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“The lone warrior”, Twitter reacts as Kraigg Brathwaite has scored all the last 11 centuries by a West Indies test opening batsman

Photo of Rohit Sarkar Rohit SarkarDecember 3, 2022
1,218 2 minutes read
"The lone warrior", Twitter reacts as Kraigg Brathwaite has scored all the last 11 centuries by a West Indies test opening batsman

After a lively fourth day in Perth, the series opener between hosts Australia and the West Indies was headed for a tense finish. After Marnus Labuschagne scored a double century in the first innings, he scored another hundred to give Australia a commanding lead. However, Caribbean captain Kraigg Brathwaite scored a hundred in response to keep his team in the game.

In the morning session, the Australians added to their dominating lead with quick runs from experienced opener David Warner and rising star Marnus Labuschagne in the batting order. The southpaw was two runs shy of a deserving half-century. Labuschagne, though, resumed his onslaught on the Windies bowlers after surviving a tough bowling stint from Alzarri Joseph thanks to some good fortune.

After scoring a double century in the first innings, the 28-year-old went on to score a century in the second, making him just the seventh batsman to score both a double and a century in the same Test match. Putting Australia in command with a big 497-run advantage, his swashbuckling 104* off just 110 deliveries.

The Windies were well aware of the difficulty of their job, having to bat for almost two days in the face of a dangerous Australian bowling assault in order to avoid losing the first game of the series. With Australian captain Pat Cummins out with a quadriceps injury, though, the task at hand seemed somewhat less daunting.

The West Indian openers put up a good 116-run opening stand, frustrating Steve Smith, who was filling in for the injured Cummins. Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who batted magnificently in his Test debut, was dismissed for 45 after hitting a careless shot from Mitchell Starc.

After a brief time at the crease, Shamarh Brooks was dismissed by the Australian bowlers in the fourth innings. However, Windies captain Kraigg Brathwaite scuppered their hopes by maintaining the same brilliant form he showed in the first innings. The game was still in the balance until the game’s opening showed remarkable resolve by batting into the fourth inning and scoring a century, which helped his side avoid elimination.

Australian bowlers struggled for another scalp, and their hard work paid off when Labuschagne caught a one-handed stunner to give Australia a much-needed breakthrough before the day’s play ended. The West Indies finished the day on 192/3 with one day of play remaining. Australia has a slim lead going into the final day, but it should be a nail-biter thanks to Kraigg Brathwaite’s solid innings and Pat Cummins’ injury.

Ian Bishop posted on Twitter: “Last 11 test centuries by a West Indies opening batsman; all to Kraigg Brathwaite. Let’s his bat do the talking always.”

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Photo of Rohit Sarkar Rohit SarkarDecember 3, 2022
1,218 2 minutes read
Photo of Rohit Sarkar

Rohit Sarkar

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