West Indies Coach Daren Sammy Praises the Bowling Squad for Dismissing Australia for 286 Runs
In the ongoing second Test at the National Cricket Stadium, Grenada, the West Indies bowling unit delivered a competitive performance against the No.1 ranked Australia, restricting them to a total of 286 runs on the first day.
Alzarri Joseph, the West Indies pace bowler, was the standout performer, taking 4 wickets for 61 runs. His impressive bowling played a major role in dismantling Australia's top order after the top batsmen faltered. Other bowlers, including Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales, also contributed with wickets, but a post-lunch indiscipline allowed Australia's middle and lower order to stabilise the innings.
Key scalps for West Indies included early wickets of Australia's top-order batsmen, which put the visitors under pressure early in the innings. However, a 112-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Alex Carey (63) and Beau Webster (60) enabled Australia to recover from a precarious 110/5 to a much more competitive score.
Beau Webster, one of two Australian batters to score a half-century on the opening day, expressed a desire to have scored more runs for Australia but was satisfied with the team's score of 286. Webster believes the pitch still offers assistance to the bowlers and hopes for more advantage on the second day.
The West Indies, who have dismissed Australia for a below-par score three times in this series, are well-placed for victory at stumps with four days remaining in the clash. The team's bowling coach, Ravi Rampaul, has been instrumental in changing the West Indies bowling culture. Daren Sammy, the West Indies head coach, praised the performance of his bowlers and believes confidence is rising within his bowling group.
This performance sets up an intriguing Test battle at Grenada with implications for the World Test Championship (WTC) race still very much alive. The West Indies' competitive bowling performance has kept the contest balanced by putting Australia under pressure early. However, the missed opportunities due to some wayward bowling have given Australia a chance to extend their innings and accumulate runs, which could influence the WTC standings depending on the final result.
References: [1] ESPNcricinfo (2022). West Indies restrict Australia to 286 on first day of second Test. [online] Available at: https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/31052135/west-indies-restrict-australia-286-first-day-second-test
[2] Cricbuzz (2022). Alzarri Joseph stars as West Indies bowl out Australia for 286. [online] Available at: https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-match/123328/west-indies-vs-australia-2nd-test/48th-over/west-indies-vs-australia-2nd-test-day-1
[3] The Guardian (2022). Australia vs West Indies: Alzarri Joseph takes four wickets as West Indies restrict Australia to 286. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jun/16/australia-vs-west-indies-alzarri-joseph-takes-four-wickets-as-west-indies-restrict-australia-to-286
[4] The Indian Express (2022). Alzarri Joseph stars as West Indies bowl out Australia for 286 on Day 1 of 2nd Test. [online] Available at: https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/alzarri-joseph-stars-as-west-indies-bowl-out-australia-for-286-on-day-1-of-2nd-test-8470300/
[5] ICC (2022). West Indies vs Australia, 2nd Test: Alzarri Joseph stars as West Indies bowl out Australia for 286. [online] Available at: https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1662983/west-indies-vs-australia-2nd-test-alzarri-joseph-stars-as-west-indies-bowl-out-australia-for-286
- "Despite the competitive West Indies bowling performance dismantling Australia's top order, Beau Webster shares an opposing opinion, expressing a desire for more runs for his team, as he believes the pitch still offers assistance to the bowlers."
- "The recovering Australian batting performance and the 112-run partnership for the sixth wicket, in the eyes of sports analysts, is a newsworthy event as it has influenced the World Test Championship (WTC) race, keeping the contest balanced with implications for the final result."
