West Indies overtake Pakistan's long-standing unwanted Test record

JAMAICA: West Indies etched their name into the wrong side of Test history after suffering a humiliating collapse against Australia in the third and final Test at Sabina Park in Jamaica on Monday. 

The defeat handed Australia a 3-0 clean sweep and saw the hosts register several unwanted records.

Chasing a target of 204, West Indies were bundled out for a mere 27 runs — the second-lowest total in Test history, narrowly avoiding the all-time record of 26 set by New Zealand in 1955. 

However, the Caribbean side did surpass a different ignominious mark, setting a new record for the most ducks in a single Test innings.

Seven West Indies batters were dismissed without scoring: John Campbell, Kevlon Anderson, Brandon King, captain Roston Chase, Shamar Joseph, Jomel Warrican, and Jayden Seales. 

This surpassed the previous record of six ducks, jointly held by Pakistan (against West Indies in Karachi, 1980), and equaled at various times by South Africa, Bangladesh, New Zealand, India and England.

Most Ducks In An Innings In Test Cricket:

Team	Score	Ducks	Opposition	Date
West Indies	27	7	Australia	14 July, 2025
Pakistan	128	6	West Indies	22 Dec, 1980
South Africa	105	6	India	20 Nov, 1996
Bangladesh	87	6	West Indies	8 Dec, 2002
India	152	6	England	7 Aug, 2014
New Zealand	90	6	Pakistan	24 Nov, 2018

Australia’s Mitchell Starc was the chief architect of the destruction, delivering a career-best performance in his 100th Test. 

The left-arm pacer claimed 6 for 9, including a historic five-wicket haul in just 15 deliveries — the fastest from the start of an innings in Test cricket history. Starc broke the long-standing record previously shared by Ernie Toshack, Stuart Broad, and Scott Boland.

Bowling with his favored pink ball, Starc triggered the collapse by dismissing John Campbell with the first ball of the innings. He followed up with wickets of Kevlon Anderson (LBW) and Brandon King (bowled) in the same over, reducing West Indies to 0 for 3. 

In his second over, Starc removed Mikyle Louis LBW to reach his 400th Test wicket, becoming just the fourth Australian to do so after Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, and Nathan Lyon. He then trapped Shai Hope LBW to complete his five-for.

Josh Hazlewood joined the carnage by removing Roston Chase, while Scott Boland added to West Indies' misery with a hat-trick, dismissing Justin Greaves, Shamar Joseph, and Jomel Warrican in successive deliveries. 

Starc fittingly ended the innings by removing Jayden Seales, capping off one of the most dominant bowling displays in Test history.

Earlier, Australia had been bowled out for 121 in their second innings. 

Alzarri Joseph impressed with career-best figures of 5 for 27, while Shamar Joseph finished a standout series with 22 wickets at 14.95 — the most by a West Indian against Australia since Courtney Walsh in 1999.