Aussie spinners peg Windies back in rain

SYDNEY: Australia’s spinners Nathan Lyon and Stephen O’keefe took key wickets between rain showers to peg West Indies back to 207 for six at the end of a weatherdisrupted opening day of the dead rubber third Test on Sunday.

More than two hours and 45 minutes of play were lost to rain in a stop-start day at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), where the tourists fell away in the early evening gloom after winning the toss and making a solid start.

Denesh Ramdin, unbeaten on 23, and Carlos Brathwaite (35 not out) will resume on day two, weather permitting.

The hosts had rolled the dice on the twin spin attack at the SCG for the first time in a decade and got their reward when Lyon and O’keefe got plenty of turn off a straw-coloured wicket.

Off-spinner Lyon (2-68) produced a stunning delivery that pitched wide and turned in to take the bail off Jermaine Blackwood’s off stump for 10 and returned after the second rain break to remove dangerman Kraigg Brathwaite for 85.

Left-arm orthodox spinner O’keefe (1-42) then pitched in to have West Indies captain Jason Holder caught superbly at short leg by Joe Burns and claim his first test wicket on Australian soil.

Trailing 2-0 in the three-match series, West Indies had started the day by building on their improved batting performance in the second Test.