NEW DELHI: Steve Smith steered
Australia
to a promising position, with the team reaching 60-2 at stumps on the third day of the second Test against the West Indies in Brisbane on Saturday.
With a target of 156 runs remaining for victory and eight wickets in hand, Australia is on the verge of a clean sweep in the two-Test series.
As the day concluded, Smith stood at 33 runs, accompanied by a struggling Cameron Green at 9.
The outlook for Australia's pursuit of victory may be overshadowed by the forecast of heavy rain predicted for the next two days.
Australia completed the dismissal of the West Indies' second innings for 193 shortly after the tea break. The closure occurred when No.11 batsman Shamar Joseph had to leave the field due to injury after being struck on the toe by a bouncer from Mitchell Starc.
Following the incident, Joseph underwent scans on Saturday night, and it appears unlikely that he will be able to bowl in the second innings.
The West Indies went into the final session six wickets down, but lost the last fours, including Joseph, for just 10 runs.
Chasing 216 for victory, Australia lost an early wicket when
Usman Khawaja
was caught down the leg side off Alzarri Joseph.
Marnus Labuschagne, who has had a lean summer, failed for the second time this match, edging Justin Greaves to third slip where Kevin Sinclair took a sharp catch to leave Australia 42-2.
On an oppressively hot and humid afternoon in Brisbane, Australia's pace bowlers were forced into three-over spells throughout the day, followed by time off the field to recover.
Every time a dangerous partnership started to develop, Australia managed to take a wicket to keep the deficit in check.
After resuming Saturday at 13-1, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite and No.3 Kirk McKenzie were intent on keeping the Australians in the field as long as possible.
McKenzie in particular looked in great touch as he punished anything loose from the Australian pace attack.
Brathwaite was not as fluent and after scraping his way to 16, he played a poor shot to an innocuous Green delivery and chipped a simple catch to Labuschagne at cover.
However, he and McKenzie had put on a 50-run partnership to lay a good foundation for the visitors.
McKenzie has had a good tour and the stylish left-hander moved comfortably to 41 before he tried to sweep off-spinner Nathan Lyon and was trapped leg before, leaving the West Indies 86-3.
Alick Athanaze
and
Kavem Hodge
consolidated and reached the first break with few troubles.
Lyon struck again after dinner, drawing an edge from Athanaze (35) before a brilliant piece of fielding from Travis Head saw Hodge run out for 29.
Hodge moved forward and played the ball straight to Head at short leg, who flicked the ball onto the stumps and although Hodge's bat was over the line, it had bounced up and was in the air when the stumps were broken.
First innings top-scorer Joshua Da Silva didn't last long, caught by Green on the second attempt off Starc to leave the West Indies 157-6, 179 runs in front.
But any hope of setting a really big target faded with the post-tea collapse.
(With inputs from AFP)
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