Australia’s Mitchell Starc claimed six wickets for just nine runs in his 100th test match, surpassing 400 test wickets, while Scott Boland secured a hat trick as Australia bowled out West Indies for 27 runs to win the third test by 176 runs on Monday at Kingston, Jamaica. The match was notable as West Indies narrowly avoided setting the record for the lowest score in test cricket history.Starc’s remarkable performance included the fastest five-wicket haul in test history within his first 15 balls. He took a wicket with his first ball and claimed three wickets in the opening over of West Indies’ innings at Sabina Park.The day-night test match in Kingston concluded in just 14.3 overs as Australia completed a 3-0 series sweep. Starc missed a hat trick after dismissing Kevlon Anderson and Brandon King consecutively.Boland achieved the 10th test hat trick by an Australian, dismissing Justin Greaves, Shamar Joseph, and Jomel Warrican. He finished with impressive figures of three wickets for two runs.The West Indies’ total of 27 runs marked their lowest test score, lower than their previous record of 47 against England at the same venue in 2004. They came close to breaking New Zealand’s 70-year-old record of 26 runs against England.Lowest Test innings totals:New Zealand: 26 (v England at Auckland, March 1955)West Indies: 27 (v Australia at Kingston, July 2025)South Africa: 30 (v England at Gqeberha, February 1896)South Africa: 30 (v England at Birmingham, June 1924) South Africa: 35 (v England at Cape Town, April 1899)South Africa: 36 (v Australia at Melbourne, February 1932)Australia: 36 (v England at Birmingham, May 1902)India: 36 (v Australia at Adelaide, December 2020)Ireland: 38 (v England at Lord’s, July 2019)New Zealand: 42 (v Australia at Wellington, March 1946)
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Who was the standout player in the third Test match?
The West Indies top six batters collectively scored only six runs, excluding extras. They reached 22-6 at the dinner break and managed to surpass 26 runs despite two dropped catches in the slips by Sam Konstas off Starc.The match concluded inside three days following Boland’s hat trick and Starc’s sixth wicket. A misfield by Sam Konstas in the 14th over allowed West Indies to reach 27 runs, narrowly avoiding the all-time lowest test score record.
