KINGSTON: Mitchell Starc struck early in his 100th Test match as the West Indies reached 16 for one in response to Australia`s first innings total of 225 on the opening day of the day/night third Test at Sabina Park in Jamaica on Saturday.

Dismissed for a duck in an eventful final session as the tourists slipped from 157 for three, Starc bowled debutant Kevlon Anderson off the inside-edge to raise his tally of Test wickets to 396.

Anderson and Brandon King found themselves with the task of defying the Australian bowlers operating under lights with the new pink ball after selected openers John Campbell and Mikyle Louis were injured in the field.

King (eight) and captain Roston Chase (three) were at the crease when the stumps were drawn for the day.

West Indies are seek a measure of consolation with the series alreadylost following defeats in the first two Tests in Barbados and Grenada.

Shamar Joseph again led the West Indies bowling effort with four for 33, lifting his tally to a series-leading 18 wickets.

Jayden Seales and Justin Greaves claimed three wickets each on a pitch offering considerable seam movement but still with enough in the sur-face to encourage the spinners, raising questions about the visitors` decision to omit veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon in preference for an additional fast-medium bowler in Scott Boland.

Seven of the visitors` top eight all-rounder Beau Webster was the exception got past 15 although none could carry on to the really biginnings to put their side in a dominant position.

Turgid, almost tedious cricket defined the first two sessions with Australia advancing to 138 for three by the dinner break.

However, a comparatively frenetic passage of play followed, triggered by the demise of Steve Smith for a top score of 48, as Australia lost their last seven wickets for 68 runs in 15 overs.

Smith and Cameron Green (46) put on 61 for the third wicket in the one passage of play during the daylight hours when the bat threatened to dominate the ball.

An almost T20-style attitude to batting, typified by captain Pat Cummins` consecutive sixes off Seales, was also a reflection of Australia`s eagerness to get as many runs as they could quickly in that final session to allow the bowlers a decent shot at the West Indies` depleted top order under the lights.

That helter-skelter tempo at theend contrasted sharply with the pedestrian opening session, made exciting only by the antics of opener SamKonstas.

He was almost run out by Campbell and then dropped at third slip by Anderson off successive ballsfrom Seales before being trapped leg-before for 17 off the first ball bowled by Greaves.

Anderson, who replaced Keacy Carty, is one of three changes to the West Indies team from the second Test.-AFP