Starc’s Fiery Spell Rewrites Test History as West Indies Collapse for 27 in Jamaica
Australian pacer Mitchell Starc delivered a record-breaking performance in his 100th Test match, dismantling the West Indies batting lineup with a devastating five-wicket haul in just 15 deliveries, the fastest ever in the history of Test cricket.
The third Test at Jamaica turned into a nightmare for the hosts as they were skittled out for just 27 runs in their second innings, narrowly avoiding the record for the lowest Test total of all time (New Zealand’s 26 against England in 1955).
Starc, leading Australia’s pace attack with the pink ball, ended with astonishing figures of 6 for 9, and in doing so, surpassed a record previously held by Ernie Toshack (5 wickets in 19 balls against India in 1947). He now holds the world record for the quickest five-wicket haul in terms of balls bowled.
Adding to the devastation, fellow pacer Scott Boland ripped through the tail, securing a sensational hat-trick by removing Justin Greaves, Shamar Joseph, and Jomel Warrican in consecutive balls. In total, six West Indies batters registered ducks in a dismal outing.
With this spell, Mitchell Starc joins the elite ranks of Australian bowlers to claim 400+ Test wickets, now tallying 402 wickets, behind legends Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, and Nathan Lyon.
Australia had set a modest target of 204, but Starc’s early triple strike—3 wickets in his first over—left the West Indies reeling at 5 for 7, eventually bowled out in just 14.3 overs, one of the shortest innings in modern Test cricket history.
The performance will go down as one of the most dominant spells ever seen in the longest format, further cementing Starc’s legacy as one of Australia’s all-time greats.
