ADELAIDE, Australia, (CMC) – Beleaguered West Indies were inflicted with their worst-ever Test defeat here Sunday when Australia demolished them by 419 runs before lunch on the penultimate of the final Test at Adelaide Oval.
Resuming the day already tottering on 38 for four in their second innings, West Indies offered little resistance to a ravenous Aussie attack and were flattened inside an hour-and-a-half for a meagre 77 – their lowest-ever total in Australia and their second lowest overall against the hosts.
No batsman made it to 20 in a sorry display of batting from the tourists as seamers Michael Neser (3-22) and Mitchell Starc (3-29) shredded the West Indies lower order.
The defeat ensured another whitewash Down Under for the Caribbean side, further extending their three-decade run without a series win against the hosts and their 19-year wait for a Test match victory.
“It was a disappointing second game for sure. I thought in the first game we showed some fight which was good to see,” captain Kraigg Brathwaite said following his side’s historic loss in terms of runs.
“Unfortunately in the second game we lost some guys to injury but I’m very disappointed. We didn’t see the fight here at all. It’s not the best of ends to a good Test year for us but we’ve got to continue to work.”
Needing a heroic effort to survive the day, West Indies found themselves in even deeper trouble in the third over of the afternoon when Devon Thomas drove at a wide delivery from left-armer Starc and edged behind, after adding four to his overnight eight.
Four overs later, Jason Holder capped (11) off a miserable series when he spectacularly lost his off-stump to Starc, to leave West Indies on 49 for six.
Joshua Da Silva (15) and Roston Chase (11) then kept Australia at bay for three quarters of an hour, the pair adding 20 for the seventh wicket.
However, Neser removed both in the same over to brilliant catches at the wicket by Alex Carey standing up, to end the resistance and West Indies lost their ninth wicket when Alazarri Joseph missed an ungainly swipe and was bowled for three, handing off-spinner Nathan Lyon his 450th Test wicket.
Debutant Marquino Mindley then edged Neser behind in the next over, Carey pouching his sixth catch of the innings to equal the Australian record.
AUSTRALIA 1st Innings 511-7 decl.
West Indies 1st Innings 214
Australia 2nd Innings 199-6 decl.
West Indies 2nd Innings (target: 497 runs)
(overnight 38 for four)
*K Brathwaite c wkp Carey b Boland 3
T Chanderpaul c wkp Carey b Starc 17
S Brooks lbw b Boland 0
J Blackwood c Green b Boland 0
D Thomas c wkp Carey b Starc 12
J Holder b Starc 11
+J Da Silva c wkp Carey b Neser 15
R Chase c wkp Carey b Neser 13
A Joseph b Lyon 3
A Phillip not out 1
M Mindley c wkp Carey b Neser 0
Extras (lb2) 2
TOTAL (all out, 40.5 overs) 77
Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-15, 3-15, 4-21, 5-42, 6-49, 7-69, 8-76, 9-76, 10-77.
Bowling: Starc 10-4-29-3, Neser 10.5-3-22-3, Boland 10-5-16-3, Lyon 10-7-8-1.
Result: Australia won by 419 runs.
