Bridgetown [Barbados], June 26 : West Indies pacer Jayden Seales has described his five-wicket haul against Australia on the opening day of the first Test at Kensington Oval as the finest performance of his career so far, despite not feeling at his best throughout the day.
Seales delivered impressive figures of 5/60 in 15.5 overs, while fellow pacer Shamar Joseph contributed significantly with 4/46 in 16 overs, as the West Indies bowling duo dismantled the formidable Australian batting line-up for just 180 runs. At stumps, the hosts found themselves in a spot of trouble at 57/4, capping off a dramatic day of ICC World Test Championship cricket.
“This is probably my best five-wicket haul because it wasn’t my best day,” said Seales, speaking to the ICC’s official website.
“There were times I felt good, but I wasn’t in full control of my execution. That’s why this one feels so special.”
It marked Seales’ third career five-for, and it came at a crucial time against one of the top-ranked Test sides in the world.
Shamar Joseph was instrumental in the early breakthrough, removing Sam Konstas and Cameron Green quickly, reducing Australia to 22/3. A gritty 89-run partnership between Travis Head (59) and Usman Khawaja offered resistance, but Seales and company struck back to regain control.
“Blowing away the top order is the most important thing in Test cricket,” Seales added.
“Shamar’s spell opened the game right up for us and made the rest of the job easier.”
Australian batter Travis Head, who top-scored with 59, acknowledged the quality of the West Indies attack.
“Jayden bowled exceptionally well. Alzarri is always a threat, and Shamar again hit the right areas. They got things out of the wicket, and we were able to do the same thing late in the day,” Head said.
With the match finely balanced, both sides face a crucial first session on Day 2 as the World Test Championship contest continues in Barbados.