Boxing Day Test: Samuels drops absolute sitter

West Indian fielder Marlon Samuels has typified his side's dismal start to the Boxing Day Test after dropping an absolute sitter to dismiss centurion Usman Khawaja.

Khawaja was enjoying a golden return to the Australian side as he crushed the visitor's attack to all parts of the MCG for a classy 144-run innings.

It was the 29-year-old's third century in as many Tests.

However, Khawaja's innings looked to be over when he miscued a shot off Jerome Taylor and squarely picked out Samuels at extra cover.

But Samuels, one of the more experienced players in the West Indian squad, butchered the straight-forward chance, getting his hands in the wrong position and letting the ball balloon over his shoulder.

However, the 34-year-old Samuels' blushes were saved when Taylor finally got his man two overs later, Khawaja caught behind after trying to flick the ball down the leg side.