West Indies loses first Test to Australia by an innings and 212 runs in 3rd day

In the 1st Test, Australia humiliated the West Indies by an innings and 212 runs inside the 3rd day.

Australia easily amassed 583-4 dec (Voges 269*, S Marsh 182). West Indies in reply scored 223 (Bravo 108) and 148 (Brathwaite 94, Pattinson 5-27).

The fielding was terrible and, to make matters worse, there was allegation that at least one bowler refused to bowl into the wind on West Indian side.

For where West Indian cricket has sunk, not even the ever-optimistic @csharpe had any good answers on how to quickly restore… excuse me… how to gradually improve cricket in the Caribbean. He feels there are too many issues that will need to be addressed one-by-one if possible, starting with the board, the selectors, morale, players’ sense of entitlement, players and selectors having no pride, no sense of history, lack of great Caribbean competition, the influence/distraction of American sports like Basketball and Football, among others. Surprisingly, he didn’t blame T20 cricket. But, still, that’s a laundry list right there and the West Indies have aired a lot of dirty laundry the past 3-5 years…

Two more Tests to go. It can’t get worse, can it? Stay tuned…