"I wasn't even going to come to the ground today" - Shamar Joseph after Gabba-breaching 7-wicket haul

Shamar Joseph said on Sunday that he wasn't planning to go to the Gabba for the fourth day of the Test against West Indies until the team doctor persuaded him to take some treatment to his injured toe. Mitchell Starc's toe-crushing yorker caused the injury on Saturday and Shamar had to retire hurt.

Joseph followed the doctor's advice. He was cleared of a fracture and took seven wickets (of the total eight) for 68 runs in the last innings to win West Indies a Test in Australia after nearly 30 years. He bowled a 10-over spell in the first session and two more in the second, breaking both the first and last partnerships.

"I wasn’t even going to come to the ground today. But thanks to the doctor, he did something to my toe," Shamar said soon after the winning moment.

Most of the wickets he took were off jaffas. Cameron Green and Travis Head were cleaned up in back-to-back balls to set up West Indies' comeback in the Test from 113/2 and Josh Hazlewood, the last man to fall, couldn't keep out a sharp nip-backer. In the end, opener Steve Smith remained stranded at the other end.

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"I had the belief I could bring the West Indies home" - Shamar Joseph

In a second interview, this one for winning the Player of the Match award, Shamar thanked the doctor, his teammates, and the supporters back home.

I"[t is] actually amazing for me," he said. "Need to give a shoutout to my teammates and the staff and giving me a good toe to bowl with. I wanted to do it for my team and my country and everyone in the Caribbean."

"To the supporters here I must shout out a thanks to you guys for believing in us. The doc called me this morning after 11. He asked me how I was feeling, I said not too well. He said come to the ground, I have a reason. I must give a shoutout to him for believing in my ability. It's all about getting close. Having Alzarri backing me, a senior player in Kemar Roach...everybody was emotional. Tears of joy, I had the belief I could bring the West Indies home. It's all about believing. It's taken a lot of sacrifices to get here. It's just to stick to the basics, continue learning and learn from the senior ones," he added.

Once a fortress for Australia, the Gabba was breached twice in four years on Sunday.