Australian pacer Mitchell Starc wrote history in the third Test against West Indies as he picked a five-wicket haul in just 15 balls, the fastest in Test cricket history, as the West Indies collapsed to 27, the second-lowest total in Test cricket ever.
The record total of 27 is only a single run more than the lowest ever Test score, when England dismissed New Zealand for 26 in 1955.
Starc, appearing in his 100th Test, claimed three wickets in his opening over after West Indies were left 204 to win the day-night series decider in Kingston. His fourth victim in the fifth over (Mikyle Louis lbw) made him the fourth Australian bowler to claim 400 career wickets following Shane Warne (708), Glenn McGrath (563) and good mate Nathan Lyon (562).
But the left-hander made sure they were never in it as he sent back Shai Hope with his 15th ball of the innings, to establish a new record for the fastest five-for in Test cricket.
Fifteen balls taken by Starc to get his five-fer makes it the quickest in the history of Tests, beating the previous quickest of 19 balls each by Ernie Toshack against India in Brisbane in 1947, Stuart Broad against Australia in Trent Bridge in 2015, and Scott Boland against England at the MCG in 2021.
The 35-year-old's sixth completed a thumping 176-run victory that saw Australia sweep West Indies in a three-match series or better for the first time in the Caribbean, with seven ducks for the hosts in their second innings a new Test innings record.
Starc completed with bowling figures of 6/9, the best in the innings of any bowler on their 100th Test, improving on Muthiah Muralidaran's 6/54 for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh back in 2006.
In the meantime, Scott Boland, who had the most improved bowling average in the past 110 years of Test cricket, once more proved his credentials as he took a hat-trick to leave the hosts in tatters at 26/9.
Boland dismissed Justin Greaves, Shamar Joseph and Jomel Warrican in successive deliveries to begin his second over to become the 10th Australian to claim a Test hat-trick.
With his 3-34 and 3-2 at Sabina Park in Australia's Test win over the West Indies, Boland's Test average of 16.53 is now the best of any bowler in the last 110 years of Test cricket (minimum 2000 balls bowled).
Read also| Wimbledon Triumph: Kudermetova and Mertens Secure Women’s Doubles Crown
Read also| Tennis Player Radhika Yadav Shot by Father While She Was Cooking Breakfast
