Australia v West Indies first test LIVE updates: Results, scores, wickets, odds, how to watch

Marnus Labuschagne has peeled off his second Test double century.

After a superb showing on day one, Labuschagne has backed it up in style.

He brings up the double ton with a beautiful cover drive to the fence. A terrific innings.

Australia 2-401

Steve Smith has joined Sir Donald Bradman on 29 Test centuries with his second this year after also getting to three figures against Sri Lanka in Galle.

By getting to the mark in 155 innings, Smith has also maintained his standing as the second most efficient compiler of hundreds after Bradman himself. Bradman made hundreds in a little over 36 per cent of his Test innings, and Smith is doing so in something like 18 per cent of his innings.

No-one else with as many hundreds as Smith gets close to that mark - Kumar Sangakkara (38 hundreds, about 16 per cent of his innings) and Matthew Hayden (30) the next closest. Marnus Labuschagne, with eight career tons, is on a similar pace to Sangakkara.

Steve Smith sharpened up his technique in recent weeks and it’s paid off in a big way.

Australia’s second drop knocks one down to long-on for a single to bring up triple figures. He equals Sir Donald Bradman’s mark of 29 Test centuries.

Some century that. The best bit? A chanceless knock. What a player Steve Smith is.

Australia 2-378

Pretty demoralising stuff for the Windies today.

There have been a couple of half chances but if we’re being honest, Smith and Labuschagne have been in complete control.

A reader question: “What is Labuschagne’s highest Test score, partnership. Where and when?”

Labuschagne’s highest Test dig is the 215 he peeled off against New Zealand in the Sydney Test of 2020. It came off 363 balls.

As for a partnership, Labuschagne and Dave Warner put on 361 runs for the second wicket in a Test against Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval in November 2019.

Australia 2-376 (Labuschagne 194, Smith 99)

A flashy cut shot nearly goes to hand but Labuschagne rides his luck. He’s onto 190 and eyeing off another double ton.

Also, if you have a question for us, sing out below. We’ll do our best to answer all of them.

A Labuschagne late cut brings up the 350 for Australia.

These two are picking off gaps at ease.

Assuming all things go to plan, it’ll be interesting to see whether Labuschagne can get to 200 before Smith reaches his ton.

An unsuccessful first hour for the tourists. I don’t think they’ve bowled particularly badly. Just some quality batting from two blokes who are mighty determined to bump those averages up.

Australia 2-350 (Labuschagne 183, Smith 85)

Australia’s second drop has looked in excellent touch today. He made batting look easy yesterday and it’s much of the same on a day where the home side look like racking up a massive first innings total.

A slight tweak to Smith’s technique has worked a treat. His head is very still when making contact.

Here’s a look at Smith’s recent Test digs.

Australia 2-340 (Labuschagne 179, Smith 79)

Mayers is getting some lovely inswing at the moment but just can’t get the breakthrough.

Holder, on the first delivery of the 100th over of the innings, sends down a short ball to Labuschagne. Australia’s first drop takes the bait and tries to whack him into the stands. He’s lucky his pull shot falls short of deep backward square.

These two are extremely set and look hungry for massive scores. Labuschagne is edging closer to his highest Tets dig of 215. You’d be silly to back against him.

Australia 2-329 after 100 overs (Labuschagne 177, Smith 71).

Alongside a small, appreciative and anything but hostile gathering in Perth, David Warner’s early drag onto the stumps compelled him to spend much of the opening day of the Test summer as a spectator.

That, unfortunately, has been increasingly Warner’s lot over the past two years, which constitute the poorest of his long and otherwise prolific Test career.

After cobbling 307 runs at 38.37 in five Tests in 2021, Warner’s returns this year have slipped to 271 at 20.84 in seven matches plus the first innings of this series, continuing a downward trend that will increasingly be on the mind of both the opener and the selectors.

Before this match, Warner’s opening partner Usman Khawaja acknowledged the fact that Test cricket does have a cumulative, grinding effect on players the more they play without a break – noting and joking that despite making his debut before Warner, he had played roughly half as many matches.

“I debuted before David Warner, he’s played double the amount of Test matches – bloody selectors keep dropping me!” Khawaja laughed.

“It has left me [fresher]. To some extent there is a grind of Test cricket and he’s played 100 Test matches and countless one-dayers and he’s been on the grind for a long time, where I’ve been out of the grind for a little bit.