Tag: australia

KINGSTON: West Indies plunged to new lows on Monday at Sabina Park as they were bowled out for just 27 runs in the fourth innings of the third Test against Australia, shattering an old Pakistan record and crashing to a 3-0 series defeat at home.

Their dismal effort with the bat not only marked the second-lowest total in the history of Test cricket but also saw them register the most ducks (7) in a single innings, breaking Pakistan’s infamous tally of six ducks against the same opposition back in 1980 in Karachi.

Batters John Campbell, Kevlon Anderson, Brandon King, Roston Chase, Shamar Joseph, Jomel Warrican, and Jayden Seales all walked back without troubling the scorers.

The only silver lining for the hosts was that they narrowly avoided the all-time lowest Test total of 26, still held by New Zealand.

Most ducks in a Test innings:

7 – West Indies vs Australia, 2025

6 – Pakistan vs West Indies, 1980

6 – South Africa vs India, 1996

6 – Bangladesh vs West Indies, 2002

6 – India vs England, 2014

6 – New Zealand vs Pakistan, 2018

The man behind the demolition job was none other than Mitchell Starc, who turned his 100th Test into a personal highlight reel.

The left-arm quick bagged 6 for 9, including a five-wicket haul in just 15 balls, the fastest to a fifer from the start of an innings in Test history.

Starc sent back Campbell with the first delivery of the innings, then followed up with wickets of Anderson and King in the same over.

He returned to trap Mikyle Louis LBW and, in doing so, became only the fourth Australian bowler to reach 400 Test wickets, joining the likes of Warne, McGrath, and Lyon.

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Shai Hope fell soon after as Australia had the West Indies gasping at 7 for 6.

Josh Hazlewood removed Chase before Scott Boland joined the party with a hat-trick, sending back Justin Greaves, Shamar Joseph, and Jomel Warrican. Starc fittingly ended the innings by knocking over Seales to complete a historic rout.

Earlier, Australia had managed 203 in their second innings against the West Indies.

Alzarri Joseph was the pick of the bowlers for West Indies with a career-best 5 for 27, while Shamar Joseph finished an excellent series on a high, taking 22 wickets at 14.95, the most by a West Indian in a Test series against Australia since Courtney Walsh in 1999.

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Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc produced a devastating opening spell as the West Indies were demolished for 27, the second-lowest score in Test history, to suffer a humiliating 176-run defeat in the final game at Sabina Park on Monday.

West Indies were set a target of 204 to win the third Test but had seven batters dismissed for ducks as Starc took 6-9 and Scott Boland claimed a hat-trick.

Australia swept the series 3-0 after earlier victories in Barbados and Grenada to retain the Frank Worrell Trophy.

Starc reached the landmark of 400 Test wickets, and Scott Boland completed a hat-trick, but the hosts just avoided New Zealand’s record low of 26, set in 1955.

“We didn’t think things would start going our way with the ball today until the sun went down a bit,” Starc said after collecting the player of the match and series awards.

“But anyway, our bowling attack has been pretty much on the money throughout the series,” he added.

West Indies captain Royston Chase warned his side must improve with the first of five T20 internationals on Monday.

“Assessing this series is simple: the bowlers kept us in the contest and the batting let us down time after time,” he said.

“We need to put in some serious work on our batting moving forward if we really want to compete,” he added.

West Indies were set a victory target of 204 after Australia lost their last four wickets within 45 minutes of the start of play to be dismissed for 121 in the second innings, their lowest Test innings total against the West Indies for 30 years.

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Alzarri Joseph led the effort with his best Test innings figures of five for 27 while Shamar Joseph claimed four for 34 to finish with 22 wickets in the series and go past the 50-wicket mark in Tests along the way.

Everything else in the frenetic first session faded into irrelevance, though in the face of Starc’s wrecking ball-type performance as he reached the break with figures of five for six off five overs, finishing with six for nine when he bowled last man Jayden Seales half an hour into the second session to seal the win.

In his 100th Test, the left-armer made up for a luckless first innings, when he picked up just one wicket, by dismissing John Campbell with the first ball of the second innings and adding two more victims, debutant Kevlon Anderson and Brandon King off successive balls, before the opening over was completed.

Starc’s 400th wicket came at the start of his third over when the other opener, Mikyle Louis, was palpably leg-before.

At that stage, the West Indies were five for four, and Starc boasted the astonishing figures of four wickets for no runs.

The 35-year-old eventually conceded two runs via the outside edge of Shai Hope’s bat but then promptly trapped the same batsman lbw for his fifth wicket.

He had taken just 15 deliveries, the fewest ever in Test history, to complete a five-wicket haul.

Skipper Chase was then caught behind off Josh Hazlewood to make the score an eye-popping 11 for six.

Boland then stole the honours at the start of the second session when he dismissed Justin Greaves, Shamar Joseph, and Jomel Warrican off successive deliveries to complete the rare feat of a Test hat-trick.

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Mitchell Starc struck early in his 100th Test match as the West Indies reached 16 for one in response to the first Australia innings total of 225 on the opening day of the day/night third Test at Sabina Park in Jamaica on Saturday.

Dismissed for a “duck” in an eventful final session as Australia slipped from 157 for three, Starc bowled West Indies debutant Kevlon Anderson off the inside-edge to raise his tally of Test wickets to 396.

Anderson and Brandon King found themselves with the task of defying the Australian bowlers operating under lights with the new pink ball after selected openers John Campbell and Mikyle Louis were injured in the field.

King and captain Roston Chase will resume on the second day with the West Indies, hoping that both Campbell and Louis will be fit to bat later in the innings as they seek a measure of consolation with the series already lost following defeats in the first two Tests in Barbados and Grenada.

Shamar Joseph again led the West Indies bowling effort with four for 33, lifting his tally to a series-leading 18 wickets.

Jayden Seales and Justin Greaves claimed three wickets each on a pitch offering considerable seam movement but still with enough in the surface to encourage the spinners, raising questions about the visitors’ decision to omit veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon in preference for an additional fast-medium bowler in Scott Boland.

Seven of the visitors’ top eight -all-rounder Beau Webster was the exception –got past 15, although none could carry on to the really big innings to put their side in a dominant position.

Turgid, almost tedious cricket defined the first two sessions, with Australia advancing to 138 for three by the dinner break.

However, a comparatively frenetic passage of play followed, triggered by the demise of Steve Smith for a top score of 48, as Australia lost their last seven wickets for 68 runs in 15 overs against the West Indies pacers.

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Smith and Cameron Green (46) put on 61 for the third wicket in the one passage of play during the daylight hours when the bat threatened to dominate the ball.

“It was almost like he was batting on a different wicket,” Green said at the end of play in an appreciation of Smith’s positive innings. “I was really struggling out there, but clearly he is a class above.”

Despite the batting collapse in the final session, Green, who is still unable to bowl for at least another three months, was happy with his team’s position after day one.

“We just wanted to give them a tricky last 45 minutes at the end and to get them one down is really crucial,” he added.

An almost T20-style attitude to batting, typified by captain Pat Cummins’ consecutive sixes off Seales, was also a reflection of Australia’s eagerness to get as many runs as they could quickly in that final session to allow the bowlers a decent shot at the West Indies’ depleted top order under the lights.

That helter-skelter tempo at the end contrasted sharply with the pedestrian opening session, made exciting only by the antics of opener Sam Konstas.

He was almost run out by Campbell and then dropped at third slip by Anderson off successive balls from Seales before being trapped leg-before for 17 off the first ball bowled by Greaves.

Anderson, who replaced Keacy Carty, is one of three changes to the West Indies team from the second Test.

That match was Kraigg Brathwaite’s 100th in Test cricket and possibly his last, as he was dropped in favour of Louis for the series finale. At the same time, left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican returned at the expense of fast-medium bowler Anderson Phillip.

Australia Playing XI

Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood, Sam Konstas

West Indies Playing XI

Brandon King, Kevlon Anderson, Mikyle Louis, John Campbell, Shai Hope, Justin Greaves, Roston Chase, Jomel Warrican, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales

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Pakistan fast bowling legend Wasim Akram on Saturday hailed Australia’s Mitchell Starc as a “modern-day great” for reaching 100 Test appearances.

Starc, who draws comparisons with fellow left-arm quick Akram, will reach the milestone later Saturday when the third Test against the West Indies begins in Jamaica.

“It is a big deal in this day and age to reach 100 Tests, congratulations to Starc,” Akram told AFP. “That shows the quality and resolve of the man.”

The 35-year-old becomes the 83rd player and 16th Australian to play 100 Tests, and only the second Australian fast bowler after Glenn McGrath.

“To play 100 Tests shows how consistent Starc has been and also shows where his priorities lie; that is to play red-ball cricket,” said Wasim Akram.

“He has also played Twenty20 and league cricket, but his career in Test cricket is way ahead, and to me he is a modern-day great.”

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Mitchell Starc stands on 395 Test wickets, so he has the tantalising prospect of taking his landmark 400th wicket during his 100th Test.

His strike rate is remarkably similar to Wasim Akram, who retired in 2002 after taking 414 wickets in 104 Tests.

Both players, said Akram, had suffered injuries to “every joint, every part of the body” during their careers.

“People often compare us, but we have played in different eras,” said Akram. “He’s got the pace, he’s got the swing and he’s bowling very intelligently to the new batter, especially with the new ball.”

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Australia Test captain Pat Cummins has opted out of the upcoming white-ball matches against South Africa in August, choosing instead to focus on conditioning ahead of a busy home summer and the highly anticipated Ashes series later this year.

Cummins, who was already rested from the ongoing T20I series against West Indies, will now extend his break from competitive cricket.

Star players Mitchell Starc and Travis Head have also been rested from the Caribbean white-ball series, while Josh Hazlewood and Spencer Johnson have been withdrawn from the T20I leg as well.

Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed that Hazlewood is expected to return for the ODI series against South Africa, which will be played across Darwin, Cairns, and Mackay. However, he will skip the T20Is.

Fast bowler Xavier Bartlett and explosive batter Jake Fraser-McGurk have been named as replacements for the West Indies T20Is.

As for Cummins, the 31-year-old will now enter a strength and recovery phase.

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The pacer confirmed during a press conference in Jamaica that he plans to return for the short T20I tour of New Zealand in early October.

“I’ll have a good training block over the next six weeks or so,” Cummins said.

“Probably not bowling, but lots of gym work. The body feels pretty good, but there are always little bits and pieces you’re trying to get right before building up for the summer.”

Despite being Australia’s ODI captain, Pat Cummins has only led the side twice in the format since their World Cup triumph in 2023.

He also missed the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year while managing an ankle injury during the home Test series against India.

Australia’s ongoing T20I series against West Indies begins on July 20, with the first two matches scheduled at Sabina Park in Jamaica, followed by the remaining three in St Kitts.

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KINGSTON: Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has revealed the reason for forgoing several editions of the India Premier League (IPL) ahead of his milestone 100th Test against the West Indies.

The 35-year-old pacer has played in the IPL in recent times; however, he has skipped several editions in the past to prioritize Test cricket.

Starc is set to join Australian legend Glenn McGrath in an elite list of fast bowlers who have played 100 Tests. The left-arm pacer, on Saturday, 12 July, will become the second Australian pacer to achieve this milestone and the overall 16th player to do so.

Having made his debut in 2011 against New Zealand, Starc is only five wickets away from reaching 400 wickets in Test cricket. He has so far taken 13 wickets in the two Tests against the West Indies.

Speaking on the eve of the third Test, with the series already secured by Australia, Starc expressed his thoughts on playing 100 Tests and skipping several editions of India’s marquee league.

“Test cricket was probably the hardest format to either feel like I was good enough for or felt like I was capable of doing. To get that opportunity, I wasn’t going to let that pass at all,” Starc said on IPL.

Most Test Wickets for Australia

• Shane Warne 708 wickets in 108 matches
• Glenn McGrath 563 wickets in 124 matches
• Nathon Lyon 553 wickets in 137 matches
• Mitchell Starc* 395 wickets in 99 matches

“The years that I did miss franchise cricket, I don’t regret that at all. To get my body in as good a spot as I could for Australia to play 99 games, spend some time at home, spend some time with Alyssa [Healy] and family. That’s the reason why I did those things,” he added.

“It makes me feel old,” Mitchell Starc stated on a lighter note when he was asked about the milestone.

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GRENADA: Star batter Steve Smith is set to return as Australia has named its playing XI for the second Test against the West Indies, starting Thursday here at the Grenada National Stadium.

Smith, who suffered a compound dislocation of his right little finger in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, practiced in the nets for an hour on Wednesday.

However, Steve Smith will not field in his regular slip cordon position because of an injured finger.

“Fielding some balls in front of the wicket … will probably be the strangest thing for me, I don’t think I’ve ever done that in a Test match,” Steve Smith said on his return to the squad.

“Fielding at either mid-on, mid-off or fine leg, a bit different to standing at second or first slip, so I think that’s probably going to be the biggest difference,” the 36-year-old stated on his changed position in the field.

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Josh Inglis, who played in the first Test, will make way for Steve Smith, who will occupy the No. 04 spot.  Apart from one change, the rest of the lineup is unchanged, with Usman Khawaja and young batter Sam Konstas set to open the innings.

Cameron Green, the newly promoted number three batter, retains his spot despite scoring 3 and 15 in Bridgetown.

The bowling quartet remains unchanged, featuring Josh Hazlewood, who took a five-wicket haul in the opening match, alongside Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.

For context, Australia led the three-match Test series 1-0 after securing a convincing 159-run win over the West Indies at Bridgetown.

The right-arm pacer Josh Hazlewood starred with the ball, taking a five-wicket haul that bowled out the West Indies for just 141 runs while chasing a challenging target of 301 on day three of the Test match.

Australia Playing XI

Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Josh Hazlewood.

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South Africa left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi has reflected on the Proteas’ maiden ICC World Test Championship (WTC) title.

The Proteas lifted their first WTC mace with a five-wicket win, anchored by Aiden Markram’s sensational fourth-innings century.

The opener’s 136 earned him the Player of the Match award, while Kagiso Rabada’s fiery nine-wicket haul proved instrumental in dismantling Australia across both innings.

Held from June 11 to 14, the final of the third WTC cycle saw an extraordinary 2.94 billion minutes of TV watch-time on Star Sports, reaching an audience of 47 million viewers nationwide, a staggering milestone for a Test that didn’t feature the Indian team.

The match also sparked massive engagement online, clocking 225 million digital views, matching the numbers from the previous WTC Final between India and Australia at The Oval in 2023.

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During an interview with a sports platform, Shamsi, who played two Tests for the Rainbow Nation, hailed South Africa’s victory and praised Temba Bavuma’s leadership for ending the title drought.

“Definitely, it was very, very special even for guys who were not part of the triumph. You know, South African cricket had a history of heartbreaks in major tournaments,” he said.

“So, just to watch the guys and finally break the curse was really an emotional moment, and I think it’s the first of many, many trophies that South Africa is going to win in the future,” Tabraiz Shamsi added.

The spinner who was not part of the winning squad hailed Temba Bavuma’s leadership.

“Yes, he is a little man with a big heart, and he is very calm in his demeanour and the way he speaks and communicates, Tabraiz Shamsi said of Bavuma.

Tabraiz Shamsi also eyed the 2026 T20 World Cup, stating that the South Africa team is his priority.

“Obviously, playing for the country will always be a priority, and I am fully available for South Africa,” the 35-year-old stated.

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Australia Champions have announced a star-studded squad for the second edition of the World Championship of Legends (WCL), set to be played from July 18 to August 2, 2025.

Pace legend Brett Lee headlines is part of the squad, alongside power-hitter Chris Lynn and classy left-hander Shaun Marsh.

This year’s Australia Champions outfit also features performers like Ben Cutting, Moises Henriques, Peter Siddle, Nathan Coulter-Nile, and D’Arcy Short, giving them one of the most well-rounded and dangerous line-ups heading into the tournament.

For Lee, the emotions run deep. The 47-year-old spoke about the thrill of pulling on the Aussie colors again, this time in a tournament that combines the fire of competition with the camaraderie of old mates.

“Being part of WCL is an incredible opportunity to relive the adrenaline of top-level cricket,” said Lee.

“Representing Australia again, alongside some of my best mates, is something truly close to my heart. We’re coming with intent—to entertain and to dominate.”

Team owner Puneet Singh also struck a bold note ahead of the tournament, calling the Australia squad more than just a team.

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“With Brett, Lynny, and Cutting leading the charge, we’re bringing back the fierce Australian spirit to WCL. Expect fireworks, passion, and pure cricketing brilliance,” Singh said.

Harshit Tomar, Founder and CEO of the World Championship of Legends, welcomed the Aussies’ announcement with high praise.

“Australia has always been a force in world cricket, and the WCL is proud to welcome back icons like Brett Lee and Chris Lynn,” Tomar said.

“With a squad stacked with power hitters and fiery pacers, the Australia Champions are set to be one of the most formidable sides this season.”

The second season of the WCL will see six legendary sides in action: Australia, Pakistan, India, England, South Africa, and the West Indies.

The tournament kicks off on July 18 at Edgbaston, with Pakistan Champions facing England Champions in the opener.

Australia Champions Squad for WCL 2025

Brett Lee, Shaun Marsh, Chris Lynn, Ben Dunk, Callum Ferguson, Ben Cutting, Peter Siddle, Moises Henriques, Dan Christian, Rob Quiney, Nathan Coulter-Nile, D’Arcy Short, Stephen O’Keefe.

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BARBADOS: Josh Hazlewood claimed figures of 5-43 as Australia bundled the West Indies for just 141 to complete a comprehensive 159-run victory in the final over of the third day of the first Test at Kensington Oval on Friday.

Half-centuries from Alex Carey, Beau Webster and Travis Head were the fulcrum of a recovery from 65-4 late on day two to a final second innings total of 310 at tea the next day.

Shamar Joseph led the West Indies bowling effort with five wickets at the cost of 87 runs for a match haul of 9-133.

Any winning target in excess of 200 was always going to be challenging on this two-paced surface.

As it transpired, the West Indies never looked up to the task from the moment former captain Kraigg Brathwaite fell to Mitchell Starc in the first over.

Hazlewood then took centre stage. His metronomic accuracy accounted for John Campbell and debutant Brandon King off successive balls, before adding the wickets of captain Roston Chase and Keacy Carty.

Chase’s Australian counterpart, Pat Cummins, removed first innings top-scorer Shai Hope and insult was added to considerable injury when substitute fielder Marnus Labuschagne ran out Alzarri Joseph with a direct hit to the striker’s end from mid-off.

Josh Hazlewood returned to the attack to prise out Jomel Warrican, but Shamar Joseph entertained with 44 off 22 balls before falling to off-spinner Nathan Lyon.

The veteran spinner then dismissed Jayden Seales on the next ball to wrap the West Indies innings, steering Australia to victory with two days to spare. Justin Greaves was left unbeaten on 38.

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Australia’s intent was clear at the start of the day as Head and Webster transformed the consolidation of the previous evening to controlled aggression in a partnership of 102 for the fifth wicket.

Head was trapped lbw for 61 by Shamar Joseph 20 minutes before lunch.

However, the course of the first session could have been very different had Greaves held on to another straightforward catch at second slip off Alzarri Joseph when the left-hander was on 22.

It was the seventh chance put down by the West Indies slip cordon in the match, a poor display in one of the fundamental aspects of the game, which began on day one when four catches were shelled.

With a clear intent on aggression on a pitch becoming increasingly two-paced, the Australians progressed at almost a run a minute after lunch, despite wickets falling at regular intervals.

Carey, who top-scored with 65, built on the platform laid by Head and Webster (63), who fell off the persevering Shamar Joseph.

The right-armer also accounted for Starc and wrapped up the innings when last man Hazlewood was bowled off the inside edge to give the West Indies pacer his fourth five-wicket haul and third against Australia.

By then, though, the task already looked beyond the West Indies, which was confirmed two balls before stumps.

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