The West Indies has made a disastrous start to its innings against Australia in the second one-day international at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday.

The tourists won the toss, elected to bat and slumped to 4-16 before struggling to 6-93 at the 25-over mark.

Kieron Pollard (16 off 23 balls) and Dwayne Smith (eight off 19) are playing cautiously and will need to build a big partnership if their team is going to grind out a competitive total.

Doug Bollinger did the early damage with an opening spell of 3-9 off five overs while Clint McKay chipped in with an early wicket too and the first four batsmen were out for single-digit scores.

Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson were the other wicket-takers.

The West Indies was immediately on the back foot with its captain Chris Gayle dismissed for a first-ball duck after shuffling across the crease to a Bollinger delivery.

Travis Dowlin replaced his skipper but he didn't last long after nicking a McKay delivery he tried to leave at the last minute.

Runako Morton became Bollinger's second lbw victim and in the seventh over the New South Wales quick struck again when Lendl Simmons edged a ball that left him off the pitch.

Ramdin and Narsingh Deonarine weathered the storm and hit several boundaries to release some of the pressure.

They put on 46 for the fifth wicket before Deonarine was trapped leg before wicket by Johnson for 23 off 36 balls.

It was an interesting dismissal as umpire Billy Bowden took his time to make a decision - his trademark bent finger wasn't raised until the Aussies had given up on the appeal and the batsmen had already changed ends for what seemed to be a regulation leg bye.

Four overs later and the steady Ramdin (30 off 42 balls) followed him back into the change rooms after edging a Watson ball to Haddin, gifting the wicketkeeper his third catch for the innings.