AUSTRALIA’S batsman Steven Smith struck his ninth Test century yesterday to nullify Jerome Taylor’s one-man bowling show for the West Indies, as the hosts took command of the second Test at Sabina Park in Kingston.

Smith, who scored runs all around the wicket and was particularly harsh on the slower bowlers, will resume on 135 when play resumes today at 10:00 am with Australia on 258-4. He is to be partnered by Shane Watson, who is on 20.

Taylor, the 30-year-old pacer, troubled the Australian batsmen with good pace and sideways movement both ways on his way to snaring three wickets on a grass-covered surface.

The hosts were forced to make three changes to their team. Batsman Marlon Samuels, leg spinner Devendra Bishoo and fast bowler Shannon Gabriel were left out due to illness. Samuels was said to have an eye problem, while Bishoo was nursing a bruised finger and Gabriel had flu. In came debutante Rajendra Chandrika, left-arm finger spinner Veerasammy Permaul, and pacer Kemar Roach.

Bishoo, who took six wickets against the Aussies in the opening Test match last week, was sorely missed.

But the day began brightly enough for the West Indies thanks to Taylor.

Off the third delivery of the day, the fast bowler got a ball to rear from a three quarter length and strike high on the bat of left-hander David Warner, who found himself in an uncomfortable tangle. Shai Hope at third slip took a comfortable catch.

It was soon 16-2 when Warner’s opening partner, another left-handed batsman, Shaun Marsh, leant too far across his stumps to a full in-swinging delivery and was trapped lbw to Taylor.

The Jamaican, bowling from the southern Michael Holding end, troubled the right-hand batsmen too, beating Smith and Captain Michael Clarke, wonderful out-swingers, during a first spell that saw him conceding no run off five overs.

He returned to bowl the last over before lunch and ended the session with six maidens.

At the other end, Roach was wayward in line and length. His best moment came when he thought he had caught and bowled Clarke for three, but the joy was short-lived as a second look by the umpires showed he had overstepped the front crease.

At the time Australia would have been 22-3. Smith and Clarke weathered the storm before and after lunch, and as the day wore on they showed assertiveness on a pitch which became easier to bat on.

Their third-wicket stand of 116 runs was broken when Clarke wafted at a harmless wide delivery from tall seamer Jason Holder and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.

In the meantime, Smith remained aggressive, lofting Permaul to bring up his and fifty.

He tormented West Indies throughout the day.

He stepped across his stumps to work the quicker bowlers through the leg side, and blunted Permaul by charging down the pitch.

Smith, 26, reached his hundred off the 200th delivery he faced when he cut a delivery from Permaul to the backward point fence. It was his fifth hundred in six Tests.

Taylor got a third wicket when first-innings centurion Adam Voges, on 37, drove away from his body and edged a delivery from Taylor behind the stumps. It was Taylor’s 26th wicket at Sabina Park.

Smith was dropped on 109 by Darren Bravo at slip, going for a cut shot off part-time spinner Kraigg Brathwaite.

Before Smith added another run, he was given out lbw by standing umpire Richard Kettleborough, but the batsman successfully appealed the decision, with television review showing the ball would have missed leg stump.