Steve Smith’s opening punt failed but Pat Cummins’ rare gamble paid off to gift Australia a winning hand against the West Indies on day one of the first Test.

Cummins made a shock call to bowl first after winning the toss at Adelaide Oval and he and milestone-man Josh Hazlewood took four wickets each to bowl the tourists out for 188.

Smith made just 12 in his first dig as a Test opener as Australia  reached 2-59 at stumps on Wednesday’s opening day of the two-Test series.

Cummins is just the 10th captain in 82 Tests at Adelaide Oval to bowl first after winning the toss – only one of the previous nine won the match.

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But the skipper backed up his surprise call with a haul of 4-41 before a crowd of 26,361 spectators.

And his pace partner Hazlewood (4-44) shredded the middle order with four consecutive wickets, becoming the 11th Australian to reach the 250 Test wickets milestone.

West Indian novice Kirk McKenzie, a 23-year-old Jamaican in his second Test, top scored with a polished 50.

Only an innings-high last-wicket stand of 55 runs by debutant No.11 Shamar Joseph (36) and No.10 Kemar Roach (17no) spared the visitors complete calamity.

Fast bowler Joseph continued his memorable day by removing Smith with his first ball in Test cricket, abruptly ending the initial phase of the Australian stalwart’s experiment as an opening batsman.

The 24-year-old quick also had a hooking Marnus Labuschagne (10) caught on the fine leg boundary to finish with 2-18.

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Despite Joseph’s strikes, Australia is in a position of power with Usman Khawaja, who was dropped on three, not out on 30 and Cameron Green unbeaten on six.

Earlier, Cummins surprised pundits with a rare decision to bowl first after observing overnight rain and a green-tinged pitch.

The skipper vindicated his call by taking the initial two wickets before Hazlewood captured his 250th wicket by bowling Alick Athanaze (13) some 15 minutes before lunch.

After the break, Hazlewood added three more wickets in a superb three-over span. At one stage he boasted figures of 4-14.

His victims included top scorer McKenzie, whose cricket-besotted father gave him the middle names of Sanjay and Alex in honour of India’s Sanjay Manjrekar and England captain Alec Stewart.

McKenzie played with aplomb but just three balls after posting his half-century he edged a Hazlewood delivery to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

Hazlewood also dismissed Test debutants Kavem Hodge (12) and Justin Greaves (five).

The Hazlewood inflicted blows came as the West Indies lost 6-35 to slump to 9-133.

Debutant Joseph and Roach then produced their last-wicket stand – the third 10th-wicket partnership of 50 or more against Australia in the past year.

The 10th-wicket average partnership of 19.4 runs against Australia in the past 12 months is the highest of any Test team.

-AAP