WI pacer Seales terms five-wicket haul against Australia his 'most special one'

Bridgetown, June 26 (IANS) West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales termed his five-wicket haul against Australia on the opening day of the first Test in Barbados as his best effort yet in Test cricket.

Seales and fellow pacer Shamar Joseph ripped through the Australian batting order to dismiss the tourists for just 180, before the Aussies fought back to have the hosts reeling at 57/4 at stumps on Day 1 at Kensington Oval.

It was the third time in his short international career that Seales has registered a five-wicket haul and the 23-year-old said it was his favourite one yet because he didn't feel like he was in full control of what he wanted to do.

"This is probably my best five-wicket haul because it wasn't my best day and I didn't feel at my best any time throughout the day. There were times I felt good, but throughout spells I didn't feel like I was in full control of what I wanted to do or was executing or nailing my lengths and lines as consistently as I wanted, so this one is probably my most special one," Seales was quoted by ICC.

It was Joseph who did the early damage for the West Indies as he dismissed Sam Konstas and Cameron Green during a opening spell to help reduce Australia to 22/3 and it took a 89-run partnership from Travis Head and Usman Khawaja to wrest the momentum back from the West Indies quicks.

"I think that's what opened the game right up for us. Blowing away the top-order is the most important thing in this cricket, and that made it a lot easier for us in the middle and in the back end of the innings, so he did a fantastic job for us today," Seales said of Joseph's early spell.

--IANS

bc/