Chris Gayle showed some serious intent as West Indies raced to 0 for 41 at tea following Ricky Ponting's declaration at 8 for 480. The captain Gayle arrived in Brisbane the day before the game and quickly shook off any batting rust with four boundaries in his 27 during a six-over surge.
Ponting surprised with his closure 35 minutes before tea after Marcus North and Nathan Hauritz added to the clump of local half-centuries. But it was West Indies who sparked a sleepy day into action.
Gayle opened with three crunched fours forward of point off Ben Hilfenhaus, prompting Ponting to take out a slip and put a man on the boundary, and he backed up by flicking Peter Siddle to square leg in a style only seen here when men from the Caribbean tour. There was a moment of danger when Gayle appeared to hurt his leg taking a single but after a short delay he returned to his cameo.
The debutant Adrian Barath was almost run-out attempting his first run in Tests, but his third scoring shot, an off-driven boundary off Siddle, was more satisfying. In the same over Barath (11) was lucky to escape when Siddle over-stepped and the edge was taken by a flying Brad Haddin.
North was patient throughout his display and was annoyed when he lapsed against the tireless Dwayne Bravo, who led the attack in Jerome Taylor's absence and collected 3 for 118 off 32 overs. What West Indies didn't need after picking up Haddin and Mitchell Johnson in the first session was Hauritz to produce his maiden fifty, although it did show how good the pitch was.
While North was careful in his 79 off 157 balls, Hauritz was happy to play his shots and peaked with a couple of pulls in an over from Bravo. Hauritz, who was dropped on 5 at second slip, is appearing in his first game at the Gabba since he was a Queensland representative and will hope his 50 not out will boost his bowling on a ground that hasn't been friendly to his offspin.
Australia resumed on 5 for 322 and North was watchful as he succeeded in pushing his team towards a significant total. Happy to nudge, leave and defend, he perked up with a crunching straight drive off Kemar Roach for four in the same over he was struck on the arm by a nasty short ball. It was hard work for North, who added 27 in the first session and was hit again on the arm by Bravo after lunch. He swung his bat in frustration at being tricked into following a wider ball from Bravo and Denesh Ramdin took a smart catch lunging to his left.
Haddin, who re-started on 9, felt he had found his groove with a breath-taking straight six off Bravo that followed a cut four, but he gave Ravi Rampaul his first Test wicket on 38 with an edge to Ramdin. The dismissal ended an 84-run stand with North and gave West Indies hope of a quick finish to the innings.
Johnson (7) called for a review after Ian Gould gave him out caught behind to Sulieman Benn. It was clear Johnson had brushed his pad in the defensive push, but the replays were not conclusive about an edge, so under the new guidelines the original decision stood and he left with Australia 7 for 386.
West Indies were already starting from behind with Taylor unable to bowl due to a left hip problem. He suffered the injury on the opening day and joins Ramnaresh Sarwan on the squad's injury list.
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