Sabina Park, Jamaica– Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc produced a spell of breathtaking ferocity on Monday, July 14, 2025, as the West Indies were humiliatingly bowled out for just 27 runs, marking the second-lowest score in Test cricket history. This catastrophic collapse on the third day of the third and final Test at Sabina Park handed Australia a dominant 176-run victory, securing a resounding 3-0 series sweep after earlier triumphs in Barbados and Grenada.
Starc’s Record-Breaking Demolition
Mitchell Starc, celebrating his 100th Test match, delivered a masterclass in fast bowling, reaching the lunch break with astonishing figures of five for six runs off just five overs. He finished the innings with a sensational six for nine, wrapping up the game by bowling last man Jayden Seales half an hour into the second session.
The left-armer, who had been uncharacteristically luckless in the first innings with just one wicket, roared back with vengeance. He dismissed John Campbell with the very first ball of the West Indies’ second innings, before removing debutant Kevlon Anderson and Brandon King off successive deliveries in the opening over. Starc’s 400th Test wicket came at the start of his third over, trapping Mikyle Louis palpably leg-before, reducing the West Indies to a perilous five for four with Starc boasting figures of four wickets for no runs.
The 35-year-old conceded his first two runs via an outside edge but promptly trapped Shai Hope lbw for his fifth wicket, achieving a five-wicket haul in just 15 deliveries – the fewest ever in Test history.
West Indies’ Historic Collapse and Boland’s Hat-Trick
The home side’s batting lineup crumbled under relentless pressure. After Starc’s initial onslaught, West Indies captain Roston Chase was caught behind off Josh Hazlewood, pushing the score to a shocking 11 for six. The collapse continued into the second session, where Scott Boland then stole the honours with a rare and spectacular Test hat-trick.
At the start of the second session, Boland dismissed Justin Greaves, Shamar Joseph, and Jomel Warrican off successive deliveries, completing the rare feat that sent shivers through the West Indies lineup and further expedited their demise. A Test hat-trick is one of cricket’s most cherished and infrequent achievements, and Boland’s perfect treble sealed the West Indies’ fate.
The West Indies agonizingly avoided New Zealand’s lowest Test score of 26 (set in 1955), but their total of 27 will forever stand as a grim reminder of a day of utter capitulation.
Earlier Innings Set the Stage
Australia had set the West Indies a victory target of 204. Their second innings had seen a collapse of their own, losing their last four wickets within 45 minutes of the start of play to be dismissed for 121, their lowest Test innings total against the West Indies in 30 years. For the West Indies, pacers Alzarri Joseph (five for 27) and Shamar Joseph (four for 34) had been exceptional, with Shamar finishing the series with 22 wickets and surpassing the 50-wicket mark in Tests.
Australia played without their first-choice wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who suffered a concussion after being hit on the helmet by Alzarri Joseph late on day two, with Josh Inglis taking his place behind the stumps. However, even this absence could not deter the rampant Australians from completing their dominant series sweep.
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