Shamar Joseph Shines on Debut, West Indies Impress with the Ball in Adelaide
Shamar Joseph, the young West Indian paceman, continued his dream debut, taking a five-wicket haul to give his team a 95-run lead over Australia on the second day of the first Test at Adelaide Oval.
Joseph, who had already dismissed Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne on day one, added the prized scalp of Cameron Green in his first over of the second day. He finished with figures of 5-94, putting the tourists in a strong position despite a valiant century from Travis Head.
Head, playing in his home city, rescued Australia from a shaky start with a brilliant 119. The left-hander stood tall as wickets fell around him, but found little support from other batsmen. Usman Khawaja (45) was the only other Australian to pass 40 as they were bundled out for 283.
Joseph wasn’t the only hero for West Indies. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite’s unorthodox five-slip strategy paid dividends as he cleverly dismissed Mitchell Marsh, who edged several deliveries just short of the traditional cordon.
West Indies struggled with some dropped catches, but overall, they were the more disciplined and determined outfit on the day. Their bowlers kept the pressure on with consistent line and length, making life difficult for the Australian batsmen.
With a lead of 95 runs heading into their second innings, Australia are in a commanding position. However, West Indies are not entirely out of the game. The stage is set for a thrilling third day that could go a long way in deciding the fate of the Test.
It will take a lot of grit and determination for West Indies to overcome Australia in these conditions. Two good partnerships would do them a world of good. The fighting spirit of Shamar Joseph has kept them in the game, but the road to success still looks difficult.
On the other hand, Australia has already done the damage in the third innings. Josh Hazlewood struck again with two wickets in two overs, dismissing both West Indies openers for a score of just 1 run.
