For the West Indies to chase down the huge Australian total, they needed an explosive start. But Chris Gayle, the tall left-hander most qualified for the role, just didn’t seem in the mood.

With the overnight rain and the match forced into the reserve day, the Australian pace bowlers got a fresh and lively track to bowl on. Though Nathan Bracken and Shaun Tait were wayward to begin with (five wides in first 4 overs), the new-ball duo did enough to sow doubts in the batsmen’s minds.

Tait made the ball fizz past Gayle, and had the batsman playing tentatively. The hold of the Aussie pacemen was evident in the fact that Gayle, who normally doesn’t need an invitation to slog the ball, opened his account on the 11th ball. Compounding West Indies’ problems was the agile fielding in the circle, which made the batsmen earn every single.

Despite looking the more comfortable of the two, it was Shivnarine Chanderpaul who was the first to be dismissed.

Tait followed up a big out-swinger with a ball that swung back in fractionally from good, rapping Chanderpaul on the pads. Umpire Aleem Dar upheld the appeal, though hawk eye showed the ball would’ve missed the off-stump by a good two inches. Chanderpaul falling around the ball could’ve gone against him here (11-1).

Photographs: Getty Images

Next