Travis Head given reprieve as Shai Hope denied catch on Day 1 of Australia’s Test tour in West Indies

A rocky first day of their West Indies Test tour could have been even worse for Australia if not for a controversial third umpire decision which gave Travis Head a life on Day 1 of the Frank Worrell Trophy.

Australia’s vice-captain and most in-form batter was unbeaten on 53 in the 46th over with wickets falling around him when he threw his hands at a wide delivery from Shamar Joseph, who drew the edge and thought he had Head’s scalp.

The bottom edge initially appeared to sail through to West Indies keeper Shai Hope, but Hope himself wasn’t so sure, shrugging his shoulders with a lack of certainty when teammates approached him, clearly not knowing if the ball had carried or not.

Apparently much more certain of the catch than his teammate, Joseph pled his case to the on-field umpires, but was made to wait when Nitin Menon sent the decision upstairs.

Joseph thought he had his man when replays confirmed there was an edge and Hope appeared to have his gloves under the ball, but third umpire Adrian Holdstock delivered a shock when he gave it not out.

“I’ve got no clear evidence the ball has gone cleanly into the glove,” Holdstock told the on-field umpires.

The ball did clearly bounce up into the gloves of Hope, but champion West Indies bowler Ian Bishop wasn’t certain it hit any grass on the way through.

“That won’t go down well,” former West Indies bowler Ian Bishop said in commentary.

”It certainly looked as though it landed on the glove.”

Despite the reprieve, Head only added another six to his total, caught behind by Hope to the bowling of Justin Greaves after all.

It spelled trouble for the Aussies’ batting lineup, which crumbled all-out for 180.

But Australia’s big-three quicks bit on a hectic first day of the West Indies Test series in Bridgetown.

A staggering 14 wickets fell on day one on Wednesday (Thursday morning AEDT), and the tourists looked in a world of hurt, sputtering to their lowly total after winning the toss.

Lively paceman Joseph (4-46) had been the WIndies’ most important man, with returning wunderkind Sam Konstas (three) and new No.3 Cam Green (three) among his big scalps.

Joseph’s heroics came 17 months after stunning Pat Cummins’ side and the cricketing world with a masterclass at the Gabba in Brisbane.

But Australia’s own fast-bowling cartel threw down the gauntlet after tea to put the tourists in a competitive position, despite the misdeeds of their new-look batting order.

Left-armer Mitchell Starc (2-35) swung the new ball and pushed West Indies to 2-16, before Cummins (1-13) found a breakthrough to dismiss Keacy Carty (20) with shadows falling on Kensington Oval.

Josh Hazlewood (1-8) smacked off-stump and sent nightwatchman Jomel Warrican for a second-ball duck, leaving the home side smarting at 4-57 at stumps.

Captain Roston Chase (one) and debutant Brandon King (23) were unbeaten with West Indies 123 runs behind Australia, who are fighting to recover from a surprise loss to South Africa in the World Test Championship final.

Australia’s batters sputtered without the axed Marnus Labuschagne and injured Steve Smith as Joseph starred early and Jayden Seales (5-60) ripped through the tail late.

He had toyed with Jasprit Bumrah in a teenage Test debut, but Konstas was no match for Joseph, who nipped one back and trapped the opener lbw on the 14th ball of his Test comeback.

Green looked as unhappy as he had against Kagiso Rabada at Lord’s before finally being put out of his misery when Joseph got him caught pushing hard to second slip.

A third single-digit effort from as many knocks is sure to embolden those doubting Green’s move up the order on return from his back injury.

Smith’s injury replacement Josh Inglis (five) was muzzled as well, the visitors reeling at 3-22 when he was caught behind trying to counter-attack Seales.

Things could have been worse had wily veteran Usman Khawaja not been dropped twice on his way to 47, before eventually being caught off an under-edge from Joseph.

Only Khawaja’s 89-run stand with swashbuckling Travis Head provided relief for the Australian batters.

But Head (59 off 78 balls) caught an outside edge from allrounder Justin Greaves (1-26) only four deliveries after tea, signalling the end was nigh for Australia.

Captain Cummins muscled up for 28 off 18 balls before picking out a fielder at mid-off.

Seales completed his five-wicket haul, and Australia’s innings, when Hazlewood gloved to Shai Hope on four.

Australia will like their chances to eat into the tail early on day two of the first Test after a strong start with the ball.

But if Day 1 is anything to go by, this will be no Caribbean holiday for the Aussies as they tune up for the home Ashes this summer.

- With AAP