Shane Watson said he was surprised star West Indian fast bowler Kemar Roach was predominantly bowled into the wind.

Leading into the Test, Roach was expected to terrorise the Australian batsmen on a fast WACA wicket with the sea breeze at his back, the bowler saying he expected to reach speeds of 155kph.

But aside from an impressive spell during the middle session, where Roach claimed the wicket of Shane Watson and forced Ricky Ponting to retire hurt after being struck on the elbow, the 21-year-old was mainly used into the wind.

Although the breeze was minimal in the opening session, and Roach could have picked up Watson's wicket for seven if Chris Gayle had not dropped him, the fact he was handed the new ball while bowling into a howling westerly seemed to mitigate any chance of claiming a late wicket, the hosts cruising to 339 for three at stumps.

"It would be interesting to see what Chris Gayle's thinking was at that time," said Watson after making a sparkling 89 before being beaten for pace by Roach just after lunch.

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"I was talking to Simon (fellow opener Simon Katich) after his first spell and I thought that he definitely would have bowled this end downwind with the breeze going across 'cause he does swing the ball into me and swing it away from Simon.

"And I was surprised that he actually bowled into the wind with the second new ball as well.

"But the West Indies are very unpredictable at times with some of their decisions and things that they do.

"But as a batsman, facing Kemar Roach bowling at the wrong end was nicer anyway ... so it was good for us."

Speaking after the first day, West Indian coach David Williams defended his captain, saying the decision to bowl into the wind would have been made by Roach himself.

"Normally a strike bowler's going to get the end that he prefers and I think that was the case," Williams said.

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"I think Roach is right now the No. 1 bowler, it's up to him to pick which end he's going to bowl. He chose that end, so that's just the way it goes."

But Williams could not explain why Gayle didn't over-rule the young bowler, who only has four Tests to his name.

"It was all about communication," Williams said. "At the end of the day the captain together with the bowlers is going to come up with the right decisions."

"Whether it be the captain's call, or the bowler's call it's all about getting together and deciding."

"But all in all, I thought that Roach tried his heart out on a very, very flat deck ... (that) turned out to be almost a perfect batting wicket."

While Roach ruffled Ponting's feathers, forcing him to retire and go to hospital for x-rays on his elbow, the Australian skipper has since been cleared of any break and should bat on Thursday.

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But while the day was mostly positive for Australia, there was one significant down point, the dismissal of opener Simon Katich for 99, when he played a rash sweep shot to spinner Sulieman Benn, holing out to the square leg fielder.

"He's very frustrated at the moment," said Watson, who also went out in the 90s during the last Test in Adelaide.

"The times that it gets to you more is when you do sort of have a mental error and make a wrong shot, especially when you're close to that real big milestone."

"So I sort of know how he's feeling when it's more a mental error than good bowling," he said.