Australia in full control

MELBOURNE. — Skipper Steve Smith and Adam Voges reached more career milestones yesterday as Australia tightened their grip over the hapless West Indies in the second Test cricket in Melbourne. Smith reached his sixth Test century of the year and 13th overall with 134 and Voges remained unbeaten on 106 when the skipper declared Australia’s first innings on 551 for three.

In reply the Caribbean tourists unravelled again and were 91 for six and trailing by 460 runs with three days left. Hobart Test centurion Darren Bravo was on 13 with debutant Carlos Brathwaite three not out. Smith called a halt to Australia’s run plunder midway through the second day, while he was at the crease with Voges in an unbroken 223-run stand.

In the process Smith, recently named the ICC cricketer of the year, took over as the current leading run-scorer in Test cricket for 2015. At the declaration he had scored 1 404 runs, ahead of Alastair Cook’s 1,357 with England currently playing South Africa in Durban. Voges also moved past 1 000 Test runs in his debut year with a total of 1 028 runs in his 18th Test innings.

Only two other batsmen have scored 1 000 or more Test runs in their debut year: Australia’s Mark Taylor with 1 219 (1989) and Cook with 1 013 (2006). Voges, who has yet to be dismissed in the series after scoring an unbeaten 269 in Hobart, lifted his average to an astonishing 542 in four Tests against the West Indies this year alone.

“It’s been an amazing six months, really. I am obviously enjoying my cricket a lot at the moment and just trying to cash in as much as possible,” Voges said.

“I am just out there playing Test cricket for Australia and trying to be as ruthless as I can. If I get an opportunity to get in and score runs, then I am trying to go as big as possible and stay hungry.”

The Australians had four century-makers among their top five batsmen following Usman Khawaja’s 144 and Joe Burns’ 128 on Saturday’s opening day. Only David Warner missed out with 23.

Khawaja and Burns posted a second-wicket stand of 258 on Saturday.

It was the first time that four Australian batsmen had scored tons in a single Test innings in Australia.

The last time Australia had four centurions in an innings overseas was against England in Cardiff in 2009.

So far in the series, Australia have amassed 1,134 runs for the loss of just seven wickets against the wretched Caribbean tourists. — AFP.