Shamar Joseph took four wickets in the first innings

Watch: Shamar Joseph produced a peach of a delivery to dismiss Beau Webster during West Indies' first Test against Australia in Bridgetown.

The opening day of the series largely belonged to the bowlers, with 14 wickets falling across both teams. Four of those belonged to Shamar Joseph, who combined with new-ball partner Jayden Seales to keep Australia under control on a pitch assisting seamers. Just three Australia batters – Usman Khawaja, Travis Head and Pat Cummins – managed to get to double figures, with Shamar prising out the top three.

During the 42nd over, Shamar almost had Beau Webster caught, but the ball just fell short of Justin Greaves at second slip. Two overs earlier, he had dismissed Usman Khawaja just short of a half-century, breaking Australia's only real resistance with the bat. After Webster's near-miss, Shamar's figures read 11-2-21-3.

1st Test, West Indies vs Australia

LIVE
West Indies vs Australia | Australia tour of West Indies, 2025 | 1st Test
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown
Wednesday, June 25th, 2025 02:00pm (UTC:+0000)
26.88C, Overcast Clouds, 8.44 meter/sec
WI West Indies
WI West Indies
57/4
(20.0) RR: 2.85

    vs

    AUS Australia
    AUS Australia
    180
    (56.5) RR: 3.17

      It did not take him long to nab his man though: the penultimate ball of the 44th over was a loosener that Webster duly dispatched through the covers. It was only the second boundary off Shamar all morning.

      Next ball, Shamar hit back with a beauty. The ball, pitched on the middle, straightened up just slightly, enough to zip past Webster's outside edge. It hit the top of the off stump, leaving Webster with a confounded look.

      "This was unplayable," said the commentator as Shamar took off for his customary celebratory sprint.

      He later called it "one of the best deliveries I have ever bowled".

      Webster was partly to blame too, having misread the line, but nothing to take away from a fine delivery.

      Earlier, Shamar had delivered the perfect riposte, sending back Sam Konstas in the fourth over itself. Ahead of the first Test, Ian Healy had gone on a tirade against Shamar for his pre-series "warning" to the Australian rookie. Shamar paid back in kind.

      At stumps, the West Indies had a bit of a batting stutter too, ending on 57-4, having tasted some of their own medicine courtesy the Australian quicks.

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