Australia lost the Second Test against the West Indies at the Gabba by eight runs courtesy of a memorable spell by Shamar Joseph who was playing only his Second Test. This is only the Second instance since 2021 of Australia losing a Test match at the Gabba. The Aussies looked well set to chase the target of 216 on the Fourth Day after a solid Third-wicket partnership between Smith and Green which was broken by Joseph who picked up seven wickets in the innings. The Australian middle order failed miserably as Smith was left stranded on 91 giving West Indies a memorable win their first in Australia since 1997.
The reactions of former Australian players were on expected lines following the defeat and former captains like Finch and Clarke did not hold back and expressed their displeasure
The Rescue Act
“Think the bowlers have been the ones who have got them out of jail a few times, but also Usman Khawaja…and Mitch Marsh is also pulling his weight in that regard. They’re not great numbers for a middle order that I think have got some much talent. The hundreds column is a concern for me. Guys are getting starts, and that’s reflected in the numbers, it’s not like they’re averaging six,” Finch told ESPN’s Around The Wicket show.
Curious Case of Marnus Labuschagne
Reacting to Labuschagne’s performance the former Australian captain Michael Clarke said “You can’t write Marnus off. He’s batting at No. 3 which is one of the toughest positions in Test cricket. Don’t be surprised if he comes out against New Zealand and he’s the leading run-scorer. About every top-class batsman goes through a stage like this”.
This was Australia’s first defeat at home in Tests since 2022
Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://www.cricadium.com/former-australian-captain-reacts-to-australias-shocking-defeat-against-west-indies/&media=https://www.cricadium.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Cricket-news-2024-01-31T161845.124.jpg&description=Think the bowlers have been the ones who have got them out of jail a few times, but also Usman Khawaja…and Mitch Marsh is also pulling his weight in that regard. They're not great numbers for a middle order that I think have got some much talent. The hundreds column is a concern for me. Guys are getting starts, and that's reflected in the numbers, it's not like they're averaging six," Finch told ESPN's Around The Wicket show. %%page%%){kind=link}