Second Test LIVE: Australia push for series whitewash

Righto, they’re out in the middle and the weather is behaving for now. A golden opportunity here for Steve Smith and Cameron Green to shore up their new positions in the batting line-up.

Smith will take guard to Kemar Roach, who begins his seventh over. No Shamar Joseph on the field for now after Mitchell Starc looked to have smashed his big toe into a thousand little pieces last night.

First ball: Angled in from Roach to start and back of a length. Smith turns to leg for a single.

Second ball: The angle cranks up to Green and Roach’s second ball drifts harmlessly down leg.

Third ball: Straighter and a better proposition. Into Green’s body and he’s having to defend awkwardly.

Fourth ball: Full ball on off stump. Straight bat and drops straight in front.

Fifth ball: Angles in again and it’s on leg, Green takes a leg bye into the on side. Roach still getting his line right to start today.

Sixth ball: Back of a length and Smith is tucking down to mid-on again. Three easy singles for Australia in that over.

And a big thanks/free coffee for Tom Decent masquerading as your correspondent for the last 40 minutes as I waged war on the Pacific Highway, not the Ocean as Tom alluded.

Word to the wise, if you’re thinking of getting on the roads, don’t. If you’re on them, get off. Let’s face it, wherever you are is probably nicer than your house anyway.

Australia: 2-63 (Smith 35*, Green 9*) need 153 runs for victory.

Mitchell Starc was asked on SEN Radio whether he had any sympathy for Shamar Joseph after giving him a toe crusher last night: “No! Because he copped me on the fingers in Adelaide and I copped one on the chin here, so I was getting my own back.”

After a night and morning of heavy rain, the skies have cleared enough for play to start on time at the Gabba. Nevertheless, the overhead carpet of cloud will assist the West Indies as they seek to spoil Australia’s fourth innings chase, with Steve Smith hunting a century after a fluent start on the third evening.

Smith looked to be concentrating extra hard when he batted in warm-ups on the third day, in his search to find a better rhythm in his pre-movement across the batting crease after a pair of low scores in the first innings in Adelaide and Brisbane.

Steve Smith and Cameron Green can set up victory and a golden summer as Australia chase a series win against the West Indies in the day-night Test at Brisbane’s Gabba.

Shrugging off two failures each in the post-Warner era’s new batting order, Smith was unbeaten on 33 and Green on 9 at stumps on Saturday night with Australia 2-60 and needing another 156 to win on the fourth day.

The chase may be complicated by rain, which has been forecast for the next two days, but success would make five straight victories this summer after a clean sweep of Pakistan.

Nathan Lyon, who claimed three wickets as the West Indies were bowled out for 193 in their second innings, insisted there were no concerns about Australia’s new batting order.

READ MALCOLM CONN’S FULL MATCH REPORT HERE

Cameron Green.Credit: Getty

G’day cricket fans.

Welcome to our live coverage of the fourth day between Australia and the West Indies.

Is Steve Smith going to steer Australia to victory? Will the Windies defy the odds and manage their first victory on Australia soil since 1997?

All will be known today, provided the rain stays away.

It’s Dan Walsh here in the Maroubra bureau, fresh off catching some cracking waves this morning. Great day to be on the surfboard – five footers galore – but an even better day to be blogging what could be a sensational finish to this Test.

Play begins at 3pm AEDT.

Steve Smith looks like his old self after a few technical tweaks.Credit: Getty