"Absolute cinema" - Fans react as West Indies beat Australia in nerve-wracking 2nd Test at Gabba

An all-round effort with the bat and ball helped West Indies beat Australia by eight runs on Day 4 of the second Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Sunday, January 28.

With the victory, the visitors registered their first Test win in Australia in 27 years and leveled the two-match series 1-1.

Defending 216, Australia were bundled out for 207. Shamar Jospeh starred with the ball, finishing with figures of 7/68, while Alzarri Joseph bagged two wickets.

Steve Smith remained not out on 91, while Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc chipped in with 42 (73) and 21 (14), but failed to take the team past the finish line.

Batting first, West Indies posted 311 in their first innings. Joshua Da Silva and Kavem Hodge chipped in the 70s, while Kevin Sinclair also scored a half-century. Mitchell Starc emerged as the pick of the bowlers, returning with figures of 4/82, while Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon picked up two wickets apiece.

In response, Australia declared their first innings for 289/9 despite trailing by 22 runs. Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey, and Pat Cummins scored a half-century each. For the visitors, Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach bagged four and three wickets, respectively.

In the second innings, WI put up 193 to set up a 216-run target for the hosts. Kirk Mckenzie scored 41 off 50, while Alick Athanaze and Justin Greaves chipped in their 30s. Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon bagged three wickets apiece.

Fans on X (formerly Twitter) lauded West Indies for their exploits with the ball. One shared a meme that read:

"Absolute Cinema."

Here are some more reactions:

“That was our inspiration” – West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite sheds light on historic Test win in Australia

West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite credited his side for a spirited show and revealed their inspiration behind the historic triumph in Australia. He also reserved special praise for Shamar Joseph, who starred with the ball and guided his team to victory despite sustaining a toe injury.

Brathwaite said in his post-match comments:

“Means a lot for us, been a number of years since we won a Test match here. But for me, this is the beginning. We should keep doing this. I must say we had two words that inspired us in this Test match, Mr. Rodney Hogg said that we were pathetic and hopeless.

“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 (Shows his biceps)? I wanted to show the world what we’re made of.”

The skipper added:

“The doctor told me that Shamar could do it and I had to back him. He’s a superstar. I know he’ll do great things for the West Indies in the future. Just his belief is incredible, he told me that he won’t stop bowling till we win it.

"Very proud of the guys, they showed a lot of fire and heart, especially after the first Test. Very nice to see how they put in a fight, especially the batters.”

The two teams will next face off in the three-match ODI and T20I series, which starts on February 2.