Wake up to anger and mixed emotions

PL reports: Australia is 4-92, a lead of just 82 after the second day

Australia’s middle order has a lot of work to do. It’s bowlers will almost certainly have to contribute with both bat and ball to avoid defeat in the first Test of the Frank Worrell Trophy.

Travis Head is 13no and Beau Webster 13no

Did you get up early to see the sun rise? Did you climb out of bed around 5am when everyone sensible is sleeping to catch a glimpse of the future?

There’s a lot of expectation and anxiety around this Sam Konstas – the summer fling who's moved towns, and shipped his things across the state in the expectation that the fireworks of Christmas can somehow light the long road ahead.

A lot has been asked of this 19-year-old, and the relationship is being tested early. Some may say the haste undue, but such are the times.

Konstas took strike and was a little late on Jayden Seales’ first delivery of the second innings. He survived the over without sounding any more alarms.

After defending a full-length delivery from Shamar Joseph in the following over, however, the teen advanced ambitiously and found himself out of position.

The ball found the edge, but he was dropped.

Two deliveries later, Shamar again found an edge that flew invitingly to the cordon only to be put down again.

It was the fifth catch put down from his bowling to that point of the match. The second time in three deliveries Konstas was dropped.

If this was a flight the seat belt lights would be on, the crew would be taking their seats, and the captain would be advising, in a slightly strangled voice, that no hot drinks could be served and the toilets could not be used.

It’s hard to relax when the plane’s getting buffeted like this.

There was a lot of talk after the MCG innings that the teenager had not actually understood the importance of the moment, and his naivety had enabled him to play without nerves. You can’t imagine he’s similarly relaxed about the delayed restart to his career, and can only assume his heart rate was through the roof after two near-death experiences that soon after take-off.

It would be difficult to script a more torturous start to an innings, and while he outlived his opening partner, Usman Khawaja, it was no surprise to see him wandering back to the change rooms for 5 runs from 38 anxious deliveries.

The painful episode came to an end when Shamar had him caught on the crease, edging onto his stumps.

The message from the coaching staff is that patience is needed, and so it is, but it is hard not to worry about what effect the expectation and scrutiny will have on Sam Konstas.

Australia couldn’t take its eyes off him in the summer and it can’t know, but there’s a significant shift in the way fans, commentators and opposition will be watching him from here on in.

His mettle is being tested.

Just quietly, this West Indies attack has something about it. Seales challenged the top order and got his reward when Josh Inglis (12) became the second batter of the match to be bowled when shouldering arms. Earlier, Alzari Joseph had trapped Khawaja (15) on the crease. Justin Greaves became the fourth rider of the apocalypso when he, having been cruelly denied by a line-ball decision earlier in the over, had Cameron Green (15) caught in slips.

Cricket Et Al’s match report continues after this brief but timely commercial break.

A good time to remind you that you can get your celebration of this great man’s great innings. Here

EARLIER IN THE DAY …