In a day that saw the West Indies cricket team oscillate between hope and despair, Shamar Joseph emerged as a shining light, claiming a memorable five-wicket haul on his Test debut. However, despite his heroic efforts, the West Indies found themselves in dire straits at the end of the day, facing defeat against Australia.
Resuming from their overnight score of 59-2, Australia stumbled to 129-5, with Shamar Joseph dismissing key batsmen Cameron Green for 14 and fellow debutant Justin Greaves claiming the wicket of Usman Khawaja for 45. At lunch, the Australians were precariously placed at 144-5.
However, Travis Head, unbeaten on 41 at the lunch break, spearheaded a counterattack, scoring an impressive 119 and leading Australia to a total of 283 for a lead of 95 runs.
Josh Hazelwood’s four-wicket burst further compounded the West Indies’ woes, leaving them reeling at 73-6 by the end of the day, trailing Australia by 22 runs.
Shamar Joseph’s debut was nothing short of remarkable, finishing with figures of 5-94, supported by Greaves (2-36) and veteran Kemar Roach (2-48). The Guyanese fast bowler’s efforts were acknowledged as he claimed his fifth wicket by dismissing Nathan Lyon for 24.
Despite Joseph’s heroics, the West Indies’ batting order collapsed under the relentless assault of Josh Hazelwood, who ended the day with figures of 4-18. The top four West Indies batsmen fell quickly, with Hazelwood taking three wickets before conceding a single run.
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite (1), Tagenarine Chanderpaul (0), Alick Athanaze (0), and Kavem Hodge (3) all succumbed to Hazelwood’s skillful bowling, leaving the West Indies in a precarious position at 19-4. Kirk McKenzie provided some resistance with a brisk 26, but his dismissal further dented the West Indies’ hopes.
Justin Greaves and Joshua da Silva attempted to stabilize the innings, forging a 33-run partnership, but Greaves fell to Nathan Lyon on the last ball of the day with the Caribbean men still needing 22 runs to avoid forcing Australia to bat again.
While the result seemed destined to favor Australia, the day’s play underscored the exceptional performance of Shamar Joseph on his Test debut. His resilience and skill had not gone unnoticed, earning him a standing ovation from the crowd. Despite the challenging situation, Joseph’s debut remained a beacon of hope for the West Indies.