West Indies Struggles Despite Joseph's Bowling Prowess in Test Against Australia
Day 1 Highlights of the Test Match
In the first Test match against Australia at Bridgetown, the West Indies faced challenges, including dropping at least four catches on the opening day. Despite these setbacks, Guyanese pacer Shamar Joseph showcased his skills by claiming four wickets, coming close to a fifth before an unusual decision thwarted his efforts. This incident occurred when Travis Head was batting at 48; Joseph bowled a short, wide delivery during the 46th over, leading to a low catch taken by wicketkeeper Shai Hope.
Joseph made a subtle appeal, prompting on-field umpire Nitin Menon to review the situation after a brief discussion among the players. The confusion arose not from the contact, as the ultraedge technology clearly indicated a spike when the ball passed the bat, confirming it had touched the bat.
However, the uncertainty stemmed from the catch itself. The third umpire, Adrian Holdstock, determined that the ball may have dropped before reaching Hope's gloves. Nevertheless, it appeared that Hope's fingers were positioned under the ball just before it made contact with his palms.
Watch the video here:
Did Travis Head get lucky? 👀
— FanCode (@FanCode) June 25, 2025
Shamar Joseph thought he had him, but was it clean? Fair call or a missed chance? 🤔#WIvAUS pic.twitter.com/MKeZe2iRTT
Summary of Day 1: Aus vs WI
Australia was dismissed for 180 runs in 56.5 overs, suffering a collapse in the top order despite Travis Head's resilient 59 off 78 balls and Khawaja's 47. Shamar Joseph (4/46) and Jayden Seales (5/60) dismantled the Australian batting order, taking a combined total of nine wickets. In response, the West Indies struggled to reach 57/4 in 20 overs by the end of the day. Mitchell Starc took two early wickets, while Hazlewood and Cummins each claimed one. Brandon King remained steady with an unbeaten 23 runs off 31 balls. The day was dominated by bowlers, with a total of 14 wickets falling as both teams contended with challenging conditions. The West Indies trail by 123 runs with six wickets still in hand.