- West Indies have defeated Australia by eight runs
- Shamar Joseph has crushed the Australian line-up
- It is the first victory for the visitors Down Under in 27 years
Speedster Shamar Joseph has taken seven wickets as Australia collapsed at the Gabba to give the West Indies their first Test win, by just eight runs, in Australia in 27 years.
Chasing 216 to seal a 2-0 win, the hosts cruised to 2-113 in the first session of the fourth day in front of just 3,162 fans in Brisbane on Sunday.
Second-gamer Joseph (7-68) then broke open the Test, braving a toe crushed by a Mitchell Starc yorker the night before to take six wickets in an incredible 10-over spell.
Steve Smith (91 not out) carried his bat in his second Test as opener and launched a daring rescue mission.
But Joseph was undeniable, bowling Josh Hazlewood for his seventh wicket and running to the boundary in incredible scenes as the series was drawn 1-1.
West Indies defeated Australia by eight runs at the Gabba
Shamar Joseph raced through the Australian batting line to stun the hosts
It is the first time in 27 years that the Windies have won in Australia
Peaking at around 90mph, Joseph immediately found life with an old pink ball that had previously caused Australia’s batters little trouble.
He bowled Cameron Green (42) and Travis Head with successive balls to start the collapse.
Head’s golden duck was his third in a row in Tests at the Gabba as he became only the seventh Australian to register a royal pair.
Smith survived the hat-trick ball but Mitchell Marsh (10) couldn’t last much longer, while Alex Carey (two) was Joseph’s fourth victim in a manic six-over spell that also cost 45 runs.
He wasn’t done yet, though: Starc (21 off 14) became Joseph’s fifth scalp inside seven overs, ending a brief cameo from the Australian quick with four boundaries.
Australia still needed 45 to win when skipper Pat Cummins, who had an unbeaten career-best 64 in the first innings before declaring 22 short of 311 in the West Indies’ first innings, went to the fold strode.
Trailing by just three, Nathan Lyon then survived until the break, with Australia still needing 29 to win and complete a 5–0 summer sweep.
Lyon fell in the first over after the restart but Smith continued the counter-attack as he scored a six in spectacular fashion as the target moved into single figures.
But he exposed Hazlewood one too many times and Joseph clattered the stumps once more to cap off an incredible solo performance.
Australia had no answer to Joseph’s pace in a brutal finish to the match
Joseph said he thought he would have trouble even standing on the ground after having to retire injured on Saturday night until he spoke to the team doctor.
“He did something to my toe, I don’t know what he did,” Joseph said.
‘I feel like we won the series, even though it’s 1-1.
‘I was already crying after my five-wicket haul… I’m not that tired; I told my skipper today that I would bowl today until the last wicket fell.”