AUS vs WI 2024: Pat Cummins lauds Shamar Joseph after Gabba heroics, exchanges jerseys

Not many would have put their money on the West Indies when they embarked on their two-match Test tour of Australia.

Kraigg Brathwaite's men fought hard but failed to seize the crucial moments in the first Test in Adelaide, eventually losing by 10 wickets. Many would have thought that the morale of the Caribbean side must have been shattered after the defeat in the first Test. However, they didn't dwell on the past and bounced back commendably to win the second Test in Brisbane by eight runs.

For the first time in 27 years, the West Indies managed to win a Test match on Australian soil. When a team achieves a momentous feat, heroes are born. One such hero emerged from the series in the form of 24-year-old pacer Shamar Joseph. The youngster came of age in the series, bagging 13 wickets at an average of 17.31 from the two games. He finished only behind Josh Hazlewood (14 wickets at 10) on the list of highest wicket-takers in the series.

Joseph had already made an impression in the first Test, which was his debut in international cricket. He dismissed the legendary Steve Smith off the first ball he bowled in Test cricket and eventually finished with a five-for in the first innings. If that performance was electrifying, his herculean effort on Day 4 of the second Test was emphatic. He bowled 10 overs on the trot and picked up six wickets in the first session to peg Australia back in their pursuit of the 216-run target. In the second session, he took the final wicket of Josh Hazlewood to give the tourists a historic victory that will stand the test of time.

After the match, inspirational Australian captain Pat Cummins shared a picture of himself and Joseph on his official Instagram handle. They were holding each other's jerseys in the picture.

"Helluva debut series @shamarjoseph7. Already a superstar, well played," Cummins wrote in the caption of his post.

This win will surely do wonders for the confidence of the West Indies, as they will shift focus to the ODIs and T20Is against Cummins and Co. The first ODI is scheduled to be played in Melbourne on Friday, February 2.