West Indies slumped to 6-207 at stumps on a sodden opening day of the SCG Test, with rain almost rankling Australia more than the opposition.

The hosts lost the toss and often looked lost in Sunday’s morning session but Nathan Lyon helped conjure a collapse of 5-55 after lunch.

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Showers washed out most of the post-lunch session, while players scurried off the ground at 4.50pm (AEDT) because of another downpour.

Lyon and Steve O’Keefe both struck upon their return before Carlos Brathwaite slapped an unbeaten 35 off as many balls.

Lyon snagged his 100th Test scalp in Australia and turned the ball sharply throughout the day.

Recalled left-arm tweaker O’Keefe celebrated his first Test wicket on home soil, removing Jason Holder with the help of a superb one-hander from Joe Burns at short leg.

Lyon was thrown the ball in just the eighth over and bowled 32 of the day’s 75 overs.

The offspinner dismissed Jermaine Blackwood for 10 and Kraigg Brathwaite for 85.

Blackwood shouldered arms to a ball that fizzed off the dry SCG pitch and clipped the top of off stump.

Brathwaite’s praiseworthy fight ended when he guided a ball straight to Steve Smith at slip.

Lyon often beat the bat and the visitors largely struggled to score off him.

The second session lasted 9.4 overs because of the heavy rain but it was long enough for the hosts to grab two key scalps.

Darren Bravo was resolute in a 91-run stand with Brathwaite but threw away his wicket with an ungainly pull shot to a bouncer from James Pattinson.

Usman Khawaja completed a catch in the deep to dismiss Bravo for 33.

Marlon Samuels was then run out for four following a moment of madness.

Samuels hit the ball straight to Josh Hazlewood at point, started off for a run and stopped mid-pitch.

Brathwaite dropped his bat amid the shemozzle, with the umpires calling for the covers after the wicket.

Earlier, Holder opted to bat first for the first time in the three-Test series as Australia sought a 3-0 sweep on the dry deck in Sydney.

Smith admitted he would have done the same but pointed to overcast skies as a source of hope.

Sure enough, Hazlewood swung the Kookaburra early and was rewarded with the dismissal of recalled opener Shai Hope.

But the clouds cleared, the ball stopped swinging and the tourists took control of the morning session.

Bravo and Brathwaite guided West Indies to a score of 1-104 before Australia swung momentum their way.

– AAP