Australia fold West Indies for second lowest Test score, Caribbeans register embarrassing record

JAMAICA:

Australia created history on the third day of the third Test against the West Indies at Sabina Park in Jamaica. They skittled the West Indies for just 27 runs in 14.3 overs in the second innings to win the Test match by 176 runs and also sealed the series 3-0. Mitchell Starc, in his 100th Test, picked up a six-wicket haul, conceding just nine runs in 7.3 overs as the Caribbean team's seven batters registered a duck in the innings.

This is the first ever instance for any team to lose seven batters for a duck in the history of Test cricket. There have been nine instances of six ducks in an innings previously with the latest one happening at Edgbaston in Birmingham where England's six batters failing to open their account against India earlier this month.

Coming back to the West Indies' innings, it was a procession right from the word go as Starc picked up three wickets in the first over. In fact, the left-arm fast bowler accounted for the first five wickets to fall as he registered a fifer in just 15 balls of his spell.

Scott Boland also had fun with the pink ball, picking up a stunning hat-trick to leave West Indies reeling from 26/6 to 26/9 in no time. At one stage, they were in danger of equalling the lowest ever Test score in history, only for Sam Konstas to misfield and allow a single to Alzarri Joseph.

What is the lowest Test score in history?

New Zealand have this embarrassing Test record to their name as they got bowled out for just 26 runs back in 1955 against England in Auckland. Meanwhile, the West Indies went past South Africa's total of 30 against England in 1896 and 1924 to register the second-lowest total in the longest format of the game.

Moreover, when it comes to the fourth innings, West Indies have broken the 129-year-old record in the format. 27 is the lowest total in the fourth innings in Test cricket, going past South Africa who scored 30 runs against England in Gqeberha in 1896.

Lowest score in a Test innings

What happened in the match?

As far as the match is concerned, Australia resumed their innings at 99/6 and lost their remaining four wickets for just 22 runs more. They were bundled out for just 121 runs in their second essay and the West Indies needed only 204 runs to win the pink-ball Test. However, what transpired was a display of some exceptional swing bowling from Australia and especially, Mitchell Starc, who ran through their line-up at will and in the process, also completed 400 wickets in his Test career.

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