammy. Bowling is clearly their strength, but there were signs with the bat of the broader ideas they are trying to lay out.The most significant innings belonged to Brandon King who complied a maiden Test fifty that complimented aggression (including three sixes) with solid defence. When the squad for the series was named, Sammy explained that King, a player largely known for his white-ball exploits, had been picked for a specific role.He had been included on the back of a domestic season where he played just four first-class matches and averaged 30.25. West Indies are trying to find solutions to long-held batting problems; King’s innings was an example of striking the right balance.0:31
Seales strikes again as Khawaja burns review
The over before lunch, he collected two boundaries off Nathan Lyon. Shortly after the break, he pulled Hazlewood over the leg side for six and later twice took Lyon straight down the ground. But between the aggression, and dashes of his white-ball pedigree, was watchfulness.Carlos Braithwaite, speaking on ESPN’s , noted how bowlers will often look to bring the ball back into King, but in this innings he played with a very straight bat, the benefits of work he had done with assistant coach Floyd Reifer on his balance.”I think even if you’re an aggressive batsman in Test cricket, you still have to go with the ebbs and flows,” King told ESPN. “There’s times when bowlers will bowl good spells and you have to battle it out especially on difficult wickets, you can’t attack right through. It’s about recognising those moments as best as possible and when you feel like you’re on top and can get some runs, you continue.”Twice during the second day – at 64 for 3 and 174 for 7 – it looked like things could go wrong for West Indies. But they dug deep to keep themselves in the contest, to such an extent that Australia were the happier side to see the clock tick down as Lyon received treatment for a blow on the arm in what became the final over.”From the time you saw him get hit, you know he’s an experienced customer, we knew that that was going to be the last [over],” Chase said with a smile.West Indies couldn’t stay with Australia on the third day in Barbados. Now they have given themselves another chance.
