- June 27, 2025
Let’s face it — there’s something truly enjoyable about witnessing a fast bowler build up a batter to then knock them over with a delivery that unfolds like a plan. This is indeed what Shamar Joseph did to Sam Konstas on Day 1 of the Frank Worrell Trophy in Barbados. With the pitch offering just a small amount of spice and both teams providing a full seam attack as if we were transported back to 2005, Joseph thought it was time for Storytime — and Konstas was ready for chapter one.
Joseph didn’t just bowl well — he executed the dismissal. By displaying some fine movement, a small bit of guile, and the patience of a chess planner, Joseph exploited a known weakness in Konstas’ game and got an early reward. In that moment, Australia started its innings in slightly wobbly uncertainty.
Reading the Book on Konstas — And Then Burning It
What made Joseph’s plan so gratifying was not only the execution, but the homework. This was not a lucky delivery or a grabbed nibble – that was a premeditated attack, calculated from his patterns and previous failures.
Rewind for a moment – Konstas, still finding his international cricket feet, has developed a bit of a tendency to be bowled or caught LBW from balls that jag back in. From Jasprit Bumrah in the Boxing Day Test to being dismissed in the U19 World Cup, and in the India A series, the trend is unmistakable – simply a slightly opened front foot, and a weak basis flying away from the body.
Joseph knew it; Jayden Seales knew it; every player in the West Indies camp had circled that weakness in red ink.
So, what did Joseph do? He bowled Konstas a couple of outswingers first – to plant a seed in his mind, and then pinned him back in off a good length. Konstas was then tempted into pushing at one that was not there, and was trapped dead in front. The appeal was not given at first, but DRS was pretty clear.
Fast Bowling Is Back, Baby — and It’s Beautiful
But beyond Konstas’ early exit, the real delight for cricket fans was the pace war as a whole. On Day 1, there were fourteen wickets — all to seamers. It was truly a day of fast bowling, and headlining the show was Shamar Joseph.
He took 4 for 46, including a potential “ball of the year” to Beau Webster, a peach that swung in and then seamed away to shave the off-bail. Seales, as a valuable support act, took 5 for 60 as well. And it wasn’t only great individuals; it was a group of quicks hunting collectively, which challenged the Australian top order in conditions that they weren’t comfortable in.
Why This Moment Matters for Shamar Joseph
Let’s not lose sight of the fact that Joseph is still in the early chapters of his Test journey. But after five innings in his career that have been against Australia, he now has 17 wickets at 15.94. That’s not just form; that’s impact.
In a cricketing world filled with batter-friendly pitches and T20 fireworks that sap red-ball energy, performances such as these remind us of why Test cricket still hits different. It’s slower. It’s more patient. And it is something like Joseph’s second over – a trap, laid deliberately and then sprung with artistic brilliance.
Can the newly formed Australian top order adapt, or has the West Indies pace attack created even more flaws to exploit?
Either way, it’s going to be an absolute roller-coaster.
We hand the baton to you: Joseph’s set up of Konstas – doesn’t it just top the day as best ball? Or was Webster’s peach the best ball of the day? Let’s hear your thoughts.
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