Seales, Joseph Wreck Australia as West Indies Seize Control on Day 1 at Kensington Oval

Bridgetown — West Indies pacers Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph produced a sensational display of fast bowling to bowl out Australia for a paltry 180 on the opening day of the first Test at Kensington Oval, firmly putting the hosts in command of the match.

Seales led the charge with a brilliant five-wicket haul, while Joseph struck early blows to dismantle Australia’s top order, reducing the visitors to 22 for 3 inside the first hour. The pair’s hostile and disciplined spells exposed the fragility of an Australian side missing Steve Smith and having controversially dropped Marnus Labuschagne.

Joseph struck the initial blows, removing debutant Sam Konstas via LBW and then forcing Cameron Green to edge to the slips. Seales cleaned up the middle and lower order with precision, removing Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins, and wrapping up the tail to complete his five-for.

Despite a brief resistance through an 89-run stand between Usman Khawaja (47) and Travis Head (59), the Australians never looked settled. Khawaja fell just short of a half-century, while Head’s dismissal triggered another collapse. The rest of the middle order folded quickly, with Beau Webster and Alex Carey offering little resistance.

Australia’s bowlers offered a spirited response in the final session. Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood claimed key wickets to leave the West Indies at 57 for 4 at stumps, still trailing by 123 runs.

Speaking after the day’s play, Seales described his five-wicket haul as “pretty special.”

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“I’ve played against Australia before but was injured, so to come back and do this on day one feels incredible,” Seales said. “Shamar was special today — he broke through early and made things easier for the rest of us.”

Australia now face an uphill battle in the Test after a day dominated by Caribbean pace and purpose. With the pitch still offering movement and uneven bounce, day two promises more drama as the West Indies look to press their advantage.