West Indies versus Australia - First Test - Day 2 & 3

Game On!

Fidel Edwards and Daren Powell bowled really well in Australia's first innings without just rewards. That happens in Cricket. Their bowling was inspired stuff without luck.

More inspired stuff from Chanderpaul, being basically KO'd by Brett Lee, then rising like Lazurus to score a first innings saving 118. More inspired stuff! In fact there are many young inexperienced player in the West Indies side that have just become a whole lot more experienced. Chanderpaul's knock today with be something they can draw on throughout their careers - not just in this match.

So the WIndies stayed in the game with a deficit of only 119.

Enter Edwards and Powell once more. A nasty little session for openers, late in the day with fading light, quickly turned into a nasty little session for the middle order. Australia at 4 for 17 (and there's been two boundaries in that) and the West Indies well and truly in the box seat.

Edward and Powell didn't just bowl fast with movement, they bowled to obvious plans. They picked up Ponting at slip - a way he has been dismissed many times early in his innings. Jacques caught behind, by a beauty, Kattich caught on the crease for the easiest LBW decision a Test umpire will ever get and Hussey bowled - which seems to happen quite a bit, unusual for a batsman of his obvious class.

So the WIndies in the box seat. Everyone will be asking, "so who's turn is it to get them out of this one?" Well guess what, the usual suspects aren't there! There is no Gilchrist to come out and knock up 100 in 60 balls, no McGrath to cut a swathe through a top order, and no Warne to toss the ball to on Day 5 and sit back while the wickets crumble.

Interesting times! I sense the rest of the cricket world salivating at the prospect of a West Indies win here and without a new hero for Australia, it is well an truly on the cards.