Aussies crush Windies

RECALLED paceman James Pattinson claimed five wickets as the West Indies succumbed to a dispiriting innings and 212-run loss to Australia on the third day of the first test in Hobart yesterday.

Pattinson, playing in his first test since March last year after recovering from chronic back and hamstring issues, spearheaded the Australian assault to rip apart the threadbare Windies batting.

The hapless Caribbean tourists were sent back in by Australia skipper Steve Smith after being dismissed for 223 in the first innings to trail the home side by 360 runs.

The West Indies went into free fall in their second innings, confirming the validity of fears about their competitiveness ahead of the remaining Melbourne and Sydney tests.

It was a triumph for Pattinson, who returned to the Australian side for injured pace spearhead Mitchell Starc and justified his recall after going wicketless for 68 bowling in the West Indies first innings.

The West Indies have now won just four of their last 21 tests and went into the first Hobart test on the back of a humbling 10-wicket loss in their only warm-up game to a modest Cricket Australia XI.

The once-great West Indies are ranked above only Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and last won a test in Australia in 1997.

Only opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite showed any resolve in the second-innings shambles, finishing with 94 out of the paltry 148 total. — AFP