Australia dominated the third Test of the series against the West Indies in Jamaica, securing a comprehensive 176-run victory to complete a clean sweep of 3-0. The match concluded in just two and a half days, with wickets falling in quick succession.
In the first innings, Australia posted a total of 225 runs, with significant contributions from Cameron Green (46) and Steve Smith (48). They then bowled out the West Indies for 143, taking an 82-run lead. The hosts fought back by restricting the visitors to just 121 in their second innings.
Alzarri Joseph picked up five wickets while Shamar Joseph claimed four. Chasing a target of 204, the West Indies faltered badly, getting bundled out for a mere 27 runs as Australia sealed a dominant victory. Mitchell Starc shone with the ball, taking six wickets, while Scott Boland chipped in with three.
Here are five records that were created during the course of the game:
- Second-lowest total in a Test innings: The West Indies were dismissed for a paltry 27 runs in their second innings, narrowly avoiding the ignominy of recording the lowest total in a Test innings. The record for the lowest Test total is held by New Zealand, who were bowled out for 26 against England in 1955. The West Indies’ combined total of 170 runs in both innings is also their lowest aggregate score in a Test where they were bowled out twice.
- Most ducks in a Test innings: Seven West Indies batsmen failed to open their account in the 27-run innings. This marked the first instance of seven ducks in a single Test innings. Previously, several instances of six ducks in an innings have occurred, with England having six ducks in their first innings of the Edgbaston Test.
- First bowler to take a hat-trick in a day-night Test: Australia’s Scott Boland achieved a historic feat by becoming the first bowler to claim a hat-trick in a day-night Test match. Boland completed his hat-trick by dismissing Justin Greeves, Shamar Joseph, and Jomel Warrican in consecutive deliveries, finishing with figures of 3/2 from just two overs in the second innings.
- Best bowling figures in the 100th Test: Mitchell Starc marked his 100th Test appearance with a stellar performance, picking up six wickets in the West Indies’ second innings. His figures of 6/9 from 7.3 overs are the best by a bowler in their 100th Test, surpassing the previous record of 6/54 by Muthiah Muralidaran against Bangladesh in 2006.
- Fastest five-wicket haul: Starc also set a record for the fastest five-wicket haul in terms of balls taken, achieving the milestone in just 15 deliveries. This feat makes him the quickest bowler to accomplish a five-wicket haul, surpassing the previous record of 19 balls held jointly by Ernie Toshack, Stuart Broad, and Scott Boland. Starc also became the fourth Australian bowler to reach 400 Test wickets, following in the footsteps of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, and Nathan Lyon.
These remarkable records highlight the dominance of Australia in the series and the individual brilliance of players like Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland.
