Australia crush Windies by an innings and 212 runs

HOBART: Recalled paceman James Pattinson claimed five wickets as the West Indies succumbed to a dispiriting innings and 212-run loss to Australia on the third day of the first Test in Hobart on Saturday.

Pattinson, playing in his first Test since March last year after recovering from chronic back and hamstring issues, spearheaded the Australian assault to rip apart the threadbare Windies batting.

The hapless Caribbean tourists were sent back in by Australia skipper Steve Smith after being dismissed for 223 in the first innings to trail the home side by 360 runs. Only opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite showed any resolve in the second innings shambles, finishing with 94 out of the paltry 148 total.

Pattinson triggered the rot by having Rajendra Chandrika caught by Smith in the slips for a duck. First-innings centurion Darren Bravo fell for just four when his middle stump was uprooted by Pattinson.

Marlon Samuels came and went for three, caught by David Warner, and Jermaine Blackwood completed a pair of ducks when he was bowled by Pattinson the next ball.

Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin gave Warner his second catch of the innings off Mitchell Marsh for four.

Skipper Jason Holder was caught down the leg-side off Pattinson for 17, Kemar Roach gloved Josh Hazlewood to Peter Nevill for three, and Jerome Taylor fell to a catch in the deep off Hazlewood for 12.

Brathwaite was the last man out, bowled by Hazlewood six runs short of his century.

The tourists were earlier dismissed for 223 with Hazlewood missing a hat-trick after dismissing Roach and Taylor with successive balls to finish with four for 45.

Bravo, on 94 overnight, was the last man out for 108 after raising his seventh Test century. His 177-ball defiant innings with 20 fours came to an anti-climactic finish when he dollied a catch off Peter Siddle to Nathan Lyon at point. The West Indies innings finished on the ninth wicket down with injured fast bowler Shannon Gabriel unable to bat because of a stressed left ankle injury.

With Gabriel down Smith quickly enforced the follow-on as the Australians pressed for a quick-fire victory. (AFP)