Australia vs West Indies 1st Test, Day 1: Voges and Marsh plunder the West Indies
Jason Holder’s words that West Indies can exploit Australia’s weaknesses came back to haunt him, as Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh hit brilliant hundreds and stitched up a mammoth unbeaten 316-run partnership to guide Australia to 438/3 on day one of the first Test of the Frank-Worrell Trophy at the Bellerive Oval, Hobart.
The fourth-wicket partnership, which is the second highest partnership for any wicket at the Bellerive Oval, helped maintain Australia’s run rate of over 5 an over througout the day. At Stumps, Voges and Marsh were unbeaten on 174 and 139.
Joe Burns and David Warner yet again gave Australia a solid start as they shared a 75-run opening stand in just 11 overs. This was the 12th fifty plus stand by the Australian openers, which is the highest among all teams in 2015.
Warner, in particular, was in a sublime form as he blasted 64 off just 61 balls with 11 fours, thereby completing his 11th fifty of the year, which is the most by any Australian opener in a calendar year. Although Shanon Gabriel bowled a beauty to get rid of Burns, runs kept coming for Australia as they went to lunch at 121/3 from 24 overs.
West Indies had managed a comeback by dismissing Burns, Smith and Warner in the second half of the first session, but those three wickets were the only ones that the Caribbeans could manage all day.
Smith was caught by Jermaine Blackwood off the bowling of Jomel Warrican, while Warner, after playing a quickfire innings, was caught by wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin again off the bowling of the left-arm spinner.
But Voges and Marsh piled on runs thereafter as the West Indies bowlers struggled all day. Voges completed his half-century off just 55 balls as Australia reached 200 in 39.5 overs thereby maintaining a healthy run-rate of over 5 runs per over.
The veteran batsman didn’t stop there and continued to punish the West Indian bowlers as he walked out unbeaten at tea, after having completed his third Test hundred off exactly a hundred balls.
Australia went to tea at 257/3, with Voges on 100 and Marsh on 42. The final session bore the same story, as Marsh, who had played a patient knock so far, upped the ante and, first completed his 50 off 86 balls, and then converted it into a majestic third hundred, off 150 balls, with 9 boundaries.
Meanwhile, Voges brought up his 150, as the two of them went past a 250-run stand for the 4th wicket as Australia soared past 400. It was a complete run-fest at Hobart, as, with the exception of Jason Holder, all the other frontline West Indian bowlers went for plenty.
Jerome Taylor, the man expected to lead their bowling attack conceeded runs at over 6 runs per over with 12 boundaries scored off him, while Kemar Roach and Shanon Gabriel also conceeded just under 6 an over with 12 and 9 fours scored off them respectively.
Although Warrican picked up two wickets, he was expensive too, giving away 111 runs from 22 overs. Holder, the West Indies skipper, rotated his bowlers continuously and used as many as seven bowlers, but none of them could bring him the desired result. The extras were also a problem for the visitors as they conceeded 18 of them that included 11 no-balls.
Scorecard:
Australia won the toss and chose to bat
Australia 1st innings:
| Joe Burns | 33 (43) |
| David Warner | 64 (61) |
| Steven Smith | 10 (32) |
| Adam Voges | 174 (204) |
| Shaun Marsh | 139 (205) |
| Extras | 18 |
| Total | 438/3 |
Bowling:
| Overs | Runs | Wickets | |
| Jerome Taylor | 12 | 76 | 0 |
| Kemar Roach | 11 | 64 | 0 |
| Shanon Gabriel | 10 | 59 | 1 |
| Jaosn Holder | 15 | 45 | 0 |
| Jomel Warrican | 22 | 111 | 2 |
| Kraigg Brathwaite | 13 | 52 | 0 |