Superb Smith leads Australia recovery

View scorecard: West Indies v Australia

The West Indies were left to lament several missed opportunities as Steve Smith's ninth Test century moved Australia into a strong position on the opening day of the second Test in Kingston.

The tourists finished the day on 4-258 after being sent into bat, with Smith unbeaten on 135 and Shane Watson 20 not out at the close.

Smith was in excellent touch on day one in Jamaica

Jerome Taylor was the star for the home side despite being under-bowled by captain Denesh Ramdin in the opening session, finishing with 3-18 from 15 overs, including eight maidens.

"I thought they bowled pretty well to start with today," Smith said after play.

"When the ball was pitched up it came on quite nicely. There was a little bit of swing and a little bit of seam though. When they bashed the wicket a little bit shorter in the first hour and a half it was stopping in the wicket a little bit.

"That was the challenging part, getting through that. We're always pretty sure if we came through that it'd come a lot easier and it turned out to be that way."

It was a disappointing day for the hosts who were without two of their best performers from the first Test, with Devendra Bishoo (finger) and Marlon Samuels (illness) ruled out and quick Shannon Gabriel also missing due to illness.

In came fast bowler Kemar Roach, left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul and debutant opener Ravindra Chandrika – the 304th man to represent the West Indies in Test cricket – while Australia named an unchanged side.

Image Id: ~/media/4A170C8C485B4F07B0A83F29EDC31AF6

 Jerome Taylor had 2-0 after his first six overs // Getty Images

Ramdin's decision to bowl first on a patchy surface appeared to be the correct one early on thanks to a sensational opening spell from local boy Taylor.

Bowling the first over of the match from the Michael Holding End, the right-armer's third ball jumped off a length and found the edge of David Warner's bat on its way to Shai Hope at third slip.

Taylor then trapped Shaun Marsh in front for 11 to have the tourists in early trouble at 2-16, and it should have been 3-22 a short time later.

Roach, who famously broke the arm of Ricky Ponting during a fiery spell at the WACA in 2009, appeared to have made up for a loose opening burst when Michael Clarke spooned a leading edge back to the bowler when on three.

Alas for the home side, Roach had overstepped and Clarke was recalled after the third umpire viewed the replay. It would prove to be one of the turning points of the day.

Clarke accelerated in the two overs after the let-off with two fours off Jason Holder and a straight six off Roach, his next 28 runs coming in just 26 balls.

Image Id: ~/media/34A4954B411A4C769F20C7D970B87FF3

Clarke looked in good touch for his 47 // Getty Images

That Roach was unable to support Taylor in the early stages - he conceded 0-32 from his first five overs compared to Taylor's remarkable opening spell of 2-0 from five overs - hurt the Windies dearly as Australia's captain and vice-captain rebuilt the innings.

Both men welcomed Permaul to the crease by dancing down the pitch and hitting him straight over his head, with Clarke's shot clearing the rope at long-on.

In a flash the duo's partnership had passed 50 and they cruised through the remainder of the session, helped along by the conspicuous absence of Taylor from the bowling crease until five minutes before lunch.

The quick managed to squeeze in another maiden before the break - his sixth in six overs - to ensure he didn't concede a run in the opening session, but the home side's early momentum had dissipated by that stage.

Taylor's streak of dot balls was ended at 40 in the first over after lunch before Smith smoked Permaul for two beautifully-timed straight sixes, the second of which brought up his half-century.

The vice-captain continued to flourish, pushing the partnership past 100 with a pull shot to the midwicket rope off Roach, but his skipper was being tied down at the other end.

Having scored 12 from 31 balls after lunch, Clarke threw everything at a wide half-volley from Holder and edged behind to fall just three runs short of his half-century and have the score 3-134.

New man Adam Voges continued where he left off in the first Test, opening with two delightfully controlled cut shots off Holder to the third-man boundary and then firmly pulling a short ball from part-time spinner Kraigg Brathwaite into the shin of Chandrika at short leg.

The debutant shook off the blow but could do little to stop Smith, who donned his Baggy Green against the two-man spin attack and cruised to 86 not out at the tea break.

The seemingly effortless manner with which Smith played made it almost inevitable that he would post three figures, and he did so 25 minutes into the final session with a boundary through cover off Permaul, his 13th of the innings.

The 26-year-old removed his helmet and held it and his bat aloft towards his teammates before acknowledging the strong Australian contingent in the stands.

Voges, meanwhile, had patiently moved to 37 before Taylor returned to dismiss the Western Australian for the first time in Test cricket, edging an outswinger behind to Ramdin.

Taylor then got one past the bat of new man Shane Watson first ball before Smith twice earned a reprieve when on 109.

First, he was dropped by Darren Bravo at first slip off the bowling of Brathwaite and in the next over he was given out by umpire Richard Kettleborough when a Taylor inswinger appeared to trap him in front.

But Smith reviewed the decision and replays showed it swinging down the leg side, creating more frustration for the home side.

The centurion survived a final scare on the final ball of the day when he over-balanced and appeared to offer a stumping chance, but the replay showed his foot remained grounded when Ramdin whipped off the bails.

Like everything on day one, the close call fell Smith’s way and he and Watson left the field of play with an unbeaten 48-run stand next to their names.

Australia: David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke (c), Adam Voges, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope, Darren Bravo, Shane Dowrich, Rajendra Chandrika, Jermaine Blackwood, Denesh Ramdin (c), Jason Holder, Jerome Taylor, Veerasammy Permaul, Kemar Roach.