Australia were batting the West Indies out of the opening Test after Shane Warne claimed five wickets to mop up the tourists’ tail at the Gabba on Saturday.
Warne’s 5-48 bundled the West Indies out for 210 to claim a crushing 225-run innings lead.
The Australians again refused to enforce the follow-on and built their lead to a formidable 376 runs by tea on the third day.
Matthew Hayden continued his resurgence with his 22nd Test half-century and profited from being dropped on 54 in the gully by Marlon Samuels off Jermaine Lawson — the Windies’ fifth dropped catch of the Test.
At tea, Hayden was unbeaten on 75 with skipper Ricky Ponting not out 33 and Australia 151 for one.
Mike Hussey was the only Australian wicket to fall. He was well set on 29 in a 71-run opening partnership with Hayden before he found Corey Collymore with a sharp head-high catch at mid-wicket off spinner Chris Gayle.
Hussey, who was out for one on his Test debut in the first innings on Thursday, was dropped by Collymore on 21 in a two-handed sitter after again top-edging a pull shot off Fidel Edwards.
Since the start of the 2003-04 series against India, Australia have enforced the follow-on only once — against New Zealand at Wellington last March when rain ruined the match.
Warne earlier took 4-5 off eight overs to finish with his 33rd Test career five wickets in an innings and his fifth in the last 12 months.
Warne took his world record tally of Test wickets to 634 with Glenn McGrath finishing the innings with 4-72 to improve his Test tally to 525, placing him third all-time behind Warne and Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (568).
Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin remained unbeaten on 37 in 100 minutes as the last four wickets on Saturday fell around him.
The tourists added 28 runs on the third morning for the loss of four wickets.
Daren Powell was out on the third over of the day when he attempted to cut Warne, only to be smartly caught by Adam Gilchrist for four.
Fast bowler Fidel Edwards stayed with Ramdin for 40 minutes before he was bamboozled by a Warne wrong’un and was bowled for two leaving the Windies 204 for eight.
Ramdin had a life on 31 when substitute fielder Brendan Nash put down a two-handed catch above his head off Brett Lee at point.
Collymore lasted just two balls before he edged to Michael Clarke at second slip giving Warne his fourth wicket of the innings.
Warne pulled out his rarely-used flipper, his quicker ball, to trap Lawson plumb leg before wicket for a duck to wrap up the West Indian innings 11 minutes before lunch and force the Australian openers to face one over before lunch. – AFP
