On Thursday (July 11), West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph left the field with an injury mid-over on day two of the first Test match against England at Lord's.
The pacer had bowled four balls of his 15th and the innings' 77th over in the second innings of the match before hitting the deck. Joseph clutched his left hamstring while lying on the ground, before the West Indies' team physio arrived on the scene to check on him. After a couple minutes of discussion, Joseph left the field in the company of the physio. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite completed the final two deliveries of the over.
Gudakesh Motie undid England captain with a peach of a delivery ☄️
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 11, 2024
The look on Ben Stokes' face says it all! 😮
Watch the video here: https://t.co/k83GmaGlb9 pic.twitter.com/6vHNig41o4
There were indication of an injury for Joseph towards the end of play on Day 1 (July 10). He held his groin on that occasion, and this could be a flare-up, or a related issue. He has had limited match time since his last international match, at the Gabba against Australia in January.
In that match, Joseph had been hit on the toe by a Mitchell Starc yorker on Day 4, but returned heroically on Day 5 to take 7-68 and bowl the West Indies to a famous victory. He was cleared of a broken toe later on, but the damage was severe enough for him to miss the Pakistan Super League and much of the Indian Premier League.
Shamar Jospeh returns to the field of play
Joseph also missed West Indies' tour match ahead of this series, as his flight from home was delayed by Hurricane Beryl, which struck the Caribbean. He sent down 14.4 wicketless overs before going off the field in England's first innings at Lord's, conceding 60 runs. At the time of writing, Joseph has returned to the field 20 minutes after going off, but has not been called on to bowl.
When he went off, England were 315-6, leading by 194 runs after bowling West Indies out for 121 on Day 1. Gus Atkinson had been the star of the show with the ball for the hosts, picking up 7-45 on Test debut. Four England batters — Zak Crawley (76), Ollie Pope (57), Joe Root (68) and Harry Brook (50) — had struck half-centuries at the time of writing.
Gus Atkinson ripped through the West Indies batting lineup at Lord's, claiming a seven-for which included an incredible triple wicket maiden 💥
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 10, 2024
Watch him take three wickets in four balls here: https://t.co/8gnmHQpRpw pic.twitter.com/NXiShm5f8s
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