Veteran Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood has praised West Indies bowler Shamar Joseph for his exceptional performance in the opening Test match. Josh Hazlewood expressed his admiration for Shamar Joseph’s start in international cricket and described it as a “dream debut”.
Shamar Joseph was awarded his first Test cap during the series opener at Adelaide Oval. He, batting at 11, scored 36 runs in the West Indies’ first innings. The fast bowler picked up the wicket of star batsman Steve Smith in his first delivery in international cricket.
Joseph dismissed Marnus Labuschagne a few overs later in Australia’s first innings. He dismissed Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon to claim his first five-wicket haul in Tests. He finished with impressive bowling figures of 5/94 in the first innings.
Incredible debut: Josh Hazlewood
Speaking after the game, Josh Hazlewood He emphasized the importance of Steve Smith getting his first wicket in Test cricket.
“Incredible debut, you want to continue like this. Smithy, first wicket on the first ball in Test cricket, dream debut.” Hazlewood was quoted as saying after the match.
During the second innings, Shamar Joseph hit Usman Khawaja on the helmet, forcing him to leave the field “retired injured”. Joseph’s throw hit Khawaja on the helmet as he clumsily tried to defend the ball. Khawaja could not continue his innings.
Steve Smith was a little nervous – Josh Hazlewood
Steve Smith replaced David Warner as Australia’s new opener in Test cricket. However, the right-handed batsman failed to make an impact, managing just 12 runs off 26 balls in the first innings. Josh Hazlewood said Smith was nervous but handled the situation well.
“Smithy was a little nervous, but he was fine. I think it costs him the ten-minute quick change, but everything is fine.” Hazlewood stated.
We made use of the surface in both innings – Josh Hazlewood
The Pat Cummins-led team registered a 10-wicket win in the first Test of the two-match series, taking an unassailable 1-0 lead. The home team bowled out their opponents for just 188 runs, with Pat Cummins (4/41) and Hazlewood (4/44) each taking four wickets.
Josh Hazlewood noted that Australia’s bowlers took advantage of the pitch conditions in both innings. He mentioned that the current bowling attack would consistently gain wickets.
“It’s good to have a couple of days off. We take advantage of the surface in both entrances. I felt like I had bowled just as well in the first half of the summer, without much result. With this attack, I felt that it is relentless and that someone picks up the wickets.” Hazlewood added.
After securing a substantial lead of 95 runs, Australia bowled out the Windies for 120 in 35.2 overs. Hazlewood showed his brilliance with the ball, with figures of 5/35. Australia maintained its top position in the points table of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25.
The second and final Test match of the series will be played at the Gabba in Brisbane from Thursday, January 25.
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