West Indies Tour Of Australia (2nd Test)
In a display of unparalleled determination, Shamar Joseph emerged as a one-man army, leading the West Indies to a historic 8 run win against Australia at the Gabba. Playing just his second match, Joseph not only defied a toe injury but also etched his name in the cricketing annals with a phenomenal 7-wicket haul in the second innings to win a test match for West Indies after 27 years of defeats.
The Windies, backed by an impressive middle-order display in the first innings, countered Australia’s strong bowling and established a score of 311. The sixth wicket partnership between Joshua Da Silva and Kavem Hodge helped West Indies fight back after losing 5 early wickets for just 64 runs, with Kevin Sinclair’s fifty further propelling them to a mighty total.
Australia, in reply, had a rocky start to their first innings, tumbling to 54/4. Resilient performances from Usman Khawaja and Alex Carey, supported by Cummins’s late-innings fifty, brought them close to the Windies’ score, declaring just 22 runs short, at 289 for 9.
Pat Cummins’ first-innings declaration, aimed at maximizing the last phase, seemed to backfire as West Indies displayed remarkable batting resilience. However, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood managed to bundle out the Windies for just 193, giving the Austalians an easy score of 216 to chase with two days to play.
Unfortunately for Australia, their batter could not read or face Shamar Joseph on the day. They crumbled under the pressure and were bundled out for 207 runs. Remarkably, Shamar Joseph, battling a broken toe, bowled through an entire session, claiming 6 wickets. Steven Smith held on to his wicket till the very end but returning for the second session, Joseph was able to secure the final wicket and win the game for the West Indies with 8 runs needed.
Chief Scores :
West Indies – 311 for 10 in 108 overs (Joshua Da Silva 79, Kavem Hodge 71, Mitchell Starc 4 for 82, Josh Hazlewood 2 for 38)
Australia – 289 for 9 dec in 53 overs (Usam Khawaja 75, Alex Carey 65, Alzarri Joseph 4 for 84, Kemar Roach 3 for 47)
West Indies – 193 for 10 in 72.3 overs (Kirk McKenzie 41, Alick Athanaze 35, Josh Hazlewood 3 for 23, Nathan Lyon 3 for 42)
Australia – 207 for 10 in 50.5 overs (Steve Smith 91*, Cameron Green 42, Shamar Joseph 7 for 68, Alzarri Joseph 2 for 62)
