BRISBANE, Australia – West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite said scathing criticism of his side by former Australia fast bowler Rodney Hogg, had inspired them to win the pink-ball second Test at the Gabba on Sunday.
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite.Following their 10-wicket defeat inside three days in the Adelaide first Test, Hogg labelled the Caribbean side “hopeless and pathetic” and predicted they would also lose the second Test heavily inside three days.
In a stunning twist, however, West Indies shocked the Aussies by eight runs just after lunch on the penultimate day here Sunday, to clinch their first Test win on Australian soil in nearly three decades.
“I’m extremely proud. I must say we had two words that inspired us in this Test match,” Brathwaite said in unusually robust comments.
“Mr Rodney Hogg said that we were pathetic and hopeless so that was our inspiration. We wanted to show the world we’re not pathetic and I must ask him, ‘are these muscles big enough for him?’”added the opening batsman, while flexing his biceps.
West Indies, featuring three debutants in Adelaide, failed to put up an adequate fight, falling for 188 and 120 as the match finished before lunch on the third day.
Following the loss, the 72-year-old Hogg who mustered only 22 wickets in 10 Tests against West Indies in the late 70s and mid-1980s, told 10 News: “Let’s not beat around the bush: They were hopeless. We should have two divisions now. We can’t have these weak sides coming out here.
“Mitchell Starc with a brand new pink ball, he’s going to run straight through them [at the Gabba]. So I wouldn’t think the game would go any further than three days. They’re pathetic.
“I look back at the West Indies of old and we’re down stretching on the ground and they’re running past in Speedos and I’m going ‘gee look at their muscles’. These days the West Indies, they’d be running past in overcoats.”
West Indies’ victory bid was spearheaded by the charismatic Shamar Joseph, the 24-year-old fast bowler battling through a toe injury to snatch a sensational seven for 68, to bowl Australia out for 207.
Unsure if he would even be fit enough to take the field at the start, Joseph entered the attack with Australia cruising at 113 for two, grabbing all six wickets to fall before lunch before fittingly taking the final wicket in the fourth over following the resumption.
“Obviously he’s a superstar and I know he will do great things for West Indies in the future,” Brathwaite said.
“And just his belief, he told me today he’s not putting [the ball] down until [the game] is finished and that’s an example for this team to follow.”
He continued: “[This win] means a lot for us. Obviously it’s been a number of years since we won a Test match here but my message to the group is that this is the beginning. It is amazing and we’ll enjoy this but I think this has to continue.
“We have to continue and play with heart and obviously keep fighting for West Indies.”
