Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph tore through Australia’s starting batting lineup, toppling them for a meager 180 on day one of the first Test at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, in a performance reminiscent of the fearsome bowling attacks of the old.
Australia’s blushes were saved by Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood, who had taken four wickets to lead the West Indies at stumps at 57 for four before the match was delicately poised on Wednesday.
The visitors never recovered from a disastrous start, which saw them reeling at 22 for three on a lively pitch, with Seales claiming a magnificent five-wicket haul and Joseph unleashing thunderbolts that left Australia’s batsmen stranded.
Seales said, “This one was pretty special for me.”
“I once played against]Australia], and I was hurt. It was pretty remarkable to play them and receive five on the opening day.
The intention was to bowl fuller with the new ball. The intention was to bowl full and as far away from the stumps as possible because we knew the batters would bat if we gave them width.
“A little slower than the Australians would have anticipated, and that increased their intensity.
Shamar is special today because he is in love with Australia. He made it simple in the middle and the end while passing the highest order.
Australia watched in shock as their re-jigged top order wilted under constant pressure from the Caribbean quicks, already vulnerable with Steve Smith sidelined by injury and Marnus Labuschagne axed.
After a review, Joseph threw Sam Konstas’ leg before the end of the fourth over to start the Bridgetown carnival.
The 25-year-old then delivered a scorching delivery that Justin Greaves’ second-round pick Cameron Green could only challenge.
Seales then joined the action, convincing Josh Inglis to force him to trudge back to the pavilion for five before getting horror-packed Australia’s first start.
Usman Khawaja and Travis Head, who are seasoned veterans, briefly turned the tables with an 89-run partnership, but Joseph returned at the perfect moment, removing Khawaja for 47, which is agonisingly short of his half-century, and stifling Australian hopes of recovery.
Beau Webster (11) and Alex Carey (8), who fell cheaply in the middle order, were met with little resistance before Greaves, who was caught behind, claimed the prized Head for 59.
Before Seales returned to complete his five-wicket masterclass and departing Australia to consider the wreckage of their innings, Captain Pat Cummins (28) provided the only lower-order resistance.
West Indies would have preferred to have taken their chances at that point, but Starc had other ideas and took the wickets of John Campbell and Kraigg Brathwaite in an action-packed opening match.
As the Barbadian sun set on a thrilling day of pace-dominated Test cricket, Cummins then had Keacy Carty caught out for a run on 20 before Hazlewood bowled nightwatchman Jomel Warrican out for a duck.
Source: Aljazeera
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