Australia enjoy Boxing Day bash

Amid the almost concurrent celebrations that rang out in recognition of centuries to Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja at the MCG came a justifiable purr of satisfaction from the national selectors.

Facing what is euphemistically regarded as a "good problem" – that being too many in-form candidates for the number of available vacancies – the selectors stayed true to their stated "pick and stick" philosophy amid considerable conjecture.

Much of it centred on whether Khawaja – having been sidelined for a month with a hamstring strain – should return to the Test team at the expense of Shaun Marsh, who scored a career-high 182 in the previous Test against the West Indies in Hobart.

Or if both Khawaja and Marsh should retain their places, and Burns should pay the price for a lean run of scores in recent innings and surrender his berth as an opener.

A scenario that Burns himself was resigned to, according to what former Test opener Chris Rogers revealed on ABC Grandstand after Burns had notched his ton, in the same over that Khawaja reached his milestone.

WATCH: Bucky chat to Maxi about his lap of honour

Now, with a near-record second-wicket partnership of 258 that has all but guaranteed Australia will again retain the Frank Worrell Trophy they’ve held for 20 years the once parlous batting pair have shored up their places for the foreseeable future.

It was the second-highest second-wicket partnership for Australia against the West Indies, bettered only by Ian Chappell and Bill Lawry’s stand of 298 at the same ground against a more spirited West Indies opposition in 1968.

Which means the selectors no longer have a problem, be it "good" or otherwise as the Australians boast an imposing scoreline of 3-345 heading into day two when batting is expected to be even less problematic.

But in keeping with the tone of the season, the Australian batsmen were the beneficiaries of generous and enduring gifts on Boxing Day.

Burns’ arrived when West Indies skipper Jason Holder was seduced by the green glow that emanated from the MCG pitch when the covers were peeled back after torrential morning rain threatened to curtail the day’s festivities before they began.

In fairness, the 24-year-old was not the only one who thought there might be a bit of damp as well as a bit of deviation in a pitch that had sweltered through an uncomfortably warm night and then unseasonably wet morning before play began an hour late.

WATCH: Highlights of Burns's Boxing Day century

Australia skipper Steve Smith acknowledged that batting was likely to be tough for the first hour or so when interviewed second at the coin toss.

And former West Indies quick-turned-selector Courtney Walsh admitted on radio that the tourists’ brainstrust had expected there would be more life in the track than had materialised.

However, there was a trace of defeatism in Holder’s response when asked for his decision upon the coin landing in his favour when he indicated that his team would "field first".

Because instead of his bowlers testing the Australia batsmen for much of the opening session, the home side off and running – and as yet not to be reeled in - before the close of the second over.

That was after Kemar Roach had coughed up boundaries from each of the first three deliveries he sent down, and by the time Holder took it upon himself to stem the flow of runs – replacing Roach after his strike bowler’s one-over spell – the Australians were already dominant at 0-27.

Khawaja’s unexpected present arrived soon after when David Warner, who was not only in search of a maiden MCG century but appeared likely to reach it before the day’s first drinks break – surrendered his place in the middle.

Warner had reached 23 from just a dozen balls faced – a faster clip than any Test opener has reached that score but gone no further – when he tried to muscle a short ball from Jerome Taylor but only top-edged a catch to extra cover.

WATCH: Warner starts on fire in Boxing Day Test

Where it was almost squandered by Marlon Samuels who only added to the burning frustration that Warner surely felt on his walk back to the dressing room by juggling the chance with his trademark nonchalance.

It is doubtful Warner will ever see a surer chance of scoring a hundred on Australian cricket’s marquee day, a thought that no doubt coursed through his mind throughout the afternoon as he sat and watched Burns and Khawaja do precisely that.

While Warner sent Roach out of the attack on the strength of his initial onslaught, Burns – with his own doubts about the certainty of his place in the XI accompanying every defensive push – was a model of circumspection.

But such was the inability of the West Indies bowling attack to maintain consistent pressure and stick to a plan of attack – or mount of defence – that Burns had still found the boundary eight times upon reaching 50.

Khawaja, by contrast, showed no deleterious effects of his enforced absence for a couple of Tests and was soon scoring at an even more fluent rate than his watchful batting partner.

Further bounty arrived for the left-hander when he guided a difficult chance to the right of the energetically acrobatic Jermaine Blackwood in the gully when he was on 23, and he soon cashed in his gift.

The Queensland teammates went to tea with a run separating their individual totals – Burns on 83 and now in deficit to his state skipper – but he made a surge after the break which was fuelled by a six and four from consecutive deliveries by left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican.

WATCH: Time enough to run five?

Burns second Test century in a career that began at the same venue a year earlier, but had been truncated by his exclusion from the subsequent touring parties to the Caribbean and the Ashes, arrived in a tick over four hours from 180 balls faced.

Khawaja’s came two deliveries later, having faced 26 fewer balls and stretching a remarkable run of form that has not seen him dismissed for less than 100 since making his triumphant return to the Test game in Brisbane last November.

Rather like Warner half a day earlier, both of Australia’s century makers can feasibly attribute their eventual downfall to themselves.

Burns was clearly battling himself as the West Indies opted a defensive strategy, bowling so far from the right-hander’s off stump that Test debutant Carlos Brathwaite was called for consecutive wides and Holder was summoned from the slips cordon by umpire Marais Erasmus to be counselled about his negative tactics.

The couple of wild if unsuccessful swings that Burns aimed in response showed a hint of mental fatigue, but not as clearly as the walking defensive push he attempted against part-time spinner Kraigg Brathwaite soon after and led to him being stumped.

WATCH: Sharp work does for Joe Burns

Although so far down the pitch had he wandered he could mount a case for the scorebook showing ‘run out’.

Then Khawaja, whose previous century on return from his hamstring injury had come in the more energy intensive but not quite so mentally sapping environment of the 20-over format, showed similar telltale signs of weariness.

The stand-and-deliver catch that he blasted at Samuels when on 142 did not allow the languid Jamaican to attempt his juggling routine, and instead the chance rebounded from Samuels’ waist and on to the turf.

WATCH: 'Oh no! Dear oh dear!'

But in Taylor’s next over he waved at a delivery angled down the leg side and his innings ended on 144.

Like Burns, however, his tenure as a Test batsman will continue on as a result of today’s celebratory efforts.

Teams

Australia: David Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (c), Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon

West Indies: Rajendra Chandrika, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Jermaine Blackwood, Denesh Ramdin, Jason Holder (c), Carlos Brathwaite, Kemar Roach, Jerome Taylor, Jomel Worrican

FREE OFFER: Get an Optus Live Pass to stream every ball of the MCG and SCG Tests (and BBL matches) for FREE until midnight January 9. Click here or on the image below.