There remained regular signs of uneven bounce – Green received a delivery early on which scuttled for four byes – but the ones that shot low were either not straight or were able to be kept out. As had been evident on the first two days, batting became more manageable as the ball got softer which added to the importance of the 93-run stand between Green and Smith in taking the sting out of the attack.

Green, who had done the hard work in the first innings but couldn’t take advantage of being given a life, brought up his first half-century as a Test No. 3 with a perfect straight drive. However, he was again left furious when he chopped on next ball, dropping his bat to the ground in anger before trudging off.

Overall, though, it was a step in the right direction. He nearly fell for West Indies’ short ball plan when he top-edged short of deep square leg, but he defended solidly and waited for anything with a hint of width to put away through the off side.

Australia had resumed on 12 for 2 after a difficult finish to the second day where Jayden Seales removed both openers. Progress from Green and nightwatcher Nathan Lyon was sedate before a 40-minute rain break. Shortly after the resumption Lyon edged to third slip where John Campbell, who has had an indifferent time in the field, clung on with a juggle.

Lyon had joked in a pre-play interview that Smith thought he should retire to let him bat straightaway. Smith, whose preparation for returning to the side included a session a New York batting cage, received a brutal first ball from Alzarri Joseph which took the glove of his injured hand but he looked in the zone from the off.

Smith did well to keep out a delivery from Anderson Phillip that kept low, from which point on he limited his trigger movements to remain stiller at the crease. He collected back-to-back boundaries off Shamar Joseph – a straight drive and one through the covers – as his game looked in top working order despite the recent lay-off.

When the ball got soft, West Indies went for a bouncer strategy with, at times, three on the leg-side rope, a deep third and a short leg but Smith was rarely bothered by it. While variable in bounce, the pitch does not have great pace which made a bouncer-barrage hard work although it may have been in part to try and get the ball changed.

Smith’s fifty came up from 79 balls with a leg glance and he greeted the introduction of Greaves by stepping out of the crease and clubbing him straight down the ground. Chase’s offspin was then sent straight for six as Australia sensed a chance to cash in on their hard work.

After Green’s dismissal, Head came out and threaded his first delivery through the covers with a rasping drive. Another crisp drive, this time off Greaves, took him into the 20s at better than a run-a-ball. He went down a gear after tea amid the loss of Smith and Webster before falling late in the day. But Carey was swiftly into his work and Australia’s bowlers will hope he can given them a cushion of another 50 runs.

Brief scores: [Day 3 stumps]
Australia 286 in 66.5 overs  and 221 for 7 in 64.3 overs (Steven Smith 71, Cameron Green 52; Jayden Seales 2-29, Shamar Joseph 2-54, Justin Greaves 2-22) lead  West Indies 253 in 73.2 overs (Brandon King 75, John Campbell 40; Nathan Lyon 3-75, Josh Hazlewood 2-43, Pat  Cummins 2-46) by 254 runs

[Cricinfo]