Third Test, Adelaide, day one (close): West Indies 352-7 v Australia
West Indies restored pride following two heavy defeats by Australia as Brian Lara's brilliant century led them to 352-7 in the third Test at Adelaide. Lara became only the second batsman in history to pass 11,000 Test runs and was 202 not out at the end of day one.
Brett Lee reduced West Indies to 53-3 but Australia could not contain Lara, whose recent form had been poor.
In a near flawless display, he reached his double century two overs before the close with his 20th boundary.
He was given a standing ovation by the crowd after ferociously pulling a short ball from Lee through mid-wicket and needs only 11 more runs to overtake Allan Border as the highest run scorer in Test history.
West Indies went into the game without Chris Gayle, who recently underwent surgery to correct a rapid heart beat, and injured Marlon Samuels.
And they soon found themselves in trouble after skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul won the toss and chose to bat when Gayle's replacement, Wavell Hinds, was caught at gully off Lee for 10.
Opening partner Smith departed in similar fashion in the same over for seven and when Ramnaresh Sarwan (16) hooked a bouncer to Andrew Symonds at fine leg, the pressure was on Lara to lead a recovery.
After only 102 runs in four innings in the first two Tests, with a highest score of 45, he took time to play himself in before raising the tempo.
Chanderpaul contributed 25 before he edged a ball from Symonds to the keeper, but Lara found a reliable ally in fellow Trinidadian Dwayne Bravo as they added 116 for the fifth wicket.
 Justin Langer congratulates Lara at the close of play |
Bravo batted with the confidence of a man who made a century in the second day at Hobart.
On 34, however, he played across the line to spinner Stuart MacGill and a leading edge was taken at cover by home skipper Ricky Ponting.
Dwayne Smith became MacGill's second victim when he was caught at mid-wicket for 14, but Denesh Ramdin shared a partnership of 70 with Lara before he fell lbw to Glenn McGrath for 27.
With time running out in the day, Lee decided to test out Lara with some short-pitched bowling from round the wicket.
The challenge was answered with two fours in the space of three balls as the left-hander passed 200 for the eighth time in a Test match.
Lee (3-96) should have had another wicket in the final over, only for McGrath to spill a straightforward chance when Daren Powell top edged an ambitious hook shot.
Australia: R Ponting (capt), J Langer, M Hayden, M Hussey, B Hodge, A Symonds, A Gilchrist (wkt), S Warne, B Lee, S MacGill, G McGrath.
West Indies (from): S Chanderpaul (capt), R Sarwan, Devon Smith, W Hinds, B Lara, Dwayne Smith, D Bravo, D Ramdin (wkt), D Powell, F Edwards, J Lawson, C Collymore.
MMIX
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