Shamar Joseph bowls West Indies to historic win over Australia
Shamar Joseph bowls West Indies to historic win over Australia
The West Indies ended a 27-year drought in Australia with a thrilling eight-run victory in the pink-ball Test match at the Gabba with to Shamar Joseph’s outstanding 7-68. Day 4 of the day-night Tests in Brisbane was cloudy, but the rookie pacer turned the tide of the match with his second fifer of the series, ending Australia’s 11-match winning streak. Before Dinner, he set off a collapse of 4 for 23, from which the hosts were unable to recover even with Steve Smith’s valiant 91*. West Indies split the series’ two matches’ worth of wins as a result.
The hosts and the overnight hitters began the day rather differently than this. Smith and Cameron Green played strong defense in the dismal conditions, weathering some tough beginning moments and almost making it through the first hour without incident. But Shamar’s final two balls before refreshments drastically altered the course of the match.
Green gained momentum and scored a couple of boundaries, but Shamar’s delivery of a ball that went through his defenses, struck his elbow, and crashed the stumps, denied the batter a valiant fifty runs, was an incredible jaffa. After that, the bowler produced a fantastic yorker to give Travis Head a king pair.
Mitchell Marsh too got out to a fast start, much like in the first innings, but Shamar quickly put an end to that threat, and Smith reached his fifty seconds later. Australia fell from 113/2 to 136/6 in six overs after the pacer repelled Alex Carey’s off-stump in his subsequent over.
Mitchell Starc made a quick comeback, hitting four exquisite boundaries in his stroke-heavy 21 off 14. But Shamar got the last laugh when Starc botched his attempt to cover, falling seven behind Australia on 171. Pat Cummins was only in for eight balls when Shamar got a length ball that reared up on the Australian captain and was taken by the keeper for a heavy outside edge.
Smith almost left for the break after losing their captain at the start of dinner, but he eventually came back to the center when the meeting was prolonged. Windies needed two more wickets to tie the score, and Australia needed 45 more to win.
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On the opposite side of Dinner, the sun rapidly set on Australia’s breathtaking pink-ball record in brilliant, sunny circumstances. Australia needed 25 more runs with the final pair in the middle, and Alzarri Joseph got him edging behind the very next ball after he had shelled a low return catch from Nathan Lyon. With his batting average of 76, Smith certainly raised everyone’s spirits by hitting a four and a six to beat the Josephs. Nevertheless, Shamar was the one who, fittingly, stopped Josh Hazlewood’s off-stump and launched a wild, joyous lap as the West Indies won at the Gabba for the first time since 1968.
Brief scores: Australia 289/9 decl (Usman Khawaja 75, Alex Care 65, Pat Cummins 64*; Alzarri Joseph 4-84, Kemar Roach 3-47) & 207 (Steve Smith 91; Shamar Joseph 7-68) were defeated by 16 runs by West Indies 311 (Joshua Da Silva 79, Kavem Hodge 71, Kevin Sinclair 50; Mitchell Starc 4-82) & 193 (Kirk McKenzie 41; Josh Hazlewood 3-23, Nathan Lyon 3-42).
Conclusion
In conclusion, Shamar Joseph emerged as the hero for the West Indies in a historic Test match at the Gabba, bringing an end to their 27-year winless streak in Australia. The rookie pacer’s exceptional bowling performance of 7-68 on Day 4 proved to be the catalyst that dismantled Australia’s formidable lineup and secured a thrilling eight-run victory for the visitors.
Joseph’s impactful spell, which included crucial wickets like those of Cameron Green, Travis Head, and Mitchell Starc, played a pivotal role in disrupting Australia’s chase. Despite a valiant effort from Steve Smith, who scored an impressive 91*, the hosts couldn’t recover from the collapse initiated by Joseph before the dinner break.
