Hilfenhaus

Brisbane: Visiting West Indies slumped to an innings and 65 runs on the third day of the first Test against Australia here Saturday.

Youngster Adrian Barath’s 104 went in vain as the Chris Gayle-led side were bundled out for 187 in their second innings. Barring Barath, none of the West Indies batsmen managed to put up a decent score on the board. Dwayne Bravo scored 23 to be the next highest scorer for the Windies.

For the hosts, Ben Hilfenhaus scalped three for 20. Shane Watson and Nathan Hauritz picked up two wickets each while Peter Siddle, Mitchell Johnson and Michael Hussey grabbed a wicket each.

According to cricinfo, the 19-year-old Barath became the youngest West Indian to score a Test century. Barath dwarfed and embarrassed his high-profile teammates with his magnificent century.

Earlier in the day, the West Indies, resuming at 134 for five, were dismissed for 228 before lunch. The Windies, therefore, lost 15 wickets for 280 in 76.1 overs of a horrible third day.

Ricky Ponting had enforced the follow-on for only the third time in his 63-match captaincy career.

Needing 252 to force a second Australian innings, the West Indies started badly and were reduced to 39 for three with two of their main men — Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul — back in the pavilion.

Gayle was trapped in front by Hilfenhaus in similar circumstances to his dismissal on the second day, with his call for a review not changing the decision. Chanderpaul felt compelled to pull off Hilfenhaus, top edging to Simon Katich behind square leg.

Barath was taking on the impossible task of saving the game and stood up to his big-name opponents with a spirited innings that included 19 fours in only 137 balls.

In the first innings Barath scored 15 and followed up with a display that gained in confidence the longer it went on. He had so much faith in his ability that when he was given out lbw to Shane Watson he called for West Indies' second review himself. But he still had to go.

There was little else for the West Indies to cheer. Bravo pulled the part-timer Hussey to Hilfenhaus at deep backward square to give the bowler his second Test wicket.