Aussies dominate day one in Dominica

LIVE SCORES: West Indies v Australia

Late Australian wickets have slightly tempered a brilliant all-round bowling performance and some excellent work in the field on an absorbing opening day of the first Test against the West Indies in Dominica.

Australia's three-man pace attack of Mitchell Johnson, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc took eight wickets between them as the hosts were dismissed for 148 at tea, before the Australians moved to 3-85 at stumps.

Image Id: ~/media/172C6F55BC3B4594B10A8E89D52926D4

Hazlewood celebrates a wicket with teammates // Getty Images

Steve Smith (17) and debutant Adam Voges (20) were not out at the close with Australia trailing by 63, after David Warner (8), Shaun Marsh (19) and Michael Clarke (18) were dismissed in the final session.

It was a morning of celebrations for the Aussies who had earlier welcomed their 442nd Test cricketer, with Voges handed his first Baggy Green cap by fellow Western Australian and former Test allrounder Brendon Julian.

The performance of Australia's quicks justified the decision of selectors to opt for just one frontline spinner in Nathan Lyon, although even Darren Lehmann and Mark Waugh would have been surprised with just how quickly the wickets fell on the opening day.

Speaking before play, Lehmann had anticipated part-time spinners Voges, Clarke and Smith would have an important role to play at a venue where 58 of the 101 Test wickets before today had fallen to the turning ball.

As it was, the fast men reduced the spinners to a minor role; Lyon and Smith bowled just seven overs between them, taking one wicket each.

"On that wicket, it's still a pretty good wicket, so I think anything around 300 is probably par," Hazlewood said after play.

"So I think we've done quite well. As you saw they bowled some good areas this afternoon to have us 3-80 so it might be a bit less par score than what we originally thought."

West Indies allrounder Jason Holder said the first session tomorrow morning will be crucial if the Windies want to fight their way back into the match.

"We didn't bat well. There's not much more I can say on that," he said. "We didn't bat well, it was just a bad day at the office for us. 

"But we got the three wickets which has put us back in the game a bit more.

"If we start well tomorrow it could well be even-stevens come lunch time tomorrow."

Windies captain Denesh Ramdin elected to bat first on a dry surface and the home side made a bright start, scoring 16 off Johnson's initial three-over spell before taking his replacement Starc for 27 from his first five overs.

But while the runs flowed from the River End, Hazlewood continued his brilliant form from last week's tour match with an outstanding opening burst that at one stage saw him boast figures of 1-7 from five overs.

It included the wicket of Kraigg Brathwaite for 10, who edged behind to Brad Haddin, before the right-armer pinged new man Darren Bravo on the side of the helmet with a well-directed bouncer.

Image Id: ~/media/84151A0D68BE4C44A14FB7B5CD92EB36

Clarke checkes on Bravo after he was hit in the helmet // Getty Images

The home side rebuilt after the early loss, with 21-year-old opener Shai Hope finding the short ball to his liking and Bravo overcoming a slow start with two boundaries off Hazlewood's sixth over.

It was the introduction of spin and some good work from Clarke that broke the 40-run partnership when the score was 63, with Lyon finding the edge of the left-handed Bravo's bat and the skipper diving low to his left at slip to take a sharp one-handed catch.

It was reminiscent of Lyon's first ever ball in Test cricket back in 2011, when he had Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara edging to the captain's left hand at slip in Clarke's first match as full-time Test skipper.

Image Id: ~/media/B43F4D14F6A248718BBF799D1A1172CB

Clarke takes the catch to dismiss Bravo // Getty Images

Two wickets down soon became three when Johnson had Hope well caught for 36 by Marsh in the gully and from there, the Australians dominated the remaining 30 minutes before lunch.

Clarke spoke before the match about selectively choosing when to be aggressive in these conditions, and the entrance of Marlon Samuels saw the captain turn the screw in his 41st Test in charge.

Image Id: ~/media/1DB522B3370741FDA41BBD1736F91DC3

Marsh celebrates his catch for Australia's third wicket // Getty Images

Johnson was given a field of three slips, a gully and short leg – as he had been for the first over of the match – and he found Samuels's edge second ball only for it to land just short of Shane Watson at first slip.

And despite another excellent spell from Hazlewood, in which he gave up just two runs in three overs, the Windies held on to be 3-85 at lunch.

But the tourists were rewarded for their dominance after the break and it was Hazlewood who got the breakthrough once again.

The 24-year-old had debutant Shane Dowrich chopping on for 15 in his first over of the middle session before Jermaine Blackwood edged to second slip for just 2, with Clarke again moving well to take an excellent catch.

Video: Australia's great catching

Samuels, meanwhile, had managed just three runs from 34 balls but broke the shackles with a delightful cover drive off Starc to start the 31st over.

But the left-armer would have his revenge just four balls later when a well-directed bouncer was hooked high towards fine leg. Hazlewood moved well to his right around the boundary line and took a well-judged catch just inside the rope to leave the Windies 6-91 having lost 3-6 in 29 balls since the break.

Ramdin and Jason Holder briefly stemmed the flow of wickets with a 30-run stand, but their union was broken when the captain's stumps were disturbed by a Johnson delivery that kept a little low, although probably not as low as the batsman's reaction suggested.

Image Id: ~/media/76AF69EF8F244151B7B2BFAD38C9F398

Johnson breaks through Ramdin's defence // Getty Images

Johnson then struck No.9 Jerome Taylor on the helmet and had him playing and missing, which was all Holder needed to see to open his shoulders with an expansive lofted drive over cover off the bowling of Watson.

But the allrounder, who made a brilliant century to deny England victory in Antigua two months ago, would make just 21 before he offered a simple chance to Marsh in the gully to give Starc his second wicket and leave the Windies 8-133.

The end came a short time later; Steve Smith picked up Taylor with his second ball, Voges taking a brilliant diving catch moving back from mid-wicket, before Shannon Gabriel edged Johnson to second slip to give Clarke his third catch of the day and end the innings on 148.

Image Id: ~/media/54DECC380C6141958547041FE49E8BA0

Voges flies for his first Test catch // Getty Images

The Windies had lost their last nine wickets for just 85, including 7-63 in the afternoon session, but struck an early blow in Australia's innings when David Warner was out for 8, caught by Blackwood at point after the opener got a leading edge to a ball from Taylor that reared up off a length.

Marsh and Smith came together and halted the home side's early momentum, but their 14-over partnership yielded just 25 runs, meaning the Aussies were still delicately placed at 2-38 when Marsh edged a lovely off-cutter from Holder to Bravo at first slip to depart for 19.

And when Clarke edged spinner Devendra Bishoo behind when on 18, Australia were 3-61 and in need of a lengthy partnership.

Image Id: ~/media/158A1AD31AB245028C0F35E24DB508AF

Clarke eyes up the spin of Bishoo // Getty Image

Bishoo helped Voges settle his nerves with a full toss and a long hop in the space of three deliveries, both of which were dispatched to the fence by the debutant, as he and Smith saw Australia through to the close ahead of what will be another crucial morning session tomorrow.

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

West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Shane Dowrich, Jermaine Blackwood, Denesh Ramdin, Jason Holder, Jerome Taylor, Devendra Bishoo, Shannon Gabriel