1st Test: Chase reveals motivation behind Shamar Joseph's brilliant spells
What's the story
Ahead of the first Test match between West Indies and Australia in Barbados, former wicketkeeper Ian Healy took a jibe at WI pacer Shamar Joseph, criticizing his performance since his Gabba heroics. The former Aussie cricketer said that since his Gabba heroics in Australia, Joseph has been underwhelming. "He's had a terrible year since he went through us at the Gabba," Healy said on SENQ Breakfast.
Performance
Joseph responds to Healy's comments with 9 wickets
Joseph responded to Healy's remarks with brilliant spells in both innings, giving West Indies a fighting chance against Australia. His stellar performance saw him claim a total of nine wickets in the match, including a third-innings fifer. In addition to his impressive bowling, Joseph also made an explosive contribution with the bat. He scored a quick-fire 44 off just 22 balls in the final innings, though his team lost the game by 159 runs.
Acknowledgment
West Indies captain praises Joseph's character
West Indies captain Roston Chase praised Joseph's performance as a testament to his character and the heart he brought to the game. "Coming into the game, there was a bit of controversy in the news, talking about Curtly Ambrose and stuff (Ian Healy said 'Shamar, you're not Curtly'), I guess he used that as fire to perform the way he did," Chase said after the match.
Clarification
Healy clarifies his comments
In the wake of Joseph's fiery response, Healy faced a lot of backlash for his comments. The former cricketer was quick to clarify his words, saying that context is more important than misquoting someone. "Yesterday, when I talked about backing up Sam Konstas when an opponent sledges him, I sort of talked about what the dressing room might say - is that the context, do you reckon, that I was talking about?" Healy asked co-host Corey Parker.
Career
Career-best match figures; 3rd five-wicket haul versus AUS
With 4/46 and 5/87 in this contest, Joseph clocked match figures worth 9/133. It's now his best match figures in Test cricket. Joseph claimed his 4th five-wicket haul in Tests. Notably, three of them have come against Australia. He owns 22 wickets from three matches versus Australia at 16.27. As per ESPNcricinfo, 21 of Joseph's 38 wickets have come at home, averaging 20.23.