Who walks out now?

We are all set to begin Day 3! The West Indies players are in a huddle where Roston Chase is giving them some instructions and motivation as well. They spread out to take their respective field positions. Cameron Green and Pat Cummins are the two overnight batters for Australia. Shamar Joseph to start proceedings with the ball. Let's play...

PITCH REPORT - Samuel Badree is pitchside. He begins by saying that while day three is usually known as the ‘moving day' in Test cricket, this match has already seen plenty of action. Adds that the pitch has been completely baked under the sun and looks a lot drier now compared to the first two days. Despite that, there’s still plenty of lateral movement on offer for the seamers. Points out an interesting pattern, while the seam movement remains fairly consistent throughout the day, the amount of swing nearly doubles during the evening session, making conditions far trickier under lights. Mentions that the surface still looks good for batting if players apply themselves, but with that extra movement in the air later in the day, batters will need to stay sharp. Notes that this could be very well the final day of this match as it has moved pretty fast.

Alzarri Joseph of the West Indies also shares a few words. He says that he is very proud of the way they have played. Adds that he tried to be a bit aggressive, especially to the senior batters. Mentions that his back is better now - it was a bit stiff on Day 2, but he is feeling good. Says that they need to pick up the remaining wickets as soon as possible. 

Josh Hazlewood of Australia is up for a quick chat ahead of the day’s play. He says he felt they did a great job of strangling the Windies, with all four quicks playing their roles perfectly and not giving away anything easy. Explains that bowling under lights brings extra assistance, as the ball swings more and zips off the surface quicker, which works in their favour. Adds that the pitches in this series have all offered something for the bowlers, with the first two Tests breaking up early and always keeping them in the game. Praises Cameron Green for his impact and control, calling him ‘awesome' with both ball and presence. Finishes by sharing their tactical plan to drag the batting deep into the evening session so they can make the most of the newer ball under lights.

Just In - Alex Carey will not take part in the Test match anymore, as he suffered a blow to his helmet yesterday and has been ruled out, and Josh Inglis will keep the wickets in place of him.

As for the conditions, the pitch has played true but has been tricky. It has variable bounce, seam movement, and the pink Dukes under lights have made life very difficult for batters. The outfield is quick, but runs haven’t come easily. The weather has stayed dry so far, with some humidity helping the ball swing, especially in the evenings. Stay tuned, as the action isn't far away!

Australia, despite holding the edge overall, have a few questions to answer. Their top order woes continue, with Khawaja and Konstas failing again. Smith looked good but couldn’t carry on, and Carey fell for a duck. It's been the middle and lower order bailing them out repeatedly, with Green playing a critical hand. Starc, Hazlewood, and Cummins have been relentless with the ball, and Boland’s inclusion has worked well. But with Ashes selection looming, the form of their top three remains a concern. They’ll hope Green and Cummins can push the lead past 250, which would be a tough chase for the hosts.

West Indies have finally shown some fire in this match. After a disappointing first innings with the bat, their bowlers brought them back into the game. Shamar Joseph, 2/26, and Alzarri Joseph, 3/19, were exceptional under lights, bowling with pace and control. Their fielding looked sharper, and their energy levels remained high throughout the final session of Day 2. What they need now is a composed batting display, something they’ve lacked all series. If they can restrict Australia's lead to under 220, a historic win under lights might just be on the cards.

Hello and welcome to Day 3 of this absorbing Pink-Ball Test between West Indies and Australia at Sabina Park, Kingston. The opening two days have been a rollercoaster. Australia batted first and posted 225, courtesy of good innings from Smith and Green, but they never looked in full control against some disciplined Windies bowling. In reply, West Indies started Day 2 at 16/1 but crumbled to 143 all out, losing seven wickets for just 70 runs in the middle session. Australia gained a handy 82-run lead. However, the Windies hit back hard late in the day, as they rocked Australia’s second innings, reducing them to 99/6 at stumps on Day 2. With a lead of 181, the Aussies are ahead, but the West Indies are right in it.

... DAY 3, SESSION 1 ...

Right then, Day 2 ends with the game finely poised. West Indies fought back hard in the final session, but Australia’s first-innings lead still gives them a cushion. With Cameron Green and Pat Cummins at the crease, the Aussies will look to stretch their lead beyond 220 and to even 250 tomorrow. Day 3 could well be the final day of this fast-moving Test match, as how first two days have been. The action for Day 3 will begin on Tuesday, 15th July at 6.30 PM GMT (previous day), but you can join us an hour before for all the pre-match buildup. Until then, take care! CIAO!

Shamar Joseph, one of the quicks of the West Indies, is up for a quick chat. He says that it was actually a lot of fun to bowl here under lights. Adds that they wanted to get seven wickets but got six - still, they are happy. Mentions that Darren Sammy just lets him do his thing, which is to hit the right areas and get wickets for the team. Says that he just loves performing, and doing that against a top side like Australia only gives him more confidence to do well. Ends by saying that anything under 200, they are comfortable chasing.

The first session was evenly matched but slightly in Australia’s favour. They managed to keep runs in check and picked up two wickets. The pitch offered just enough to keep the bowlers interested, and with consistent seam and variable bounce, batting looked far from easy. The second session saw a complete collapse of the Windies' innings. From 73/3 at Tea, they were bowled out for 143. Scott Boland picked up three, while Webster and Cummins finished the job with a couple of quick strikes. Windies lost seven wickets for 70 runs in just over 20 overs in the middle session, failing to provide any real fight. It was a collapse that handed Australia control, but what followed in their second innings balanced things out again.

Earlier in the day, Windies resumed their first innings at 16 for 1, but it was a grind. They lost two wickets before Tea and three more quickly after. Chase and Campbell showed some fight in the first hour, but Chase eventually fell to Cummins. The return of Campbell and Louis from injury was good news, but both couldn’t last long. Hope looked promising but was undone by Boland, and the middle-lower order crumbled under pressure. Windies folded for just 143 in 52.1 overs, giving Australia a first-innings lead of 82 runs.

Alzarri and Shamar were the stars with the ball. Their spells were hostile, accurate, and well-planned. Alzarri, in particular, looked unplayable at times with his short-pitched barrage. His aggressive approach got him the big wickets and unsettled the middle order. Even the last ball of the day was nearly carried to short leg, showing how intense his spell was. Shamar’s energy and discipline continued to trouble the Aussies as well. Justin Greaves chipped in too, picking up Head with a beautiful delivery and a superb catch from debutant Kevlon Anderson. The quicks were backed well in the field, and it looked like the Windies had put the Aussies under pressure throughout this last session.

The final session belonged to the Windies. They came out with a real purpose, especially Shamar Joseph, who dismissed both openers, Khawaja and Konstas, cheaply. Sam’s poor form continues, and Khawaja again failed to convert a start. Alzarri Joseph then took over and removed the biggest threat, Steve Smith, along with Beau Webster and Alex Carey for a duck as well. Australia were suddenly reeling at 69 for 6. Amidst the collapse, Cameron Green stood tall and tried to stitch things together. He survived a run-out and a couple of lucky edges, but held firm with skipper, Cummins, who is giving him good support at the other end. The Aussies will need this partnership to stretch on Day 3 if they want to give a big target to the Windies in the fourth inning.

Day 2 came to an end with West Indies slightly ahead in the final session, but Australia still holding a comfortable overall lead of 181 runs. The Windies bowlers made life difficult for the Aussie batters under fading light and a lively pitch, picking up six wickets before stumps. After being bowled out for 143 earlier in the day, West Indies came out firing with the ball, led by Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph. Australia’s second innings didn’t start well, and they struggled to build partnerships. Still, with this considerable lead and Green unbeaten at the crease, Australia will believe they’re ahead in this low-scoring contest. It was a day full of twists, dominated by pace, pressure, and moments of brilliance from both sides.