West Indies four down in Perth Test grind

Australia have left the door ajar to push for a result against West Indies, after three second-session wickets left the tourists 4-237 at tea on day three in Perth.

After declaring at 4-598 on the second day, Australia faced a long road to push for a win when West Indies were 1-150 in reply at lunch on Friday.

But three strikes from Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon have put them back in the contest, bowling marginally fuller after going too short late on day two.

Still, the match looms as if it will be a long grind to the final day in the first of the two-Test Frank Worrell Trophy series.

Cummins' ball to dismiss Kraigg Brathwaite was both the pick of the wickets and most crucial one, shifting the momentum of the match early in the middle session.

In scenes reminiscent of his famous ball to bowl to Joe Root in Manchester three years ago, Cummins swung the ball in and straightened it just slightly off the seam to take the top of Brathwaite's off stump.

The dismissal marked Cummins' 200th in Test cricket, and removed the West Indies' most reliable batsman and captain on 64 after he had soaked up 166 balls.

Starc then worked Australia further back into the game when he went through Kyle Mayers when on one.

Josh Hazlewood was unlucky to not get in on the action when he thought he had Jason Holder lbw on six, before TV umpire Kumar Dharmasena ruled a sound on Snicko was an inside edge.

Holder took advantage, later slog-sweeping Lyon for six before the offspinner had him brilliantly caught by David Warner at leg slip on 27.

Hazlewood had earlier been one of Australia's best bowlers in the first session, as he and Cummins regularly beat the outside edge of the bat.

But they managed just one wicket for their trouble, with Hazlewood getting Tagenarine Chanderpaul caught at first slip for 51 to end his debut innings.

Meanwhile, Cameron Green has looked dangerous without claiming a wicket.

His pace has troubled both Nkrumah Bonner and Holder, striking both on the helmet.

Bonner had initially batted on for a half hour after the blow in the first session, but later retired hurt and has since been substituted out of the match under the concussion rules.

He was replaced in the tourists' line-up by Shamarh Brooks, who was 18 not out at tea alongside Jermaine Blackwood on 35.