"Seen this movie before": Another top order collapse

It was yet again a case of an Australian middle order rescue mission on day one of the second Test against the West Indies with the visitors all out for 286 at stumps in Grenada.

The selection questions regarding Australia’s top order look set to continue after yet another below par performance despite the return of Steve Smith from injury.

Sam Konstas (25) and Usman Khawaja (16) managed 41 between them before Cam Green put on 26 while Smith went for just 3.

It was a bizarre exit for the vice-captain who had been gesturing at the crowd because a child was moving around and behind the sight screen. Smith fell next ball.

Heading in at lunch Australia was 4-93 and after the dismissal of Travis Head (29) they were desperate for something.

Enter Beau Webster (60) and Alex Carey (63) who put on a combined 123 (partnership of 112) to salvage something from what was a less than impressive performance.

“I’d like to convert one of these half centuries one of these days but we will take it,” Webster said afterwards.

“I think we’re happy with where we are and we’ve got a great bowling attack to come out.”

Perhaps the most worrying statistic for Australian selectors is the dramatic decline in the batting average of the top three in the last three years which, according to Fox Sports stats has plummeted from 45.94 in 2022 to 26.53 in 2025.

Reflecting on what had happened with the top three, SEN's Bharat Sundaresan said: "Leave Steve Smith out of it, that dismissal doesn’t count for much and it’s Smith. He played a poor ball and got out. Maybe he mistimed the shot. But the verdict is out on Konstas and Green.

"Yes, they both made 20 each but what does that mean in the long run?

"Khawaja, we have seen him get out in similar fashions. There is nothing new to learn from this, it's same old same old to an extent but a few more runs on the board. At 3-50 it’s such a common occurrence.

"This is the kind of pitch Konstas cannot fail – we thought. We thought Khawaja would make hundreds. Then we saw what happened – we’ve seen this movie before."

Attention on day two will turn to Australia’s bowlers and whether they can continue the success they have had with the new Dukes ball.

“The new Duke does get a bit up top so credit to the boys to get through it this morning and Alex Carey for what he’s doing this series,” Webster added.

“The ball swung and there’s some inconsistency in the surface. Those inconsistencies can make it tough.

“(But) we back ourselves 100 per cent.”