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Aus vs WI 1st Test: Four top performers from the first match as Australia take 1-0 lead

Australia registered a 164-run win over the West Indies in the first test in Perth. The hosts are 1-0 up in the series and the final test will be played in Adelaide.

Australia

Australia registered a 164-run win over the West Indies in the first test in Perth. The hosts are 1-0 up in the series and the final test will be played in Adelaide.

Australia piled up a massive 598 runs in their 1st inning. West Indies were bundled out for 283 in their first, and then the Aussies set a target of 497 for the West Indies. The visitors fought hard in the second but only managed to score 333 runs.

Here we take a look at four standout players from the first match-

Nathan Lyon:

Nathan Lyon weaved his spinning magic on the final day of the match. He picked up a couple of wickets in the first inning, but stamped his authority in the second inning on the final day. The off-spinner picked up 6 wickets to cripple the WI batting, picking up the wickets of Shamarh Brooks, Jermaine Blackwood and Kraigg Brathwaite in the process. Brathwaite was cleaned up early in the final day and that broke the back of the West Indies run chase. In the end, Lyon finished the match with the stats of 8 for 189 in the match.

Nathan Lyon

Steve Smith:

Steve Smith, the ever dependable batter of Australia showed his class in the first innings and scored an unbeaten double hundred (200* in 311 balls). His innings was composed and together with Marnus Labuschagne, the pair added 251 runs. Smith steered his team to a mammoth total with the bat, and then took up captaincy duties as skipper Pat Cummins left the match halfway with injury.

Smith expertly guided his team to a win in the second innings and is expected to lead them in the next test as well.

Kraigg Brathwaite:

Kraigg Brathwaite is the only bright spark for the visitors from the first match. The WI skipper led his team from the front and was the highest run getter for them in both innings. He scored 64 in the first, and then followed it up with a 110 in the second.

Kraigg Brathwaite

The 30-year-old has been a constant performer in the longer format and will be hoping for some more assistance from his teammates in the next match. West Indies could only pick 6 Aussie wickets after bowling more than 189 overs, that will concern him as a captain, but his individual performance was brilliant.

Marnus Labuschagne:

Marnus Labuschagne is the star of the match. He scored 204 runs (350 balls, 20 fours and 1 six) in the first inning, and continued his free-flowing batting in the second innings as well. He scored 104 as Australia batted for the second time, this time at a lot faster rate (110 balls, 13 fours and 2 sixes).

The player was largely untroubled by the WI bowling, but even when he was in the backfoot, the 28-year-old weathered the storm and continued his merry way. He has joined many legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, Kumar Sangakkara and others in the club of players scoring a double hundred and a hundred in the same match. His flawless batting earned him the Man of the Match award.

Marnus Labuschagne

"The ground is similar to the one in Brisbane, playing on bouncy wickets helps. It was nice to play on a very nice wicket. Coming in early, the ball was nipping around, so the first innings knock (double ton) is my favourite," Labuschagne said after the match.

Story first published: Sunday, December 4, 2022, 16:31 [IST]
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