Brathwaite and Edwards steer Westindies

Tea West Indies 158 for 2 (K Edwards 61, Brathwaite 53*) v Australia
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	Kraigg Brathwaite was cautious but was still there at tea © AFP Enlarge
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Kraigg Brathwaite and Kirk Edwards gave West Indies a solid platform on the first day of the series as the Australian bowlers struggled to find much assistance on a good batting surface. However, the Australians didn't help themselves and dropped Brathwaite twice and Edwards once in the first two sessions of the match, and at tea Brathwaite was unbeaten on 53 and Darren Bravo was on 14.

The 104-run partnership between Brathwaite and Edwards (61) had ended late in the second session when Michael Clarke's willingness to try different things paid off and the occasional legspin of David Warner provided the breakthrough. Warner picked up his first Test wicket, and just his second in first-class cricket, when he snapped up an excellent return catch low to his right off an Edwards drive.

Perhaps it was the spark Australia needed, for they had been lacklustre in the field until that point. Brathwaite was put down on 10 when he pushed the ball uppishly back to the left of the bowler Peter Siddle, who misjudged the chance and spilled the catch with his left hand. Another life came on 44, when Ricky Ponting at second slip grassed a tough diving chance off Shane Watson.

The simplest of all the let-offs was the chance given to Edwards on 56 when he edged a fullish wide ball from Siddle and Watson at fourth slip spilled a sitter. Fortunately for Watson, Edwards added only five more to his score but the fielding lapses meant Australia had to settle for just one wicket in each of the first two sessions of the Test.

Ryan Harris collected the only wicket before lunch when Adrian Barath, on 22 from 54 balls, fell for an obvious plan as the bowler came around the wicket with a short-leg and deep backward square leg in position. The bouncer came and Barath obliged with an attempted hook that flew off the top edge and was easily taken by Siddle at deep backward square leg.

But that brought Edwards and Brathwaite together and they dug in to deny Australia's bowlers. Brathwaite is renowned as an old-fashioned style of opener, one whose first priority is to take the shine off the ball and for whom scoring is sometimes an afterthought. That was precisely how he played the first two sessions of his first Test at his home ground of Kensington Oval.

Rarely did he take a risk and at tea his strike-rate was still below 30. His four boundaries had all come behind the wicket, two from edgy drives and two from glances behind square, and it was up to his partners to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Edwards did that through some confident strokeplay down the ground against the offspin of Nathan Lyon.

Edwards lifted Lyon over long-on for a six and was happy to drive him along the ground, while he also picked off the fast men when they strayed on to his pads. His half-century came with an impressive loft over long-off against the legspin of Warner from his 97th delivery, whereas Brathwaite took 163 balls to bring up his fifty.

After Edwards departed, Bravo showed some aggressive intent and launched Warner high into the stands with a six over long-on in the final over before tea, and followed it two balls later with a cut for four. It completed an encouraging first two sessions for West Indies after Darren Sammy chose to bat. Now they need to make sure the start is not wasted. 

source:espncricinfo