Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph produced a mesmerizing display of fast bowling at Kensington Oval, ripping through the Australian batting lineup and evoking memories of the West Indies' glorious cricketing past. Their combined efforts saw Australia dismissed for a paltry 180 on the opening day of the first Test, leaving cricket fans and pundits alike buzzing about the resurgence of West Indian pace bowling.
Seales, the 23-year-old right-arm fast-medium bowler, spearheaded the attack with a brilliant spell, bagging 5 wickets for 60 runs. This marks his third five-wicket haul in Test matches, all achieved on home soil. Speaking after the day's play, Seales expressed that this was his most cherished five-wicket haul, especially considering he didn't feel at his absolute best throughout the day. He emphasized the plan with the new ball was to bowl fuller and target the stumps, a strategy that paid dividends against the Australian batsmen.
Shamar Joseph, the 25-year-old Guyanese right-arm fast bowler, provided the initial impetus, striking crucial blows early in the Australian innings. Joseph finished the day with figures of 4 for 46, his performance reminiscent of the legendary West Indian fast bowlers who once dominated the world stage. His early wickets of Sam Konstas and Cameron Green had the Aussies reeling at 22 for 3, setting the stage for the West Indies' dominance.
The Australian batting lineup, missing key players like Steve Smith (injured) and Marnus Labuschagne (omitted), struggled to cope with the pace and accuracy of Seales and Joseph. Only Usman Khawaja (47) and Travis Head (59) offered some resistance, putting on an 89-run partnership for the fourth wicket. However, Joseph returned to dismiss Khawaja, effectively derailing any hopes of an Australian recovery.
Seales then took over, mopping up the tail and ensuring Australia's innings folded inside 57 overs. The West Indies' dominance with the ball was a stark contrast to Australia's experienced pace attack. Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood managed to claw back some momentum by picking up four wickets and leaving the West Indies at 57 for 4 at stumps.
Reflecting on Joseph's contribution, Seales acknowledged the significance of his early breakthroughs. He emphasized the importance of dismissing the top order and how it made things easier for the rest of the bowlers. According to Cricbuzz, Australia's first innings total was their lowest against the West Indies in a Test match. Joseph now has 34 wickets in nine tests, 17 of which are against Australia.
Head, who top-scored for Australia, praised the West Indies' bowling attack, singling out Seales for his exceptional performance. He noted the consistency of Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph in putting the ball in the right areas and extracting movement from the wicket.
As play concluded on day 1, the match hangs in the balance. While Seales and Joseph's brilliance gave the West Indies the upper hand, the Australian pace attack demonstrated its quality by picking up wickets late in the day.
Jayden Seales' Test career includes 18 matches, 75 wickets, and a bowling average of 22.26. Shamar Joseph has played 8 Test matches and has 29 wickets with a bowling average of 26.75.
