Rain unable to halt Australia on day one of third Test

Rain wreaked havoc at the SCG in Sydney on Sunday, with a delay of almost three hours halting play, but Australia - leading 2-0 - still managed to have the Windies 207-6 at stumps.

Spinner Nathan Lyon (2-68) starred on day one, dismissing Jermaine Blackwood (10) and claiming the crucial scalp of high-flying opener Kraigg Brathwaite (85) for his 100th Test wicket on home soil.

Denesh Ramdin (23 not out) and Carlos Brathwaite (35 not out) will return to the crease on Monday after the embattled tourists fought back late.

The Windies won the toss and elected to bat first and it appeared to be a questionable decision early on, when Josh Hazlewood (1-35) broke through to dismiss opener Shai Hope (9).

A bouncy delivery left Hope pushing and ultimately edging behind to Peter Nevill, leaving West Indies 13-1.

The Windies, though, showed some resolve that has been lacking throughout the series thanks to Brathwaite and Darren Bravo, who combined for 91.

Brathwaite brought up his second half-century of the series off 78 deliveries shortly before the lunch break, with the Windies 92-1.

But the Australians emerged on top in the second session as trademark lapses in concentration by the Windies saw their hard work come unstuck.

After reaching 100, the Windies lost Bravo, who picked out Usman Khawaja in the deep for 33 following a short delivery from James Pattinson (1-41).

And it got worse for West Indies seven overs later as embattled batsman Marlon Samuels was run out for four in embarrassing fashion.

Samuels hit a Lyon ball straight to Hazlewood at cover and set off for a non-existent single, leading to a mix up with Brathwaite, who made it to the bowlers end and left the former in no-man's land in the middle of the pitch.

That proved to be the last bit of play before a lengthy rain delay, though the players eventually returned to the field momentarily, only for drizzle to wreak havoc again.

When play resumed once more, Lyon took control of proceedings as he left Blackwood in a spin, knocking over off stump.

He then added a second wicket to his tally, ending Brathwaite's innings just shy of a century before Stephen O'Keefe (1-42) claimed his first Test wicket on home soil as captain Jason Holder was sent back to the pavilion with the Windies 159-6.