Opting to field first after winning the toss in Adelaide proved to be a wise decision for captain Pat Cummins, as the Windies openers struggled to cope with the pressure of the new ball.
Following the early dismissal of Tagenarine Chanderpaul, the dependable opener and captain Kraigg Brathwaite fell victim to a Pat Cummins delivery reminiscent of the one that troubled him in the first Test at Optus Stadium in 2022.
In the 14th over’s fifth ball, Cummins delivered a well-placed, good-length ball that subtly moved to elude the outside edge of Brathwaite’s bat, grazing the top of the off stump.
Despite attempting a defensive stroke, the West Indies captain found himself witnessing his stumps being shattered, as the ball deviated slightly from its expected path, forcing Brathwaite to stick behind the wrong line.
This dismissal echoed a similar fate for Brathwaite, who was dismissed in a comparable manner, scoring 64, during the Caribbean side’s visit to Australia in the first Test of 2022.
Nobody hits the top of off-stump quite like Pat Cummins!
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 17, 2024
For the second summer in a row, he knocked back Kraigg Brathwaite's with absolute precision 👌 #AUSvWI pic.twitter.com/RVq9Jashg3
In Test cricket, hitting the top of the stumps is considered a bowler’s dream delivery, and Cummins recreating this feat against the same opponent after a couple of years generated excitement across the Twitterverse.