"Best winning spell I have seen": Roach hails Joseph's match-winning performance in AUS-WI 2nd Test
Jan 28, 2024
Brisbane [Australia], January 28 : Following West Indies' historic 8-run win over Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane on Sunday, the Caribbean pacer Kemar Roach heaped praise on Shamar Joseph's stellar bowling spell of 7/68 in 11.5 overs and called it the "best" he has ever seen.
While speaking at the post-match ceremony, Roach said that Joseph had done something special for the Caribbeans.
"We knew it was going to take something special. I think that's the best winning spell I've seen. He's done something amazing for the people of the Caribbean. As a young group, I'm very proud of the guys. The heart they've showed and the fight, we stayed in the contest," Roach said after the match.
Recapping the Test match, the Gabba fortress has been breached again as the Caribbeans clinched their first Test win on Australian soil after 27 years.
Even though Steven Smith stayed unbeaten in the second inning to score 91 runs off 146 balls, but his effort went in vain as the Aussies failed to reach the 216-run target. The fourth day of the second Test match started with Smith and Cameron Green opening for the Aussies, as the hosts stood at 60/2. However, the batters could not make a solid partnership in front of the Caribbean bowling attack.
Joseph made the first breakthrough of the day as he dismissed Green for 42 runs in the 31st over. In the same over, he removed star Aussie batter Travis Head for a duck to take an early advantage.
As the session went on Joseph displayed a lion-hearted performance and removed the Australian top order by dismissing Mitchell Marsh (10 runs from 12 balls), Alex Carey (2 runs from 5 balls), Mitchell Starc (21 runs from 14 balls), and Pat Cummins (2 runs from 8 balls) within 43rd over.
Alzarri Joseph picked his first wicket of the day after removing Nathan Lyon (9 runs from 20 balls) in the 48th over. The West Indies bowling attack dominated the first session from the very first and in the last the 24-year-old picked his seventh wicket by dismissing Josh Hazlewood in the 51st over.
Nobody believed that Joseph would make such a comeback after suffering an injury on his toe. However, he ended the second inning with fiery figures of 7/68 and was also named the 'Player of the Match'.
