On day two of the first Test match against the West Indies in Perth, Australia scored a massive first innings total thanks to double centuries from Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith. Perth saw the unusual occurrence of two double hundreds in a single team innings as Labuschagne finished his second Test double century and Smith made his fourth.
Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith make double tons
This was the first time since January 2012, when Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke each scored two double hundreds against India in Adelaide, when two double hundreds occurred in a team innings during a Test match. The day started with Smith looking fluid at the crease and Labuschagne already far past his hundred. Following the early dismissal of David Warner on day one, West Indies had little cause for celebration. On day one, Labuschagne forced the bowlers to work with Usman Khawaja and later with Smith before finishing his sixth Test century at home.
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Then Smith and Labuschagne joined forces to torture the guests, combining for a massive 251 runs to push Australia past 400 and into the declaration zone. Labuschagne left shortly after scoring a double-hundred, but Travis Head and Smith quickly put Australia over the 500-point mark. Smith reached his double century before Australia declared, giving them an excellent chance to compete for that spot in the ICC World Test Championship 2023 final even though Head fell one short of a well-deserved hundred.
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The West Indies’ opening pair of Tagenarine Chanderpaul, making her debut, and Kraigg Brathwaite, the skipper, put on a 74-run opening stand to get the tourists to stumps, but the Windies still have a huge task ahead of them on day three.
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