W Indies dig in to make 146-4 at tea on day 4 vs Australia
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Australia's bowlers took three hard-fought wickets in the second session Tuesday as the West Indies reached 146-4 at tea in its improbable chase of 460 on the fourth day of the second test.
With Australia in control, the West Indies batsmen were determined not to give their wickets away at the Melbourne Cricket Ground while denying the hosts a quick win ahead of the third and final test next week.
After Kraigg Brathwaite (31) provided the only wicket of the morning session, Peter Siddle made the second-session breakthrough when he had Darren Bravo caught behind for 21 with a fullish outswinging delivery. Bravo, who anchored the West Indies' tenacious first innings, faced 61 balls in his watchful second-innings knock.
Rajendra Chandrika opened up and played his shots before falling lbw to James Pattinson for a test career-best 37 and Marlon Samuels opened up to make a rare boundary before being caught behind for 19 off Mitchell Marsh. Samuels took 16 balls to get off the mark.
Denesh Ramdin was on 19 with Jermaine Blackwood on 16 at the break.
Australia declared its second innings on the overnight score of 179-3 but its hopes of a quick victory were hit by more sloppy bowling when Bravo edged a ball to slip just before lunch only for replays to show Josh Hazelwood overstepped. It was the third time in the match the West Indies had benefited from such a reprieve.
James Pattinson squandered two dismissals of Carlos Brathwaite due to no balls Monday to significantly prolong the West Indies innings and deny Australia a possible three-day victory.
