West Indies’ quest for a historic Test win at the Gabba faced a formidable challenge from the relentless Australian bowling attack on Saturday. The team, starting the day at 13/1, succumbed to the pressure and was bowled out for 193 in just over two sessions.
Despite setting a challenging target of 216 for the hosts, the Caribbean side could have added more runs to their total if not for a late onslaught by Mitchell Starc.
With debutant Kevin Sinclair and Shamar Joseph at the crease, the Windies were struggling at 193/9. Both batsmen had displayed promise earlier, with Sinclair scoring a half-century in the first innings and Joseph making an impressive debut with a quickfire 36 in Adelaide.
However, Starc, armed with the pink ball under the lights, delivered a scorching over in the 73rd, leaving Joseph bewildered and eventually hitting the tailender on the toe of his right boot.
Despite the umpire initially giving Joseph out LBW, the decision was overturned due to Starc overstepping. However, this reversal did not diminish the impact on Joseph, who fell to the ground in agony, clutching his toe. Sinclair swiftly assisted in removing Joseph’s boot, revealing a significant bleeding cut on the underside of his big toe.
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Despite Joseph’s brave attempt to stand and walk, he struggled, nearly stumbling to the ground, until the medical staff steadied him. Social media, including Twitterati, expressed empathy for the young cricketer in the face of this challenging situation.