1st Test: Labuschagne century puts Australia in charge against West Indies | Cricket News – Times of India

“Whenever you finish a day nearing 300, only losing two wickets, (it means) the batters have got in,” Labuschagne said.
“If you’re patient and you’ve got a good process, you can score big runs.”
David Warner waited until the fourth over to play a shot in anger, pulling fast bowler Jayden Searles (1-63) to the fence. The opener chopped the next ball on to his stumps though, departing for five.
The tourists were then made to toil as Labuschagne slowly settled in with Usman Khawaja. The pair comfortably worked the ball around the defensive field, taking few risks to reach 72-1 at lunch.
When both Queenslanders passed fifty, visiting captain Kraigg Brathwaite was left searching for answers as he tried six different bowlers.
It was all-rounder Kyle Mayers (1-24) who gave the islanders a much-needed breakthrough before tea, ending the century partnership when he seamed a delivery away from Khawaja (65) into the hands of wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva.
In a sign that he was in for a good day, Labuschagne evaded the fielders three times in the second session with streaky shots that could easily have been his downfall but instead rolled to the boundary.
The combination of lethargic fielding and a flattening pitch allowed the 28-year-old to bat more fluently as the day wore on.
In the 67th over he cut Seales for four and celebrated his eighth Test ton by cradling the bat to mark the recent birth of his daughter.
A sharp diving chance missed by debutant Tagenarine Chanderpaul in the deep and a failed lbw review off Kemar Roach in the final overs of the day ensured Smith and Labuschagne’s 142-run stand remained unbroken.
The two-Test series includes a pink-ball match in Adelaide starting Dec. 8.