Australia’s batting woes continue with poor start to second West Indies Test

Australia’s batting troubles continued after they slumped to 93-4 at lunch after winning the toss and opting to bat first on the first day of the second Test against West Indies in Grenada.

Captain Pat Cummins chose to take first dig at St George’s on Thursday (Friday AEST) as Australia hunt a series-clinching victory at a ground where they’ve never before played a Test match.

But even though Steve Smith made a remarkable return just 20 days after suffering a nasty compound dislocation of his finger, the stalwart was already back in the pavilion by lunch after being one of four batters dismissed.

He followed Usman Khawaja trapped leg before for 16 and Sam Konstas who was out for 25.

Travis Head and Cameron Green looked to have steadied things for the tourists before the big allrounder was caught by West Indies skipper Roston Chase off Jayden Seales for 26.

Australia, who won the first Test by 159 runs in Barbados, have lost only one of their last 22 men’s Tests against West Indies and victory at the island country’s National Stadium would be the 58th unique venue at which they have won a Test match.

With just one previous visit to Grenada for an ODI back in 2008, Australia will retain the Frank Worrell Trophy, which they have held since 1995, if they back up their 159-run win in the first Test.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald called it “a step into the unknown,” with just four Test matches played at St George’s.

And Cummins’ decision goes against the grain of recent history – all three previous Test victories at the ground have been earned by the side batting second on a surface that often produces help for pace rather than spin.

The 36-year-old Smith batted for almost an hour in his first training session since rejoining the Test squad last Sunday as he acclimatised to wearing a protective splint after dislocating his right little finger during the World Test Championship final.

He batted No 4 in the hope that he could bolster Australia’s top order with Josh Inglis, who played two poor shots to get out in the first Test win last week, missing out.

A win will give Australia their fourth straight series win after beating India (3-1) at home and Sri Lanka (2-0) and New Zealand (2-0) away.

For West Indies, Kraigg Brathwaite will become the 10th West Indies player to play 100 Test matches when he reaches the milestone in Grenada.

Six players have scored Test centuries in Grenada, including 32-year-old Brathwaite. Chris Gayle is the only player with a double-century.