Alzarri Joseph tore through Australia’s batting with a fiery spell on a tricky Grenada pitch, claiming 4 for 61 to bowl out the visitors for 286 on the rain-hit opening day of the second Test at St George’s.
Put in to bat after Pat Cummins won the toss, Australia slumped to 110 for 5, undone by movement off the seam and uneven bounce. The innings was rescued by defiant half-centuries from Alex Carey (63) and Beau Webster (60), whose counterpunching stand gave Australia a total far healthier than the 180 all out in the first innings of the previous Test.
Webster admitted the conditions were treacherous.
“The ball swung. A couple of deliveries early really shaped around,” he said. “A bit of inconsistency, and that can make it tough. That was my game plan, and glad it helped me through. Want to convert one of these half-centuries eventually, but will take that for now.”
Carey too credited the pitch for testing the batters’ resolve. He continued his bold approach of advancing down the track, racing to 25 from his first 25 balls and unsettling the Windies quicks.
It’s something I’ve been working on, trying to put pressure back on them. It doesn’t always come off, but you’ve got to take your chances.
Australia’s troubles began early. Alzarri Joseph set the tone by trapping Usman Khawaja lbw for 16 and then removed Steve Smith cheaply for 3. Anderson Phillip, Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales chipped in with a wicket apiece as Australia’s top order folded again.
The most damaging blow came when Travis Head (29) fell to a brute of a delivery from Shamar Joseph that exploded from a length, struck the handle of the bat and ballooned to wicketkeeper Shai Hope. This time, there was no reprieve from the TV umpire as Hope’s gloves were judged clean under the ball.
“That ball to Head… it just reared up,” Webster said. “On pitches like this, you’re never really in.” Cummins fell bowled for 17 by another Alzarri delivery that barely rose above the ankle.
Carey and Webster then combined in a gutsy 112-run stand for the sixth wicket. Carey rode his luck—he was dropped on 46 by Hope leaping overhead, and West Indies fluffed two run-out chances. But he pressed on to a second consecutive half-century, his attacking method yielding him the third-most runs in Tests in 2024, behind only Harry Brook and Rishabh Pant.
Carey eventually fell when he chipped a long hop from Greaves to midwicket, while Webster added another 45 with the lower order before he was run out attempting a second run to keep the strike.
I would’ve loved to kick on. But in the end, it was about getting something respectable.
Rain and fading light shortened play to 66.5 overs, sparing West Indies an awkward final session against the new ball. The home side will be satisfied after their disciplined bowling display, highlighted by Alzarri’s best Test figures in more than two years.
Brief Scores: Australia 286 all out (Alex Carey 63, Beau Webster 60; Alzarri Joseph 4-61) v West Indies.
