Mitchell Starc’s Sensational Spell Bundles West Indies for 27 All Out

What can be termed as a day for the Australian bowlers, Day 3 of the 3rd Test at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica, on July 14, 2025, was a masterclass in pace bowling that crushed West Indies. It sealed Australia’s 3-0 series sweep in the ICC World Test Championship. The day started with Australia resuming their second innings at 99 for 6, already leading by 181 runs, and ended with West Indies collapsing to a historic 27 all out in just 14.3 overs, the second-lowest total in men’s Test history. Mitchell Starc’s fiery spell and Scott Boland’s hat-trick were the highlights, earning Starc the Player of the Match for his 6 wickets for 9 runs and Player of the Series for his 15 wickets and 46 runs across the series.

Australia Crumbles with the Bat in Last Innings

Day 3 began at 11:30 AM local time with Australia looking to build on their overnight score. Cameron Green, unbeaten on 42, and captain Pat Cummins, on 5, faced a fiery West Indies pace attack led by Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph. The previous evening, under the pink ball’s swing-friendly conditions, West Indies had ripped through Australia’s top order. Shamar had dismissed openers Usman Khawaja for 14 and Sam Konstas for 0, while Alzarri took out Steven Smith for 5, Travis Head for 16, Beau Webster for 13, and Alex Carey for 0, leaving Australia wobbling at 99 for 6 after 29 overs.

Green, showing grit on a pitch offering seam movement, played cautiously, adding runs with crisp drives. Cummins, however, struggled, managing only 5 runs off 32 balls. In the 29th over, Shamar struck, bowling Green with a length ball that nipped back to hit the top of off stump, ending his fighting knock. Australia’s tail didn’t last long. Mitchell Starc, unbeaten on 11 off 26 with a single four, provided some resistance, while Scott Boland scratched out 1 run off 11 balls.

Alzarri Joseph cleaned up the innings, first getting Cummins caught at slip by Kevlon Anderson and then bowling Josh Hazlewood for 4 off 3. Australia were all out for 121 in 37 overs, setting West Indies a target of 204. Shamar finished with 4 wickets for 34 in 13 overs, and Alzarri was the star with 5 wickets for 27 in 12 overs, keeping the chase within reach. Justin Greaves chipped in with 1 wicket for 19, but Jayden Seales went wicketless, conceding 32 runs in 8 overs.

The quick end to Australia’s innings, lasting just 8 overs on Day 3, added only 22 runs to their overnight total. The lead of 203 runs felt challenging but achievable for West Indies, given the batting-friendly Sabina Park pitch, though the pink ball’s movement under lights loomed as a threat. Australia’s bowlers, fresh after a short stint in the field on Day 2, were eager to exploit the conditions, with Starc, Boland, and Hazlewood warming up for what would become a historic spell.

West Indies Ends with Just 27 Runs in the Innings

West Indies’ chase of 204 began at 11:30 AM, with Josh Inglis keeping wicket in place of Alex Carey. What followed was a batting catastrophe that will be etched in cricket history. Mitchell Starc, in his 100th Test, unleashed a devastating opening spell, taking three wickets in the first over. John Campbell was caught by Inglis off the first ball for 0. Kevlon Anderson, also 0, was trapped lbw in the fifth ball, with a DRS review confirming the decision. Brandon King was bowled for 0 by a 134kph full-length ball that moved away to clip the stumps, leaving West Indies at 0 for 3 after one over.

Starc’s relentless pace continued, dismissing Mikyle Louis for 4, lbw in the fourth over, and Shai Hope for 2, also lbw, in the same over, completing his five-wicket haul in just 15 balls, a record for the fastest five-for in men’s Test history. His 6 wickets for 9 runs in 7.3 overs, with an economy rate of 1.20 and four maidens, included his 400th Test wicket, a milestone celebrated with a roar from the Sabina Park crowd. Josh Hazlewood chipped in, removing West Indies captain Roston Chase for 0, caught by Inglis in the fifth over, leaving the hosts at 11 for 6 at tea.

The interval offered no respite. Scott Boland, introduced post-tea, delivered a historic hat-trick in the 13th over. Justin Greaves, the only batter to show fight with 11 off 24 balls and 2 fours, edged to Beau Webster at second slip. Shamar Joseph was lbw for 0, with Australia’s DRS review overturning the on-field call. Jomel Warrican was bowled for 0 by a ball that seared back to hit the top of off, completing Boland’s hat-trick, the 10th by an Australian in Tests. West Indies were 26 for 9, on the brink of equaling New Zealand’s lowest Test total of 26 from 1955. Alzarri Joseph, unbeaten on 4 off 28 balls, and Jayden Seales briefly held on.

A fumble by Sam Konstas at gully off Starc in the 14th over allowed a single, pushing West Indies to 27, narrowly avoiding the record low. Starc sealed the match in the next ball, bowling Seales for 0 with a full delivery that deflected off an inside edge onto the stumps. West Indies were all out for 27 in 14.3 overs, with a run rate of 1.86 and seven ducks, a Test record. Boland’s 3 wickets for 2 runs in 2 overs, with an economy rate of 1.00, and Hazlewood’s 1 for 10 in 5 overs complemented Starc’s heroics. The collapse, lasting just 87 minutes, handed Australia a 176-run victory. Starc’s 6 for 9, including his 400th wicket, and Boland’s 3 for 2, with the hat-trick, were the highlights of a day when 16 wickets fell.

TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Day

For the fans, Mitchell Starc delivered the TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game with a breathtaking first over that tore through West Indies’ batting on Day 3 of the 3rd Test. Chasing 204, West Indies were 0 for 3 after Starc’s wicket maiden, setting the tone for their collapse to 27 all out. Bowling a deadly spell, Starc struck with his first ball, dismissing John Campbell for 0, caught by substitute keeper Josh Inglis off a 137kph delivery that nipped away.

Kevlon Anderson, facing his second opening stint, was trapped lbw for 0 on the fifth ball at 139kph, with a DRS review confirming it hit the middle stump. Brandon King fell next, bowled for 0 by a 143kph ball that swung back, taking an inside edge onto leg stump. Starc’s three wickets in the over, with figures of 3 for 0 in 1 over, included his 399th Test wicket, leaving him one shy of 400. His pace, swing, and precision on a seaming Sabina Park pitch sparked West Indies’ historic downfall.

TCNI’s Hero of the Day

The bowler who has the record of bowling tough lines, Scott Boland, emerged as the TCNI’s Hero of the Day on July 14, 2025, with a historic hat-trick that sealed Australia’s 176-run victory over West Indies in the 3rd Test at Kingston. On Day 3, Boland’s 3 wickets for 2 runs in 2 overs, with an economy rate of 1.00, supported Mitchell Starc’s 6 for 9, demolishing West Indies for 27 in 14.3 overs, chasing 204. In the 13th over, Boland struck gold, dismissing Justin Greaves for 11, caught at second slip by Beau Webster after angling a length ball to induce an edge.

Shamar Joseph followed for 0, lbw to a ball that nipped in, confirmed by DRS to hit middle stump. Jomel Warrican was bowled for 0 next ball, undone by a 135kph delivery that jagged back to hit the top of off, completing Boland’s hat-trick, the 10th by an Australian in Tests. This left the West Indies at 26 for 9, tying the lowest Test total. Boland’s tight lines, bowling a wicket maiden, complemented Starc’s fiery spell, ensuring Australia’s 3-0 series sweep in the ICC World Test Championship.