Windies collapse puts Australia on top

Travis Dowlin was the only West Indies batsman to offer any real resistance against Australia with an unbeaten 40

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West Indies’ top order collapsed on day two of the first Test against Australia to put the hosts in total control at the Gabba.

Windies captain Chris Gayle ensured the tourists made a positive start to their innings but a shocking slump saw his side stutter from 49 without loss to 63 for four in the space of five overs.

Brendan Nash (18) and late call-up Travis Dowlin (40 not out) staged something of a recovery in a 33-run stand, but the removal of Nash saw the tourists finish on 134 for five at the end of play.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting earlier declared in the middle of the second session when Nathan Hauritz's maiden half-century lifted his side's total to an imposing 480 for eight, meaning the Windies still trail by 346 runs.

Gayle and Adrian Barath (15) reached tea in flamboyant style - with Peter Siddle replaced by Mitchell Johnson after his two overs leaked 19 runs - but the freefall started in the seventh over after the break.

Left-hander Gayle was the first to go when he was rapped on the pads while playing back to a good-length ball from Ben Hilfenhaus.

Gayle asked for a review of umpire Ian Gould's lbw decision under the ICC's recently introduced decision review system, but replays confirmed he was plum in front.

Barath followed the very next over when Johnson tempted him into an ill-fated off-drive that saw Shane Watson snaffle a fine catch at third slip.

The reintroduction of Siddle shortly after brought about the downfall of Shivnarine Chanderpaul (two) before all-rounder Dwayne Bravo completed the collapse when he departed for a second-ball duck to give Johnson figures of 2-14 at the time.

They were soon muddied by Australia-born Nash, who provided one of the colourful moments of the day when he crashed a boundary off one of a barrage of bouncers that were sent down by his former team-mate and housemate.

Nash looked solid but was eventually undone by a loose stroke to a short ball from Watson.

The only sour point for Australia was a grassed catch by Ponting, who was unable to pouch a standard edge provided by Dowlin when he was on seven.

Ben Hilfenhaus dismisses Chris Gayle leg-before to spark a West Indies collapse at the Gabba in the first Test

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Dowlin, who was only called into the side shortly before the toss when veteran batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan failed to overcome a back injury, guided his side to stumps alongside wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin but the pair face a difficult job on day three.

Earlier Marcus North, with 79, was denied a century in his first Test on Australian soil, but Hauritz's highest score at international level pushed the hosts' total past 450.

North shared in a crucial 84-run stand with Brad Haddin, but their efforts were comfortably overshadowed by the clean hitting of Hauritz.

Hauritz, playing his first Test at the ground he once called home, made the tourists pay full price for offering him a reprieve when he was on five and the score was 393 for seven.

Hauritz joined Ponting (55), Simon Katich (92), Michael Hussey (66) and North as Australia's half-centurions, and did it in some kind of style.

The tail-ender punished anything short, with three sizzling pull-shots the highlight of his 90-ball stay at the crease.

Such was Hauritz's flair that when he and North brought up their 50-run stand, the West Australian had contributed just nine runs despite being at the crease for the better part of four hours.

The tourists dismissed Haddin (38) and Johnson in the opening session - a fair result considering the loss of spearhead Jerome Taylor.

Johnson's dismissal gave the DRS - in use for the first time in Australia - its first serious workout in Brisbane.

The DRS was brought into play shortly before lunch in the opening session when Johnson asked for a review after umpire Ian Gould adjudicated he was out edging to Ramdin.

Third umpire Mark Benson studied the slow-motion replay, hotspot technology, and the on-field microphone's recording, but did not find enough evidence to overturn Gould's decision.

The rules of the DRS state that the benefit of the doubt must be given to the on-field umpire, and while replays suggested Johnson did in fact miss the ball, the evidence was not conclusive enough.

However as has been the case for much of the first two days, the visitors were unable to sustain the pressure.