BRISBANE, Australia, CMC – Second Test hero Shamar Joseph revealed he was still in bed nursing a painful toe three hours before the start of the penultimate day’s play at the Gabba. He never thought he would take any further part in the contest.
Forced to retire hurt the previous evening after being struck by a Mitchell Starc yorker, the 24-year-old was subsequently cleared of any fracture. Still, it remained in severe pain and could not bowl as Australia reached 60 for two at the close of Saturday’s third day.
However, Joseph said team physio Dr Denis Byam instructed him to come to the ground instead of remaining at the hotel, and, following treatment, he was able to take the field.
He then destroyed the Aussie innings with a pacy spell of seven for 68, the hosts losing their last eight wickets for 94 runs, as West Indies clinched a nerve-jangling eight-run victory to draw the two-match series 1-1.
“He (Dr Byam) called me this morning. I was in bed after 11 am; the bus [was] leaving at 12:15 pm,” recalled Joseph, who only made his Test debut last week in Adelaide.
“He asked me how I was feeling, and I said, ‘Not well.’ [I was] really in pain and all these things.
“And he said, ‘Come to the ground, I have a reason.’ I didn’t know this was the reason, but it was for a good reason: to win the Test match for [my] team.
“I must shout out to him. I am thrilled he got me here today, and I did well for my team once again.”
West Indies found the breakthrough challenging to come by inside the first three-quarters of an hour, as opener Steve Smith (91 not out) and Cameron Green (42) extended their third wicket stand to 71 in pursuit of the victory target 216.
However, Joseph’s introduction changed the trajectory of the chase. He struck in only his second over, bowling Green and Travis Head (0) with consecutive deliveries before taking the next four to reduce Australia to 187 for eight at lunch.
Alzarri Joseph knocked over Nathan Lyon for nine in the first over after the break before Shamar Joseph removed number 11 Josh Hazlewood’s off-stump without scoring three overs later to seal West Indies’ first Test win on Australian soil in nearly three decades.
“[The talk in the dressing room] was just positive, that’s all. Just go out there and do it; take wicket after wicket. It was just all positivity,” Joseph said of the mood in the camp before the start of play.
“I was just sticking to the basics, on top of off-stump. That worked a lot for me throughout this Test, even in the first Test.”
He continued: “I feel like we’ve won the series. Even though it’s 1-1, I think we’ve won the entire series with this Test.
“And it’s fantastic for my teammates. I must shout out to them; they’re encouraging, and I’m glad I’ve made them proud.
“Tears could’ve come to my eyes [when we won], but I already cried for my five-wicket haul … but it’s just happiness. That’s the emotion coming out here right now.
“I’m just happy we won the Test. When last have we beaten Australia? I can’t even remember. Today is a big day for us, and I want us to enjoy it, celebrate, and be happy.”
Joseph, one of seven uncapped players in the touring squad, proved a revelation in the opening Test, in which West Indies lost by ten wickets, picking up a five-wicket haul in the first innings.
He managed only a single wicket in the first innings here, but his seven-wicket haul in the second carried him to 13 scalps, earning him Man-of-the-Match and Man-of-of-the-Series honors.
“It’s tough, but I wasn’t tired because I wanted to do it for my team,” he explained.
“I told my skipper (Kraigg Brathwaite) I would bowl to the end until the last wicket falls. It doesn’t matter how my toes are; I’m okay. I did it for him, and I’m happy he’s proud of me now.
“Not having an excellent toe to bowl with, I just [went] through that … pain in that I wanted to do this for my team, my country, and everyone in the Caribbean.
“Even down to the supporters here, I must shout out thanks to you guys [for] pushing us and [for] believing in us that we could bring this series to 1-1.”
Joseph also hailed the influence of senior bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach.
“Having Alzarri backing me [and] Kemar Roach, all the senior fast bowlers [were] there with me. All I asked was for support, and they supported me a lot throughout the game,” he said.
“Even though I was emotional and I was crying, they were tears of joy knowing I would’ve [brought] home this for my team. I had that belief, and they believed in me, too. They were just tears of joy and happiness.”
He added: “It’s all about believing. I made a lot of sacrifices to get here. Knowing what you did back then to get here, all that can do is to continue.
“I just stuck to the basics and continued learning as fast as I could and taking advice from the senior ones, so that worked for me well.”
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