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Cricket

'What a way to kick off' - Fans react as Australia thrash West Indies by 10 wickets in first Test

Travis Head with the bat and Josh Hazlewood with the ball led the charge for the defending champions. The former won Player of the Match for his sensational hundred in the first innings.

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Mathew K
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AUS vs WI 1st Test

AUS vs WI 1st Test

A dismal start for West Indies to their 2024 multi-format tour of Australia. The hosts annihilated them by 10 wickets in the first Test to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. It took just two days and one session to determine the winners at the Adelaide Oval, making for a boring weekend for fans. With this win, Australia extended their lead in the 2023-25 ​​World Test Championship (WTC) points table.

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Travis Head with the bat and Josh Hazlewood with the ball led the charge for the defending champions. Batting in response to Australia's 95-run first-innings lead, the visitors were in danger of an innings defeat as they trailed by 25 runs with four wickets remaining at Stumps on Day 2. The Caribbean side was 94-9 but a 26-run partnership between Kemar Roach and Shamar Joseph invited Australia to bat again on Friday for a chase of just 26 runs. 

Earlier, after putting into bat first, Windies were bowled out for 188 runs in their first innings. Apart from Kirk McKenzie's half-century and last batter Joseph's heroic 36 off 41 balls, there were no other takeaways for their batting unit. Hazlewood and skipper Pat Cummins wreaked havoc as the pace dup combined for 8 wickets (four wickets each) in the process. 

The West Indies bowling attack, led by Joseph, displayed an impressive performance, but Travis Head once again stood tall when his team struggled. Usman Khawaja's 111-ball 45 was only the notable contribution from the top order. When wickets continued to fall at one end, Head played a sensational knock to smash his seventh Test century (119 off 134 balls). Joseph, who started his Test career with the wicket of Steve Smith on his very first ball, finished with a fifer. 

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Hazlewood explodes Windies batting line-up

West Indies' second innings was far worse than their first as they were bowled out for just 120 in 35.2 overs. McKenzie was again their top scorer with 26 off 35 balls. Hazlewood rattled the opposition batting unit with a five-for and finished with a 9-wicket haul. Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc took two wickets each. 

Chasing 26 runs on Day 3, Australia romped home in 6.4 overs with Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne remaining unbeaten. However, they suffered a huge blow after Khawaja had to retire hurt on 9 after a nasty bounce from Joseph hit the southpaw's helmet. Unwilling to take any risk, he left without waiting to finish the game. The second and final Test will begin on Thursday, January 25 at the Gabba in Brisbane.

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Here's how fans reacted to Australia's resounding win over West Indies in the first Test: 

Australia featured West Indies