Seales’ late strikes, King’s 75 puts Australia under pressure

Jul 05, 2025 Sports

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(ESPN Cricinfo) – A dramatic conclusion to the second day in Grenada put Australia under severe pressure as Jayden Seales removed both openers after West Indies had limited their deficit to 33. Australia’s bowlers shared the success but Brandon King’s maiden Test fifty and lower-order resistance lifted the home side before the visitors’ top-order was put under the pump again.

West Indies had extended their first innings to the point that Australia had an awkward 35 minutes before the close. Sam Konstas couldn’t make it to the end of the first over. Looking to force through the off side from the back foot, playing away from his body, he dragged into his stumps to leave much for him to ponder ahead of the final Test in Jamaica.

It was tough against the new ball. Cameron Green’s first delivery reared at him at hit the shoulder of the bat as he tried to avoid it but it landed short of the slips. Then Usman Khawaja received one that scuttled from Shamar Joseph but wasn’t straight. However, in Seales’ next over Khawaja was caught on the crease from round the wicket, a familiar line of attack that has troubled him, and was plumb lbw – burning a review in desperation.

Green and nightwatcher Nathan Lyon, who took a blow on the arm in the dying moments of the day, were able to make it through to stumps but Australia were sitting far from comfortably.

West Indies had been twice building a foothold in their innings at 111 for 3 and then 169 for 4 – the latter after a promising stand was formed between King and Shai Hope. Pat Cummins, who earlier in the day claimed a stunning caught-and-bowled to remove Keacy Carty, broke through at a key time and further swift wickets left the home side well behind.

However, Alzarri and Shamar Joseph added 51, a stand littered with some powerful hitting, before the last-wicket pair of Seales and Anderson Phillip survived 10 overs. Travis Head ended the innings with the day’s third return catch, a sharp low effort. Unlike in Barbados, batting did appear more comfortable when the ball got softer although there remained assistance for the quicks, and signs of unevenness. Lyon, who sent down a 17-over spell, also extracted some bounce.

Bad light had denied Australia the chance of a quick burst at West Indies’ top order the previous night but they wasted little time in making inroads in the morning when Josh Hazlewood held a low return catch to dismiss Kraigg Brathwaite for a duck in his 100th Test. It meant three single-figure scores for Brathwaite in the series and while the landmark Test is a fine achievement there are significant questions around his output.

For just the eighth time in Test history, the first two wickets of an innings fell to return catches – although that phrasing hardly does justice to Cummins’ outstanding effort. Carty got an inside edge into his pad which looped towards the vacant short leg area; Cummins changed direction in his follow through, made it to the other side of the pitch, dived and got his right hand under the ball – as confirmed by the TV umpire. It was a breathtaking piece of athleticism from Australia’s captain.

John Campbell had taken an aggressive route, riding some luck and profiting from the positive mindset which included a pulled six off Hazlewood. But his dismissal was a soft one, walking down the pitch at Beau Webster and looking to clear the on side but only finding mid-on.

King, who showed his strength through the off side, and captain Roston Chase took West Indies through to lunch without further loss, with King taking on Lyon with two boundaries in the last over of the session. But in the first over after the break, Hazlewood earned an lbw against Chase when Australia correctly opted to use a review.

West Indies initially took the honours in the afternoon session during a proactive stand of 58 between King and Hope. King took on a short delivery from Hazlewood and pulled him over midwicket for six on the way to a 77-ball half-century, brought up with a slash against Mitchell Starc. His absorbing contest with Lyon continued, too, when he danced down the pitch and deposited him straight for two sixes.

It was a threatening stand for Australia but as so often, Cummins struck when needed. It was a wonderful set-up of Hope: the ball before he had made one straighten to beat the outside edge, then nipped one back between bat and pad with Hope’s feet stuck in the crease.

Next over, King’s impressive innings ended when gloved a delivery with extra bounce from Lyon down the leg side. Initially given not out on the field, Green at midwicket was convinced it had been touched and Steven Smith, at the time in charge with Cummins off the field, called for the DRS.

When Justin Greaves got an inside edge into his pad that popped up to Alex Carey, Australia appeared set for a significant lead but the stand between the Josephs cut into that. They thought the innings was over on 247 when Phillip was given lbw sweeping at Lyon but it had turned too much and was missing leg.

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• Brandon King, Jayden Seales, Sam Konstas, Test cricket, West Indies vs Australia

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