Smith wins toss, Australia bats in 2nd test vs West Indies

Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith won the toss Thursday and opted to bat in the second cricket test against the West Indies. Both teams made injury-enforced changes following Australia's 164-run win in Perth last weekend to start the two-test series. The second test is a day-night match at the Adelaide Oval.

Australia made two changes to its bowling attack with Scott Boland replacing captain Pat Cummins and Michael Neser coming in for Josh Hazlewood. The West Indies made three changes with Marquino Mindle rushed into the lineup to make his test debut just a few days after arriving in Australia and fellow fast bowler Anderson Phillip picked to play his second test. Pace bowler Jayden Seales and allrounder Kyle Mayers were injured. Kemar Roach was cleared to play.

Veteran batter Devon Thomas was selected for his test debut in the absence of Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner, who was ruled out with a concussion sustained in the first test.

Smith, who scored an unbeaten 200 in the first innings in Perth, was rushed into the captaincy at Adelaide for the second time in 12 months.

Cummins missed the Adelaide test against England last year because of COVID-19 restrictions, with Smith leading the team on that occasion and returning as skipper for the first time since he was banned following a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in 2018.

Smith returned to the test team in 2019 as a specialist batter after a 12-month suspension and has been eased back into leadership roles. He has played 88 test matches, including 35 as captain, and averages 61.62 with the bat.

“Had a bit more time to get my head around it this year,'' Smith said after winning the toss. “Of course, any time you get to lead the team out, it's a huge thrill and a great honor.'' Neser, playing his second test and first in a year since he took two wickets on debut here last December, was drafted in late when Hazlewood was ruled out with what the team management described as general soreness.

Australia is hoping to have its full pace attack available when it hosts South Africa in a three-test series starting Dec. 17 in Brisbane.

___ Lineups: Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (captain), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon.

West Indies:: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Shamarh Brooks, Jermaine Blackwood, Devon Thomas, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva, Roston Chase, Alzarri Joseph, Anderson Phillip, Marquino Mindle. 

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