Fifty edges Hodge closer to fairytale Test debut

On his previous visit to Adelaide in 2010, as the youngest-ever full member of the Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy and its first West Indian scholar, Kavem Hodge was asked his career ambition to which he replied "to play Test cricket".

It's taken the now 30-year-old more than a decade, but the stylish right-hander stands poised to realise a life's dream after compiling a tidy half-century on the opening day of West Indies tour game against a Cricket Australia XI a week out from the first NRMA Insurance Test.

Hodge and his former under-19 World Cup teammate Justin Greaves put together an invaluable 120-run stand for the fifth wicket that was bookended by a couple of costly batting collapses as the visitors ended day one of the three-day fixture 8-251.

With experience born of his time at the Adelaide-based Lehmann academy in the same intake as former England skipper Joe Root, and knowledge gained from his stint at the 2012 under-19 World Cup in Townsville, Hodge staked his claim for the honour that has eluded him since making his first-class debut in 2012.

The spin-bowling all-rounder made his senior debut for his native Dominica at age 15, has played three ODIs for West Indies but – like Greaves who top scored today with 65 – has not cracked selection in the Test format.

"It would mean a lot to me," Hodge said after his 52 from 101 balls faced, that ended when he was fooled by left-arm spinner Doug Warren's arm ball.

"As a little boy growing up, and even in an interview I gave when I came to Adelaide in 2010 they asked me what are my ambitions and I said I wanted to play Test cricket.

"So it's been a dream of mine and it would definitely be a dream come true.

"Until then, I'm fingers crossed."

Hodge and Greaves are among seven uncapped players in the 15-man West Indies squad, which ensures the team they take into the two-match series opener at Adelaide Oval next week will bear little resemblance to the XI that was heavily beaten here barely a year ago.

The most obvious similarity will be opening duo Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul who began their Test union at Perth in late 2022 and were again among the most assured of their team's batters today.

But after their 70-run first-wicket stand was broken, the West Indies lost three quick wickets before Hodge and Greaves's rescue mission, only to surrender 4-8 from 38 deliveries either side of the second new-ball being taken late in the day.

Western Australia left-arm quick Liam Haskett finished with the best figures of 3-57 having claimed two of those late scalps, and the CA XI will be looking to wrap up the visitors' innings early tomorrow on a pitch that offers a bit for the new-ball but is otherwise a good batting surface.

The playing conditions for the non-first-class game allow for both teams to field more than 11 players across the three days, and West Indies captain Brathwaite's option to bat first meant the visitors had first use of the drop-in pitch.

While the surface might have been prepared by the same ground staff who oversee the strips laid in the centre of Adelaide Oval, the bowling faced by the West Indies top-order bore little resemblance to what invariably awaits in the opening Test starting in a week's time.

The combination of some erratic offerings from the young CA XI attack and caution shown by Test opening pair Brathwaite and Chanderpaul, the tourists safely negotiated the first hour while scoring at barely two runs an over.

But the loss of Chanderpaul to one of the few flashes of aggression in the morning session – an attempted cover drive to a ball angled across the left-hander in WA all-rounder Brad Hope's opening over – brought the breakthrough.

Hope might have pocketed another two overs later when West Indies number three Kirk McKenzie attempted to hammer a short ball through point, and Haskett's despairing dive to the left yielded only fingertips to the tough chance.

Having gone to lunch 1-70 from 29 overs, the visitors suffered the sort of top-order implosion that marked their two-Test visit last year during which they surrendered 3-3 in the space of 22 balls.

McKenzie, whose sole Test appearance to date came against India in Trinidad last July, tried to take on the CA XI's short-ball ploy but his top-edged pull was safely caught by Harry Conway at fine leg, where he duly celebrated his snare by high-fiving the lone spectator standing immediately behind him.

Soon after, spin-bowling all-rounder Alick Athanaze began his maiden Australia campaign on a forgettable note when he also succumbed to the bouncer ploy and top edged a waist-high ball from Haskett that was caught by stand-in keeper Harry Matthias running around to square leg.

Athanaze's six-ball duck represented a far less accomplished start than Matthias, who was drafted into the CA outfit at short notice this morning after first-choice keeper Jake Doran became ill.

When Brathwaite departed in decidedly lacklustre fashion next over, top-edging an ungainly stand-up sweep shot off Warren to backward square, it seemed the West Indies were destined to relive their previous visit to Adelaide when they were rolled for 77 in their second innings of the final Test.

However, aspiring Test pair Hodge and Greaves fused watchful defence with some textbook strokeplay to post their century stand in the day's final hour as the visitors showed they might prove quite the pushover they were when here 13 months ago.

NRMA Insurance Test series v West Indies

Tour match: January 10-13, Karen Rolton Oval (10.30am AEDT)

First Test: January 17-21, Adelaide Oval (10.30am AEDT)

Second Test: January 25-29, Gabba (3pm AEDT)

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc

West Indies Test squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Alzarri Joseph (vc), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua DaSilva, Akeem Jordan, Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlach, Shamar Joseph, Zachary McCaskie

Men's Dettol ODI Series v West Indies

Australia ODI squad: Steve Smith (c), Travis Head (vc), Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Matt Short, Adam Zampa

February 2: MCG, 2.30pm AEDT

February 4: SCG, 2.30pm AEDT

February 6: Manuka Oval, Canberra 2.30pm AEDT

Men's Dettol T20I Series v West Indies

February 9: Blundstone Arena, Hobart 7.00pm AEDT

February 11: Adelaide Oval, 7pm AEDT

February 13: Perth Stadium, 7pm AEDT