In one of the most remarkable Test matches of all time, West Indies stunned Australia by eight runs in the second Test in Gabba, Brisbane, on the back of right-arm pacer Shamar Joseph's incredible seven-wicket haul on January 28 (Sunday). As a result, Australia lost their first-ever Pink Ball Test after winning 11 on the trot. Meanwhile, the Windies registered their first Test win on Australian soil after 1997 and leveled the series 1-1.
Unprecedented scenes were seen at the Gabba after Joseph dismissed Josh Hazlewood and completed a memorable win for his team. Joseph set off for a victory run across the Gabba and his teammates followed him with their hearts filled with immense pride. Remember, Joseph was playing only his second Test match of his career after having made his debut in the previous game in Adelaide.
What was the most remarkable thing about Joseph's performance on Day 4 was how he came back after suffering a nasty toe injury on Day 3 when Mitchell Starc's searing yorker forced the West Indian to limp off the ground. The injury didn't deter Joseph, who was destined for something monumental.
“Shout out for my teammates for their support. I wasn’t even going to come to the ground today. But thanks to the doctor, he did something to my toe,” Joseph said after winning his team the match, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
"It was just our positivity, taking wickets after wickets. Sticking to our basics, just stuck to the top of off-stump. I really do, I really feel we have won the series, it’s 1-1 but it feels like we have won it. Tears are coming in my eyes but I already cried when I took the five-wicket haul.
“Just happy that we have won this Test we can celebrate and be happy. I was not that tired, I said to my captain that I will bowl till the end until the last wicket falls. No matter how my toe was, I was going to give it my all,” he added.
On the fourth day of the second Test, West Indies staged an impressive turnaround. With Australia needing 156 runs more to win the match, West Indies' Shamar Joseph wreaked havoc on Australia's middle order. He swiftly took the wickets of Cameron Green and Travis Head and nearly achieved a hat-trick against Steve Smith.
Joseph displayed remarkable resilience, dismissing key Australian players Cameron Green, Head, Mitchell Marsh, and Alex Carey, significantly challenging the Australian batting lineup.
Steve Smith continued to chip away at runs as wickets kept tumbling at the other end. In the end, the Aussie superstar batter was left stranded on 91 runs as the rest of the Australian batters lost their wickets.
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