Pat Cummins bagged his 200th wicket to remove the dangerous Kraigg Brathwaite, with two more West Indies players out as Australia wrestled back the initiative at tea on day three of the opening Test.

The visitors were 237-4 at the break in Perth, trailing Australia by 361 runs after the hosts declared their first innings at 598-4 on the back of quality double centuries from Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith.

Jermaine Blackwood was not out 35 and concussion substitute Shamarh Brooks on 18.

Skipper Brathwaite, in his 80th Test, was out to Cummins for 64 soon after lunch, handing Australia's captain a 200th wicket in his 44th Test.

It helped swing the pendulum back in the hosts' favour after the West Indies had battled to 159-1, losing Tagenarine Chanderpaul early and Nkrumah Bonner retiring hurt after being hit on the helmet.

Two more wickets fell between lunch and tea, with Mitchell Starc bowling Kyle Mayers for one and Jason Holder succumbing to the spin of Nathan Lyon on 27.

Brathwaite and debutant Chanderpaul -- son of West Indies great Shivnarine -- had negotiated 25 fiery overs before stumps on Thursday, reaching 74-0.

Starc said he, Cummins and Josh Hazlewood may have bowled too short in that session and they adjusted accordingly on Friday.

It paid immediate dividends with Hazlewood extracting a nick from Chanderpaul's bat in the first over and David Warner collecting comfortably at slip.

Chanderpaul's demise for 51 came a ball after he reached a maiden Test half-century to go with the century he made in a warm-up game last week to showcase his immense potential.

Cummins was a constant threat, regularly beating the bat, but Brathwaite, who resumed on 18, showed plenty of grit and fight to bring up a 28th Test half-century.

But he had no answer to Cummins in the fourth over after lunch with a perfect delivery clattering into his off stump, ending a 166-ball innings.

Bonner took a blow to the head from a Cameron Green bouncer on eight and continued with a new helmet after treatment for another six overs, adding eight more runs, but eventually left the field.

Left-hander Myers came in for Brathwaite but never settled and chopped on from Starc with the West Indies losing two wickets for seven runs.

Holder was given out lbw on six, but reviewed and survived. He went on to make a gutsy 27 before prodding a catch to Warner at slip off Lyon.