In a dominant display at Adelaide, Australia clinched a decisive 10-wicket victory over the West Indies, establishing a 1-0 advantage in the duo of Test matches on January 19. The Australian team, led by the incisive bowling of Mitchell Starc, efficiently dismantled the West Indies’ lower order within an hour on the third day. Despite a spirited last stand by the visiting team, Australia was set a modest target of 26 runs to win.
Commencing the second day at 73 for 6, the West Indies were in dire need of a turnaround to counter Australia’s aggressive play. However, Starc swiftly derailed their hopes, claiming important early wickets. His targeted bouncer ousted Joshua Da Silva, the final frontline batsman, exemplifying Australia’s effective short-ball strategy.
Alzarri Joseph showed resilience against Australia’s fast bowlers, but Starc cleverly coaxed him into an ill-advised shot, resulting in an easy catch for the wicketkeeper. Josh Hazlewood’s dismissal of Gudakesh Motie’s off-stump secured his five-wicket haul, which had initiated with four wickets the previous evening, decimating the West Indies’ upper order.
As the West Indies inched closer to offsetting Australia’s 95-run lead from the first innings, Shamar Joseph entered the fray. He resumed his impressive debut performance with a striking cover drive, registering a brief but morale-boosting partnership with Keemar Roach. However, Nathan Lyon once again bested him, as he had earlier in the match.
The Australian openers quickly matched the target score, though a challenging delivery from Shamar Joseph resulted in Usman Khawaja retiring hurt after a blow to the helmet. Nonetheless, Australia needed just 6.4 overs to finalize their victory, concluding the match in less than seven sessions.
Australia’s win not only gave them a 1-0 series lead but also guaranteed their retention of the Frank Worrell Trophy.
Match summary: West Indies posted scores of 188 (with Kirk McKenzie scoring 50 and Shamar Joseph 36; Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood taking 4 wickets each) and 120 (Kirk McKenzie 26; Josh Hazlewood 5-35). Australia responded with 283 (Travis Head scoring 119 and Usman Khawaja 45; Shamar Joseph claiming 5-94) and 26 without loss (Steve Smith 11 not out), leading to their comprehensive 10-wicket triumph.
