WEST Indies debutant Shamar Joseph completed a five-wicket haul on day two of the first Test match against Australia in Adelaide on Thursday, but the visitors were on the brink of a heavy defeat at the end of the day's play.
After bowling out the West Indies for 188 in the first innings, Australia started day two on 59 for two and were bowled out for 283 early in the final session – taking a 95-run lead into the second innings. The hosts then left the Windies reeling in a precarious position on 73 for six in their second innings – still 22 runs adrift of making Australia bat again.
Middle-order batsman Travis Head starred for Australia on his home turf at the Adelaide Oval, as he top-scored with an impressive 119 off 134 balls to notch a seventh Test century. Head rode his luck in the early stages of his innings on an indifferent surface, and he masterfully counter-attacked the Windies' short ball ploy in an innings that contained 12 fours and three sixes.
Head aside, Australia got meaningful contributions with the bat from overnight batsman Usman Khawaja (45) and tailender Nathan Lyon (24). Head's brilliance with the bat was then backed up by fast-bowler Josh Hazlewood who ripped through West Indies' top order with a vicious spell of four for 18.
Before the hosts established their dominance, a brimming Joseph grabbed the spotlight when he clean-bowled Lyon with the second new ball to grab his fifth wicket of the innings. The 24-year-old pacer, who dismissed Steve Smith with his first ball in Test cricket on day one, continued his fine showing on the second day when he had Cameron Green (14) caught behind in his first over of the day to claim his third wicket. Hailing from the small village of Baracara in Guyana, Joseph got his fourth scalp when he got the better of Mitchell Starc (ten) with a quick short ball, before bowling Lyon through the gate to get his fifth wicket.
Joseph, who made his First Class debut for the Guyana Harpy Eagles last February, became the tenth West Indian to take a five-wicket haul on debut and finished with figures of five for 94 as WI looked to be clawing their way back into the game.
Joseph and West Indies' joy was short-lived though, as Australia tore through the Caribbean team's batting lineup on the back of a relentless spell of fast bowling from Hazlewood, who accounted for the first four WI wickets.
Hazlewood's line and length were impeccable, and he got his first three wickets without conceding a run as West Indies were left on seven for three in only the sixth over, with Tagenarine Chanderpaul (golden duck), Kraigg Brathwaite (one) and Alick Athanaze (duck) all being dismissed cheaply.
Debutant Kavem Hodge (three) was the fourth wicket to fall to Hazlewood, with Kirk McKenzie (26) and Justin Greaves (24) offering resistance before they were dismissed by Cameron Green (one for nine) and Lyon (one for four) before the close of play.
Wicket-keeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva is unbeaten on 17, and he and the WI lower order have an uphill task ahead on day three to tr
