WI vs AUS, 1st Test: Seales, Shamar shine against Australia on 14-wicket day 1
Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph breathed life into West Indies' pace attack with a stirring nine-wicket haul between them, as Australia were bowled out for 180 on a gripping first day of the opening Test at Kensington Oval.Mitchell Starc, captain Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood shared four wickets to pull Australia back into the contest, reducing West Indies to 57 for 4 at stumps - still trailing by 123 runs - and leaving the match delicately poised.advertisementSeales finished with 5 for 60, his third five-wicket haul in Tests - all of them at home - while Joseph claimed 4 for 46 in a performance that evoked memories of West Indies' storied fast-bowling tradition.Back at it tomorrow for Day 2.#WIvAUS #FullAhEnergy pic.twitter.com/hkD3IHArGd— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) June 25, 2025
"This one was pretty special," Seales said. "To play against Australia and get five on the first day was special. The plan with the new ball was to bowl fuller and at the stumps. Shamar was special today. He got through the top order and made it easier for the rest of us."Australia, missing Steve Smith through injury and having dropped Marnus Labuschagne, fielded a reshuffled top order that struggled from the outset. Debutant Sam Konstas was trapped lbw by Joseph for 3, and Cameron Green fell in the same over, edging to second slip after being dropped once. Josh Inglis, covering for Smith at No. 4, top-edged a pull off Seales to give wicketkeeper Shai Hope the first of his four catches.advertisementUsman Khawaja (47) and Travis Head (59) put on 89 for the fourth wicket - the only significant partnership of the innings - before Joseph returned to remove Khawaja just before he could reach his half-century. From there, Australia folded, losing 7 for 69.Head, who had survived a contentious review for a low catch behind, was eventually dismissed after tea, caught off Justin Greaves. Pat Cummins made 28 to push the score past 170, but Seales wrapped up the innings in under 57 overs.Australia's 180 was their lowest total in the Caribbean after batting first, and their lowest in the region since 1995 in Trinidad.West Indies sensed an opening, but Australia's pace attack struck quickly. Mitchell Starc removed both openers - Kraigg Brathwaite edged to second slip for 4, and John Campbell was squared up by one that shaped away. Cummins had Keacy Carty caught behind for 20, and Josh Hazlewood bowled nightwatchman Jomel Warrican for a duck.Debutant Brandon King, who had a difficult day in the field with three dropped catches, remained unbeaten on 23. He was joined by returning captain Roston Chase (1*), who saw out the final few overs under fading light.The surface, dry and cracked, offered movement and bounce throughout the day. Ten of the 14 wickets fell to edges, underlining how testing the conditions were for batters.The day mirrored Australia's collapse against South Africa in the recent World Test Championship final, when 14 wickets also fell on the opening day at Lord's. There will be concerns in the visiting camp - particularly with a new-look batting order - but their bowlers ensured they stayed in the fight.- Ends
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
16 minutes ago
- First Post
Usman Khawaja boycotts Australian radio station over sacking of journalist supporting Palestine: 'He is a man of principle'
Taking a stand for a veteran journalist sacked by SEN Radio, cricketer Usman Khawaja boycotted the Australian radio station at the end of Day 1's play in the first Test between West Indies and Australia. read more Usman Khawaja had also supported journalist Peter Lalor when Sen Radio sacked him in February. Image: AP Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja refused to speak to SEN Radio on Wednesday after the end of Day 1's play in the first Test between West Indies and Australia at the Kensington Oval, Barbados, as a mark of protest against the sacking of veteran cricket journalist Peter Lalor. Australia's SEN Radio had sacked renowned cricket reporter Lalor in February this year in February, midway through the tour of Sri Lanka, for showing support for Palestine . Before his sacking, Lalor had shared multiple posts on X (formerly Twitter) which claimed that Israel had committed 'genocide' in Gaza. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Usman Khawaja refuses SEN interview As per a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, Khawaja, who made 47 as Australia were bowled out for just 180 on Day 1, was scheduled to record an interview with SEN commentators Adam Collins and Bharat Sundaresan at Kensington Oval after the end of the day's play, but the veteran opener refused to do the interview. Sources, speaking on condition of anonymity to SMH, said Khawaja's decision was linked to SEN's controversial sacking of Lalor earlier this year. Khawaja feels SEN's action against Lalor was 'unfair'. Khawaja had also backed Lalor in a social media post at the time of his sacking. 'Standing up for the people of Gaza is not antisemitic nor does it have anything to do with my Jewish brothers and sisters in Australia, but everything to do with the Israeli government and their deplorable actions,' Khawaja posted on Instagram. 'It has everything to do with justice and human rights. Unfortunately hatred towards the Jewish and Muslim community will always exist. Pete is a good guy with a good heart. He deserves better.' The report added that Khawaja also apologised to Collins and Sundaresan for declining the interview. The 38-year-old Khawaja doesn't face any threat of action from Cricket Australia as players are allowed to decline post-match interviews if they wish. Meanwhile, Lalor is also covering the first Test in Barbados. Shortly after Khawaja refused the interview, in a statement, Lalo wrote: 'Usman is a man of principle whose support I valued greatly when I was dismissed and whose ongoing support I appreciate.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Why Was India Pacer Suddenly Released After 1st India vs England Test? Report Says: "He Was Not..."
Seam-bowling all-rounder Harshit Rana has been released from India's squad ahead of the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series, for which the team has travelled to Birmingham. Sources have told IANS that Rana is now on his way back to India from Leeds itself. Rana was previously added to India's squad for the first Test in Leeds, which England won by five wickets by chasing 371 on a thrilling final day at Headingley. "Actually, one of the pacers in the main Test team had a niggle. If the team think-tank wished to have someone as a back-up bowler who could execute a bouncer-led strategy, it was Rana who fit the bill and thus was held back. "But as things stand, everything is fine now. As a result, Rana has now been released from the squad, and that's why he was not spotted with the team on their travel to Birmingham,' the sources further told IANS. Rana made his Test debut during last year's tour of Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, where he managed to pick just four wickets at an average of 50.75, with his best figures being 3-48 in Perth. In England, Rana got his chance to play in the first game for India 'A' against England Lions at Canterbury, where he returned with figures of 1-99 and scored 16 runs. Meanwhile, Wednesday was a travel day for the Shubman Gill -led Indian team. The players will have a day off on Thursday and are likely to begin their training sessions on Friday in preparation for the second Test starting on July 2 at Edgbaston. With England now 1-0 up in the five-match series, India have a task at their hands to bounce back, especially after suffering a stinging defeat in Leeds, despite having five centuries and a five-wicket haul in their kitty. India are in England for a five-match Test series, their first outing in the World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Australia vs West Indies, 1st Test: Windies pacers dominate as Australia collapse in Barbados
— cricketcomau (@cricketcomau) Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel West Indies' pace battery reminded fans of their golden era as Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph ripped through Australia's top order on Wednesday, skittling them for just 180 on a lively Kensington Oval pitch in Barbados Seales starred with a superb five-wicket haul, while Joseph's fiery spell reduced the tourists to 22 for 3, Joseph triggered the collapse by first trapping Sam Konstas lbw and then inducing an edge from Cameron Green to Justin Greaves at middle order briefly steadied the ship through an 89-run stand between Usman Khawaja and Travis Head, but Joseph struck again to dismiss Khawaja for 47 and later saw Greaves claim Head for Beau Webster and Alex Carey departing cheaply, Seales returned to dismantle the tail, finishing with figures of 5 for stumps, West Indies reached 57 for 4, still trailing by 123, courtesy of a four-wicket burst shared by Australia's veterans Mitchell Starc Pat Cummins and Josh struck twice in his opening overs, removing Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell, before Cummins had Keacy Carty caught behind. Hazlewood cleaned up nightwatchman Jomel Warrican for a duck, ensuring Australia salvaged some already weakened by Steve Smith's injury and Marnus Labuschagne's omission, never recovered from their early collapse. West Indies' fast bowlers, however, capitalized fully, exploiting seam movement and variable bounce to expose a fragile Australian lineup."This one was pretty special for me," Seales said after the day's play."I have played against (Australia) once, and was injured. To play against them and get five on the first day was pretty special."With the new ball, the plan was to bowl fuller. We knew the batters would come hard if we gave them width, and the plan was to bowl full and as much at the stumps as possible."
