Australia wins toss and bats vs West Indies in 1st test

By foxsports
Published

HOBART, Australia (AP) Australia captain Steve Smith won the toss and decided to bat first in the opening cricket test against the West Indies on Thursday.

The conditions were cool and cloudy at Bellerive Oval and with a tinge of green on the wicket.

Australia named its team on Wednesday, giving fast bowler James Pattinson his first test start in 18 months, replacing the injured Mitchell Starc.

Offspin bowler Nathan Lyon is playing in his 50th test for Australia.

Coming off a 10-wicket tour-match loss to a Cricket Australia selection, the West Indies went with four fast bowlers, including Jerome Taylor, who was rested from the tour match.

The visitors have not scored more than 300 runs in their last 10 innings, but Smith says ''we are not under-rating them at all ... I think they are a very strong side.''

The teams will play two additional test matches - in Melbourne beginning Dec. 26 and in Sydney from Jan. 3.

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Lineups:

Australia: David Warner, Joe Burns, Steve Smith (captain), Adam Voges, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

West Indies: Jason Holder (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Rajendra Chandrika, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Jermaine Blackwood, Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, Jerome Taylor, Jomel Warrican, Shannon Gabriel.