BRISBANE, Australia, Jan 26, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Australia took the late 
wicket of Tagenarine Chanderpaul to even the contest after a fascinating 
second day's play in the second Test against the West Indies in Brisbane on 
Friday.

At stumps, the West Indies were 13-1, a lead of 35 runs, after Chanderpaul 
was given out on review for the faintest of edges off Josh Hazlewood in the 
last over of the night.

After bowling the West Indies out for 311 in their first innings midway 
through the opening session of the day-night Test, Australia staged a lower 
innings recovery, allowing captain Pat Cummins to declare at 289-9 late in 
the night session.

That decision paid off with the late dismissal of Chanderpaul.

The Australians had got away to a disastrous start to their first innings and 
were reduced to 24-4 and 54-5.

They were rescued by a counterattacking innings from wicketkeeper Alex Carey, 
who smashed 65 from just 49 balls.

When Carey was dismissed with the score on 150, the Australians were still 
161 runs behind and the West Indies looked certain to take a big lead into 
the second innings.

But Cummins had other ideas and he and Usman Khawaja (75) took Australia to 
242 before the opener edged to first slip to become off-spinner Kevin 
Sinclair's first Test wicket.

The dismissal sparked a spectacular celebration from Sinclair that included a 
sprint to cover followed by a round-off and back somersault.

Khawaja's wicket was the signal for Cummins to go even further on the attack 
and he raced to his highest Test score of 64 in an innings that combined 
regulation cricket shots with agricultural swipes.

When Nathan Lyon edged Alzarri Joseph to wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva to 
become the ninth wicket down, Cummins had had enough and declared to allow 
his bowlers 35 minutes under lights at the West Indians.

Earlier, Kemar Roach rocked the Australians with three quick wickets as the 
West Indies dismissed Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green and 
Travis Head before dinner, leaving the Australian reply in tatters.

After hitting a beautiful straight drive off Roach to the boundary in the 
opening over, Smith was hit on the pad next ball, drawing a huge appeal from 
the West Indies.

Umpire Nitin Menon said not out but the West Indies reviewed immediately and 
replays showed the ball would have crashed into middle stump, leaving 
Australia 6-1.

It was 11-2 in the next over when Labuschagne got a thick edge to fourth slip 
off Joseph, where Kevin Sinclair took a brilliant diving catch to his right.

Green drove Roach on the up to give a simple catch to Kraigg Brathwaite at 
mid-off, before Head, who smashed a brilliant 119 in the first Test, was out 
first ball, tickling a delivery down the leg side.

Mitchell Marsh smashed his way to 21 off just 19 balls but on his 20th, he 
miscued a pull shot and got a leading edge to mid-off, giving Joseph his 
second wicket and leaving Australia 54-5.

But like the West Indian first innings, the lower half of the table were able 
to recover and put the Australians back in the game.