The West Indies suffered one of the greatest defeats in Test cricket history; Shamar Joseph overcame a suspected broken toe to score a remarkable victory in Brisbane.
When Joseph cleanly bowled Josh Hazlewood to secure an eight-run win for the West Indies, he ran jubilantly towards the boundary, engulfed by the entire team. Joseph’s remarkable sevens of 68 capped a stunning first Test series and secured the West Indies’ first victory against Australia in 21 years and first defeat since 1997. The series ended in a 1-1 draw.
Joseph was forced to retire injured after being bowled by a Mitchell Starc yorker the previous day. He was unable to bowl on the third evening but working with the West Indies team doctor helped Joseph take the field at the Gabba on day four.
While limping on the field between the overs, Joseph produced one of the West Indies’ most famous bowling feats. He took seven wickets in 11.5 overs; these included four players who bowled clean; Joseph’s yorker registered an Aussie king double as Travis Head conceded a golden duck.
Australia reached 113 early on the fourth day in Brisbane and appeared to be heading towards the target of 216. Joseph found extra bounce to hit Cameron Green’s elbow and the ball then rebounded to the stumps. The dismissal triggered a dramatic collapse as Australia collapsed to 136 for six.
Steve Smith remained at the crease in his second Test as an opener and added 35 runs with the dangerous Starc. But Joseph then cleared Starc, flicked the ball backwards and trapped captain Pat Cummins shortly afterwards.
Hazlewood joined Smith as Australia 191-9 and needed 25 more runs to win. Smith tried to strike and added another 16 points in the final wicket while the No.11 failed to score. However, Hazlewood bowled cleanly to give Joseph his seventh wicket. The West Indies celebrations can begin.
Joseph: ‘The doctor did something to my toe. It worked’
“I thank my teammates for the encouragement they gave me even when I was in so much pain from my toe,” said 24-year-old Joseph.
“I wasn’t even going to make it to the ground today! I have to give the doctor a note; she is amazing. He told me to go out on the field even if it was just to support the guys. Then he did something to my toe. I don’t know what it did, but it worked.
“I was sticking to the basics: from the top. I wasn’t worried about whether they were crossing boundaries; I just tried to find the right areas and do it for my team. Even though it is 1-1, we feel like we won the series. I have to give a shout out to my team once again. When was the last time we beat Australia? I can’t even remember. I’m not that tired because I wanted to do this for my team. I am good. “My captain was told that I would continue to bowl until the last wicket fell.”
Joseph comes from Baracara, a remote village in Guyana. The village is only accessible by boat and, as recently as 2018, there was no mobile phone or internet access and only a black-and-white television in the community.
“Slaughtering was the only way to make a living,” Joseph told CricBuzz recently. “One day, a tree fell and narrowly hit me on the road. I was there with my brothers and my father. It was a very narrow escape. And at that moment, as my life flashed before my eyes, I said I couldn’t do this anymore.
The incident caused Joseph to move 70 miles away to New Amsterdam, where he initially worked as a security guard. At this point he had only played with the tape ball. Joseph was spotted at a cricket camp by Curtly Ambrose two years ago and made his first-class debut last February. Joseph took five wickets in his first Test in Adelaide earlier this month, claiming Smith’s first Test wicket.
The West Indies overcame the absence of players like former skipper Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers on the tour to Australia, with the men playing franchise cricket instead. Cricket West Indies has repeatedly called for a more equitable sharing of gaming revenue to help countries outside the big three have the strongest possible sides in Test cricket and play more five-day games. Joseph signed a contract with Dubai Capitals earlier this month, indicating his talents will be highly sought after on the T20 circuit.
‘Pathetic and hopeless’ was our source of inspiration’
Skipper Kraigg Brathwaite said West Indies were motivated by former Australian fast bowler Rodney Hogg’s comments.
“I must say we had two words that inspired us in this Test match, Mr Rodney Hogg said we were ‘pathetic and hopeless’. This was our inspiration. We wanted to show the world that we are not pathetic.
“This is the beginning. We have to go on, play with heart and keep fighting for the West Indies. I would definitely like more Test cricket.
“Mr Rodney Hogg said we were pathetic and hopeless. That was our inspiration, we wanted to show the world that we were not pathetic.
“And I have to ask him: Are these muscles big enough for him?”
– Kraigg Brathwaite #AUSvWI pic.twitter.com/Js2Eo7kqSD
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 28, 2024
The nature of Test cricket means that genuine upsets are rare and much less common than in T20 or other sports. The West Indies’ Gabba win, which took place in front of just 3,162 spectators, has been compared to shock victories including England’s victory in Jamaica in 1990, where the West Indies remained the best team in the world; Pakistan’s first Test victory in England in 1954; South Africa’s first victory over a strong Australian since Melbourne in 1952; Bangladesh’s victory in New Zealand in 2022; and Zimbabwe’s first away win was against Pakistan in 1998.
The defeat was Australia’s second at the Gabba since 1986 and ended a summer season in which they had won the previous four Tests. This was a major blow to Australia’s chances of reaching the next World Test Championship final in England in 2025.