SMASHED FOR 27

Coach Darren Sammy, captain Roston Chase, and their men lived a nightmare at Sabina Park yesterday, thanks to Mitchell Starc.

In just 7.3 overs, the 35-year-old left-arm fast bowler, playing in his 100th Test match, unhinged the West Indies in their run chase, sending them crashing to their lowest-ever Test score– 27–and condemning them to a 3-0 series whitewash.

The achievements kept piling up almost with every ball for Starc yesterday afternoon, as his stunning haul of six wickets for nine runs blindsided the bewildered West Indian batters and sent them crashing to a third humbling defeat, this time by 176 runs.

There was not much Chase, in his first series as Test captain, could manage to say after the premature end to the third day of a day/night contest that finished in bright sunshine. This was also the third successive time in the series that the West Indies failed to extend the contest into a fourth day.

“It’s heartbreaking, to be in a position like that where we think we could have won the game and then come out and have that poor batting display,” he managed afterwards. “But it’s something that has been recurring for the whole series, so that makes it even more disappointing.”

Starc became the 18th bowler to reach 400 Test wickets, the third-fastest Australian to reach the mark behind Glen McGrath (87) and Shane Warne (92), and the 12th fastest overall.

Just as impressively, the 15 balls required to grab his five wickets were also the fastest in Test history.

The West Indies’ 27 yesterday fell well short of their previous lowest-ever Test total– 47 against England at the same venue back in 2004. The total was also the second-lowest of all time, behind only New Zealand, who were skittled out by England for 26 in 1955.

It was a shocking end to a day that began so full of promise for the home side. “This match was madness,” was Australian skipper Pat Cummins’ assessment. “Today just seemed to be played in fast-forward

Australia, resuming on 99 for six, lost their last four wickets for 22 runs with fast bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph doing the damage.

The latter bowled Cameron Green with an inswinger with the day’s first ball to end his resolute innings of 42 from 66 balls, while Alzarri made it 105 for eight by snaring the wicket of Cummins, who fended off a short ball to Kevlon Anderson at short leg.

Shamar returned to bowl Scott Boland shortly after, and Alzarri captured his third five-wicket haul in Tests by rattling the stumps of last man Josh Hazlewood. Alzarri ended with figures of five for 27 for only his second five-wicket haul in Tests, while Shamar took four for 34.

With West Indies requiring 204 runs for victory, there would have been cautious hopes in the Windies camp that they could produce their first solid batting performance of the series.

However, Starc, who was also named Player-of-the-Match and Player-of-the-Series, put an immediate end to those expectations in an innings-destroying opening over.

With his very first ball, he found the outside edge of John Campbell’s bat for substitute wicketkeeper Josh Inglis to take a regulation catch.

Four balls later, Kevlon Anderson erroneously chose to shoulder arms to a delivery from Starc that pitched on middle stump and was adjudged lbw with still no runs on the board.

Starc, the tenth-ranked Test bowler in the ICC’s rankings, then bowled Brandon King off the inside edge as he attempted a cover drive with his next ball, to leave the West Indies in a state of disarray at nought for three after one over.

The carnage wasn’t over, as Starc then beat Mikyle Louis’ defensive prod in his next over to have him lbw for four, to claim his 400th Test wicket.

He then trapped Shai Hope lbw two balls later after he scored just two, picking up his 16th five-wicket haul in Tests in the process, as West Indies slipped further into trouble at seven for five.

Hazlewood broke the monotony by having captain Chase caught behind for a “duck” as he tried to execute an ambitious drive, to see the home side limp to tea at 22 for six.

Fast bowler Scott Boland then added his name to the history books in spectacular fashion, becoming the third Australian to take a hat-trick against the West Indies in a Test match.

He first had Justin Greaves caught at second slip for the top score of 11, and with his next two deliveries, he trapped Shamar Joseph lbw and bowled Jomel Warrican to spark wild celebrations among his teammates, as West Indies crumbled to 26 for nine.

Starc then fittingly put the finishing touches on the contest by bowling Jayden Seales to register his best-ever bowling figures in a Test innings. Boland finished with three for two from his two overs.

“The bowlers kept us in the series all series long, and the batting never really showed up, and I think that’s just what we need to work on; we need to take a deep look at ourselves as batters,” Chase conceded.