Australia’s David Warner has challenged his teammates to improve after a sloppy opening day’s play in the first Test against the West Indies in Barbados.
Australia dropped three catches as the Windies fought their way to 3-179 at stumps on day one at Kensington Oval, with rain causing play to be called off an hour early.
Warner provided the day’s highlight when he caught Windies’ vice-captain Kirk Edwards (61) off his own bowling to end a 104-run stand between Edwards and fellow Barbadian Kraigg Brathwaite (57).
The wicket was Warner’s first in international cricket but it came after Edwards had been dropped in the previous over by Shane Watson in the slips off Peter Siddle (1-36).
Brathwaite also enjoyed plenty of luck in his 199-ball knock, dropped by Siddle off the Victorian’s own bowling and then in the middle session Ricky Ponting grassed a diving attempt in the slips off Watson.
Warner said those missed chances could prove costly on a Barbados pitch offering little assistance to the bowlers and that the team had been “lazy” in the field at times.
“Obviously we dropped three catches today which can prove crucial in any parts of the game,” he said.
“We’ve got to keep taking our chances, we pride ourselves on that and I think we’ve got to be better tomorrow.”
Siddle at least went some way to making up for his drop by catching Adrian Barath (22) in the deep after Ryan Harris (1-29) had lured the diminutive opener into top-edging a hook shot for the first wicket.
Warner’s strike before tea and then Matthew Wade’s first dismissal as Test wicketkeeper, when the debutant caught a simple edge from Brathwaite off Siddle to end the teenager’s long stay, ensured Australia ended the day with honours even.
But Darren Bravo (20no) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (8no) are at the crease and Warner knows the job is far from done in the first innings going into day two.
“Obviously we need to take seven wickets,” Warner said.
“The scoreboard pressure that we’ve put on there as well – it’s not moving at a great rate.
“If we can keep doing what we did at home and play boring cricket but keep the ball hanging out there … hopefully they play and we get some nicks.”
Sunday’s play will start a half-hour early at 9.30am (2330 AEST) to make up some of the time lost to Saturday’s early finish.