Pat Cummins of Australia takes his 200th wicket in a Test match as the West Indies fall apart

Pat Cummins got his 200th wicket on Friday as Australia took control of the first Test match in Perth. After bowling out a determined West Indies side, Australia added additional runs to their total and increased their lead to a commanding 344 runs.

After the hosts had declared their first innings at 598-4 after Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith both scored double century, the visitors were all out for 283 in the closing session of day three. This came after the hosts had declared their first innings.

David Warner, who was on 17, and Labuschagne, who was on three, then pounded home Australia’s advantage when they elected against the follow on to bat again, with Usman Khawaja being the sole casualty, out for five as they reached 29-1 in their innings.

In order to explain the choice to bat once more, the captain, Cummins, stated that “you always bowl better when you’re slightly fresher,” and that there are “actually not too many circumstances” in which continuing to bowl after the previous innings is a viable option.

“Today, I got the impression that all of the boys did a great job of staying on task. Even in the first session, we did not actually obtain any awards, but I still had the impression that we were making progress. Joyful everyone persevered with it “he added.

The West Indies started the game on 74-0 and made it to lunch with only the loss of Tagenarine Chanderpaul for 51, who was making his debut, and Nkrumah Bonner, who retired hurt after taking a blow to the head from a Cameron Green delivery. The West Indies have not won a test match on Australian soil in the past 25 years.

However, just after the interval, Cummins bowled fellow skipper and potential threat Kraigg Brathwaite for 64. This was Pat Cummins’ 200th Test wicket, and the result was a swing in momentum back toward Australia’s favour.

The second session saw a total of three wickets fall before Mitchell Starc took the new ball and made himself nearly unplayable by claiming the wickets of Kyle Mayers and Joshua Da Silva in his first four deliveries.

Green was forced to enter the fray for a second time, and he eliminated the obstinate Shamarh Brooks, who was filling in for Bonner due to a head injury. However, their team still ended up losing 6-38. Cummins had three wickets for 34 runs, while Starc had five for 51, but Australia also bowled 38 extras and an astounding 27 leg byes.

“Have 300 or more runs as a lead, it might be a bit out of our reach to earn a win,” Brooks said, referring to the game’s current score.

“At this point, all we can do is make an effort to place as many limitations on them as we can. In all likelihood, I believe that we will have three or four more sessions (batting for a draw). It seems likely that they will provide us with it.”

Before stumps on Thursday, Brathwaite and Chanderpaul, who was making his first-ever appearance but is the son of the legendary West Indian cricketer Shivnarine, had successfully navigated 25 difficult overs.

Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood all bowled too short, according to Starc, and they made adjustments to their delivery on Friday.

It was immediately profitable, as Hazlewood was able to remove a nick from Chanderpaul’s bat in the first over, and David Warner was able to grab it without much difficulty at slip.

Chanderpaul was bowled for 51 just one ball after he got his first fifty in a test match, which was an opportunity for him to display his ability.

Brathwaite, who restarted his innings on 18, showed plenty of grit and battle to bring up his 28th Test half-century. Cummins was a persistent threat, routinely hitting the bat, but Brathwaite showed enough of determination to bring up his half-century.

But he did not have an answer for Cummins when he bowled a superb pitch that crashed into his off stump in the fourth over after lunch. This ended his innings, which had lasted 166 balls.

Bonner received a blow to the head on the number eight, but he continued playing with a new helmet after receiving treatment for the next six overs, scoring an additional eight runs before eventually leaving the field.