Smith, Lyon shines’ as Australia takes upper hand over West Indies on Day-2

Smith, Lyon shines’ as Australia takes upper hand over West Indies on Day-2: Nathan Lyon shines with the ball to become Australia’s leading off-spinner of all time, as the tourists took full control in the second test at Kingston. Steve Smith’s 199 set up Australia’s first-innings total of 399 before Lyon claimed 3-35 as the Windies limped to 8-143 at stumps on day two.

Smith was undone by a swinging Yorker dipping into his pads from Jerome Taylor, just one short of his first double hundred in test cricket. Smith became only the third Aussie to enter the ‘Unwanted Club’ getting out on 199 after Steve Waugh and Mathew Elliott.

While Lyon’s haul took him past Hugh Tremble’s 111-year-old mark of 141 test wickets by an Australian off-spinner. The 27-year-old has 144 scalps in 41 tests. Josh Hazlewood also bowled with good control and proved handy with figures of 3-15; he grabbed the vital wicket of Jermaine Blackwood (51) just before stumps.

Lyon removed Kraigg Braithwaite and Darren Bravo leaving Windes at 3-25 before the tea.  His third came in bizarre manner with youngster Shai Hope edging the ball between Brad Haddin’s thighs and the Australian wicketkeeper shut his legs quick enough to complete the catch. The two left-arm pacers Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson bag a wicket each.

Resuming on 258-4, Australia was bundled out for 399 as Jerome Taylor finished with the figures of 6-47, which also shortened Smith’s knock at 199. This was Taylor’s best bowling spell in test cricket. The Jamaican quick claimed the wicket of Shane Watson (25) and Brad Haddin (22) to secure his third test five-wicket haul at Sabina Park.

Jason Holder finished with 2-64 while paceman Kemar Roach (1-113) and left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul (1-124) were both expensive for the home side.

Brief Score:

Australia: 399/10 (Smith 199, Taylor 6-47)

West Indies: 143 for 8 (Hazlewood 3-15, Lyon 3-35) trail by 256 runs.