West indies beat Australia by eight runs: second Test, day four – as it happened

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There’s plenty for Australia to reflect on, from Marnus Labuschagne’s form to Pat Cummins’ declaration on day two. But that can wait. Today is all about the beauty of West Indian cricket, Test cricket and most of all Shamar Joseph, who has infused us all with joy and hope. Thanks for your company and emails; I’ll leave you with this rhetorical question.

Updated at 03.20 EST

Shamar Joseph grew up in a village of around 350 people, which until five years ago didn’t even have the internet. Now he’s gone viral after single-handedly taking Australia apart.

Meanwhile, in Hyderabad…

Test cricket RIP, part two.

Match report: Shamar Joseph inspires epic West Indies win

Australia retain the Frank Worrell Trophy, though their celebrations are understndably subdued. They’re still trying to make sense of what just happened; we all are.

Pat Cummins’ reaction

There’s always disappointment after a loss but it was a great Test and a great series. The way Shamar bowled today… he was right up for it and unfortunately we weren’t good enough. You always learn the lessons the hard way.

West Indies were fantastic and outplayed us this week. They’re always great to watch aren’t they? 1-1 is a pretty fair result for the series.

“I’m in Australia with my wife having flown over from the UK to be at the Gabba for the first two days,” writes Michael Waudby. “We feel privileged to have been there but will the result make the ‘big three’ think again about how this wonderful game is financed or will they quietly preserve the status quo and make it even more difficult for days like this to be repeated.”

Updated at 03.07 EST

Kraigg Brathwaite’s reaction: ‘Are these muscles big enough?’

It means a lot. My message to the group is that this is the beginning – it’s amazing, we’ll enjoy it, but it has to continue.

We had two words that inspired us. Mr Rodney Hogg said we were “pathetic” and “hopeless”, so that was our motivation. We wanted to show the world we’re not pathetic. And I must ask him [flexes his bicep], are these muscles big enough for him?

We found out an hour before play that [Shamar Joseph] might be able to bowl. He’s a superstar and he’ll do great things for West Indies. He has so much belief. We would like to play more Test cricket – that’s how you learn.

The player of the series is the joyful Shamar Joseph, who bows to the crowd and then steps forward for another interview.

It’s an amazing feeling. I just want to turn this way to give out a shout-out to my teammates and the management for giving me so much encouragement. I wanted to do this for them and everyone in the Caribbean. Thanks to the supporters here for pushing us and believing in us.

Where is Dr Byam?! He called me this morning and said, ‘How are you feeling?’ I said, ‘Not well’, but he encouraged me to come to the ground.

I was crying when I took my fifth wicket but they were tears of joy, that I might bring this home for my team. They encouraged me so much.

It’s West Indies’ first win in Australia since 1997 and their first anywhere since 2003. It’s also the first time this century they’ve avoided defeat in a series against the Aussies.

“Many adult Australians remain familiar with prime minister Bob Hawke’s victory cry when Australia II won the America’s Cup in 1983 – ‘any boss who sacks a worker for taking the day off tomorrow is a grub!’,” says Eamonn Maloney. “I make a similar slur toward any Australian present at the Gabba who is unwilling to risk 24 hours in the slammer to run onto the pitch in a 70s/80s style right now to slap Shamar Joseph on the back (I mean well done for showing up, but).”

It’s about as good as it gets, an historic performance overflowing with – sod it, it’s time for the alliteration – courage, charisma, charm, chutzpah and Caribbeanness. I’m neutral and I’ve had a big dumb grin on my face all morning.

There’s only one downside: two-Test series stink.

Updated at 03.15 EST

The great and the good react to West Indies’ victory

Updated at 02.36 EST

Shamar Joseph: ‘I wasn’t going to come to the ground’

A shoutout to my teammates for the encouragement they gave me even when I was in my so much pain with my toe. It’s not the best.

I wasn’t even going to come to the ground today! I must give a shout out to the doctor – he’s amazing. He told me to come to the ground, even if it was just to support the guys. And then he did something to my toe. I don’t know what it did but it worked!

I was sticking to the basics: top of off. I wasn’t worried if they hit boundaries – I just tried to find the right areas and do it for my team. Even though it’s 1-1, it feels like we’ve won the series! I must give another shoutout to my team. When did we last beat Australia, I can’t even remember.

I’m not that tired because I wanted to do this for my team. I’m okay. I’m told my skipper I would keep bowling until the last wicket fell.

Steve Smith carried his bat for 91, a near flawless innings. All the Australian players are warmly congratulating Shamar Joseph, who is smiling so hard that his face must be hurting almost as much as his toe. Australia were in total control at 113 for two, and then Shamar Joseph… I don’t know what he did, but we’ll never forget it.

Shamar Joseph completes an astounding performance by pegging back Josh Hazlewood’s off stump. He keeps going straight towards the boundary, like a child running downhill as fast as possible. Right now he is experiencing a euphoria most of us will never know. Apparently Brian Lara is in tears in the commentary box. Even my cold, dead, neutral spine is trembling.

It’s only Joseph’s seventh first-class match, his second Test, his big toe is in a disgusting state – and he has just bowled a spell of 11.5-0-68-7 to give West Indies their first Test over Australia in over 20 years. I swear we’ll never see a debut series like this ever again.

Updated at 03.23 EST

WEST INDIES WIN BY 8 RUNS!

WICKET! Australia 207 all out (Hazlewood b S Joseph 0) Shamar Joseph has done it!!!!! I can’t spake!!!!!

Updated at 02.54 EST

49th over: Australia 204-9 (target 216; Smith 88, Hazlewood 0) Australia’last, and indeed only, one-wicket win in a Test was against West Indies at the MCG in 1951-52. Smith moves them closer to another by ramping Alzarri Joseph for six, an extraordinary shot in any circumstances, never mind these.

Smith misses an uppercut before stealing a single to give Hazlewood two more deliveries to survive. He does, and a no-ball brings Australia’s target down to 12. They’re one hit away.

Updated at 02.54 EST

48th over: Australia 196-9 (Smith 81, Hazlewood 0) Shamar Joseph’s first ball is pulled witheringly for four by Smith. Twenty-one to win. He turns down a single off the third delivery, then takes one off the fourth. It was almost the last ball of the match, a vicious lifter that Smith gloved just short of the solitary slip.

This is tremendous stuff. Hazlewood keeps out his first ball: full and straight at 146kph. The second is speared too far wide of off stump.

47th over: Australia 191-9 (Smith 76, Hazlewood 0) That was the last ball over the over, and now it’s Shamar Joseph to Steve Smith. Only one of them can be the matchwinner.

WICKET! Australia 191-9 (Lyon c da Silva b A Joseph 9)

Lyon has been dropped! He drove the ball straight back at Alzarri Joseph, who put down a relatively straightforward chance in his follow through.

Doesn’t matter. Lyon goes next ball, under-edging a pull to da Silva! I think he walked too. West Indies are one wicket away from a mind-blowing victory.

The players are back on the field. Australia need 29 runs, West Indies need two wickets. Stress balls at the ready.

Updated at 02.02 EST

“The applause the man received at the break shows how many in this country – often derided for being among the more one eyed – take the health of Test cricket above parochialism,” writes Eamonn Maloney. “One man won’t save Test cricket but I am glad not to be alone among Australians seriously considering a Shamar tattoo at this time.

“On the subject of saving the game and Robert Speed’s email, internationals playing Sheffield Shield used to be a lot more common and it would not be a bad idea at all for national cricket boards who are disinclined to share the wealth at the ICC level to subsidise states to encourage more internationals to play in strong domestic long-form competitions.”

Lunchtime reading

I don’t care if you’ve read it, read it again. Stories like this don’t clome along every decade.

Dinner: Australia need 29 runs to win

Shamar Joseph hobbles off the field to heartfelt applause from his teammates and the small Gabba crowd. He defied a knackered biggie to bowl a stunning spell of 10-0-60-6 and give West Indies hope of one of their greatest victories. His performance almost defies belief – and were it not for an entirely familiar display of batting excellence from Steve Smith, West Indies might already have won this game.

46th over: Australia 187-8 (Smith 76, Lyon 5) Smith again takes a single off Shamar Joseph’s first delivery. His confidence in Lyon has so far been justified, and that continues when Lyon rotates strike two balls later. Smith sees out the over to end an extraordinary session.

46th over: Australia 185-8 (Smith 75, Lyon 4) A bouncer from Alzarri to Smith is rightly called wide. Every little helps. The over passes without alarm for Australia, with Lyon looking pretty secure. He has 4 from 12 balls, Smith 75 from 130.

Shamar Joseph is limping in the outfield, the pain of his toe injury starting to override the adrenaline. It’s the been an awesome effort – if not quite up there with Malcolm Marshall taking seven for 53 in a Test with a broken hand, then certainly not far behind.

45th over: Australia 183-8 (Smith 74, Lyon 4) Shamar begins his ninth consecutive over, a performance of such courage that is almost brings a lump to the throat. Lyon top-edges a hook fractionally short of Sinclair, who is caught in two minds to fine leg. I’m surprised he didn’t try to take the catch, even if it meant potentially giving away a boundary.

Four singles from the over. Australia need 33 to win; there are two overs to go until the tea break.

44th over: Australia 179-8 (Smith 72, Lyon 2) Oof, that was close. Lyon fences at Alzarri Joseph and inside-edges the ball between his legs. He gets a couple of leg-byes later in the over, then works a single to bring the target down to 37. Smith is making no attempt to the farm the strike.

All the classic Tests between these teams are flooding back: Brisbane 1960, Adelaide 1993, Barbados 1999. This one is right up there.

43rd over: Australia 176-8 (Smith 72, Lyon 1) Smith tries to cut Joseph and is beaten. Even his beans are going now. Joseph has unique figures of 8-0-54-6.

“Don’t know where to look!” writes Jim Wallace, who has been OBOing an equally dramatic Test in Hyderabad. “I’m already lying down and I need a lie down.”

Pat Cummins has been dismissed on the stroke of tea. He jumped back in his crease and edged Shamar Joseph to the right of Joshua da Silva, who dived to take a fine catch. Shamar Joseph has taken six wickets in a single spell, with a knackered toe.

Hang on, it should be tea – but Kraigg Brathwaite has claimed the extra 15 minutes. That’s good captaincy because Shamar Joseph is in the middle of the mother, father and extended family of all bowling spells.

Updated at 01.15 EST

WICKET! Australia 175-8 (Cummins c da Silva b S Joseph 2)

I’ve got no words.

42nd over: Australia 173-7 (Smith 71, Cummins 1) Alzarri Joseph greets Cummins with a peach that somehow misses both the outside edge and the off stump. Cummins edges a one-handed drive that lands well short of gully and survives the remainder of the over. We’ll have time for one more before lunch.

41st over: Australia 171-7 (Smith 70, Cummins 0) Joseph gets a lovely ovation at the end of the over. Whatever he achieves in his career, the memory of this series will always make him smile.

Shamar Joseph is face down on the turf, and I’m not sure whether that’s through emotion, pain or both. Starc died by the sword, top-edging a catch to cover to end a very handy counter-attack of 21 of 14 balls. Joseph has extraordinary figures of 6.5-0-51-5.

Updated at 01.00 EST