Follow cricket scores, results, start time and minute-by-minute news updates from Kingston, Jamaica
Big story brewing from Tom Decent in Kingston.
Nathan Lyon has been dropped from Australia’s XI.
Selectors have gone for a five-pronged pace attack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc (100th Test), Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, as well as all-rounder Beau Webster.
It’s the first time since the 2013 Ashes tour that Lyon has been left out of Australia’s Test team.
Skipper Pat Cummins confirmed the news at the toss.
“We’re going to have a bat first,” Cummins said. “Pink ball, sometimes during the day it’s a bit easier than the night so hopefully get a few runs earlier.“Asked about team changes, Cummins said: “One change, Nathan Lyon misses out and Scotty Boland [with a] pink ball. We think it’s a little different to a normal Test.”
Cummins flagged the move on Friday, saying “all options” were on the table.
It’s a bold call but shows Australia feel their best chance of a quick result is to blast the Windies off the park.
“[There are] a few more unknowns, so we just want to have another look at the wicket and give it a bit of time and work out a team later on today,” Cummins told reporters in the build-up to the clash.
“I think mainly pink ball [is a consideration] and trying to get our heads around exactly what it’s going to do.
“That last session [under lights] might be a little bit longer than Adelaide.”
West Indies, meanwhile, have dropped their former captain and long-serving opener Kraigg Brathwaite. Only last week, Brathwaite was being lauded across the Caribbean for playing his 100th Test match – no easy feat given how few the West Indies play these days.
Teams
West Indies: Mikyle Louis, John Campbell, Kevlon Anderson, Brandon King, Roston Chase (capt), Shai Hope, Justin Greaves, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jomel Warrican, Jayden Seales
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Cameron Green, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland.
