Smith, Khawaja turn the screws
Australia is in the box seat to wrap up the Boxing Day test today after another dominant batting display on day three at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The hapless West Indies resumed at 91-6 yesterday and some dogged resistance from the likes of Darren Bravo and Carlos Brathwaite saw them eventually dismissed for 271.
Australia lost Joe Burns (4) and David Warner (17) cheaply but Usman Khawaja and skipper Steve Smith wrested back the momentum to take the home team to 179-3 at stumps and a lead of 459.
The promising start in the late session buoyed the Windies but yet again Khawaja and Smith came in and took the game away from them.
Both made half centuries and did it fast enough to ensure the two early wickets of Burns and Warner did not disrupt their plans.
The Windies showed greater grit than earlier in the series. Brathwaite is enjoying his test debut and picked up the wicket of Warner to claim his first career scalp.
But at stumps, Mitch Marsh was on 18 not out alongside Smith on 70.
If he decides to bat on, the skipper will be eyeing his 14th test century, and the chance to consolidate himself as world cricket's highest run scorer for 2015.
Australia is tipped to bat for another hour today and stretch their lead beyond 500 runs, giving themselves five sessions to knock over the Windies. Earlier, Smith has opted against enforcing the follow-on after Australia claimed a first-inning lead of 280 runs.
If Australia's pacemen skittled the tourists quickly on day three of the second test it is likely Smith would have put them back in.
But the hosts took 100.3 overs to claim 10 wickets and Smith was wary of overworking his quicks, especially with the third test starting at the SCG on Sunday.
Nathan Lyon finished with figures of 4-66 from 29 overs to be the pick of the bowlers. James Pattinson also grabbed four wickets but was kicking himself after seemingly dismissing Carlos Brathwaite twice — only for the allrounder to be recalled because of no-balls.