Australia roll West Indies for 27 as Mitchell Starc produces 15 balls of carnage

In a career littered with unplayable spells, Mitchell Starc saved his very best for his 100th Test. Across 15 breathless deliveries he laid waste to the West Indies.

Two days before his 100th Test, Mitchell Starc - disarming smile on his face - said that he didn’t like all the attention coming his way.

If that’s the case, then he didn’t do a very good job of dousing it.

On any other day, Scott Boland taking just the 11th Test hat-trick in men’s Test cricket for Australia would have been the out and out headline act.

The only trouble was Starc had already taken the earliest five-wicket haul in Test history, and at one stage had figures of 5-2 from 2.3 overs to pave the way for the second-lowest completed total since the format came into being in 1877.

His devastating denouement to this Test series was fitting on so many levels.

A wicket with the first ball of the innings, three in the first over, four before he had conceded a run and five within his first 15 deliveries, in his 100th Test, and to bring up his 400th wicket with the fourth in the set.

The last rites, a cannon through the defences of a hapless Jayden Seales left the veteran left-armer with figures of 6-9. And it was particularly sweet too, given Starc had been on the end of a supposed send-off from Seales on day one of this Test, albeit the West Indian quick had claimed he was gesturing at a teammate rather than the pavilion.

That Starc’s vicious swing was generated with a pink rocket added to the poetry as well, given the left-armer has been the standout bowler across a decade of day-night Test cricket.

And yet it hadn’t been the plan. Not that anyone would seriously plan to have the opposition - no matter how feeble - 6-11 chasing 204.

In fact the Aussies had anticipated that they may need to do most of their damage in the day’s third session, under lights with the pink Dukes veering all over the place.

“I don’t think anyone thought it was going to happen that quickly. We were talking about almost consolidating the scoreboard until we got closer to that night session,” Starc said.

That talk was soon out the door though as Starc ripped the heart out of the West Indies and then left it beating for a few ticks on a fullish length at Sabina Park.

First it was John Campbell nicking off to stand-in gloveman Josh Inglis, then a dead plumb lbw of Kevlon Anderson followed by among the worst reviews in living memory. Brandon King’s leg stump was collected next, then Mikyle Louis lbw for 400 and Shai Hope trapped later in the fifth over of the innings.

Having mastered bowling with the pink Kookaburra, he has now done the same with its English rival.

He has taken 81 wickets at 17.08 in day-night Tests, by far the most of any bowler. Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon are equal-second on the list with 43, followed by Josh Hazlewood on 40, while Boland is eighth with 18.

So no one is better placed than Starc to explain the difference between the two pinkies.

“I feel like the pink Kookaburra swings more. I think the pink Duke certainly seams more for a longer period. I’ve played 13 with the Kooka and one with the Duke.

“I feel like that pink Duke, the seam stays pretty pronounced there for sideways movement, whereas the pink Kookaburra, when it’s new under lights, even sometimes through the day, it swings more. The numbers might say different. That’s just my impression this week of how they compare.”

Get around him! Mitchell Starc tore the West Indies apart. Picture: AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan

And yet for his dominance, Starc still isn’t an evangelist when it comes to day-night Tests.

“I think there’s a spot for it. I think you just look at how it’s been picked up by Adelaide and the public there. It’s certainly a fantastic week to be a part of there when it’s the pink-ball Test. It’s not this year (the day-night Ashes Test is in Brisbane).

“I’m still a traditionalist, still very much love the red ball game.”

Ever pushing team over individual, Starc claimed that for all he had done with the ball, the highlight would be to come when Alex Carey led the team song.

“I’ts been humbling to see, to get a lot of messages,” Starc said of the milestone noise.

“The guys put a video together, some messages from back home, from family, from past Australian greats and even some of the (GWS) Giants boys. So no, it’s been a bit. Certainly been uncomfortable throughout the week, I was happy just to have a win and sing the song.”

BOLAND TAKES HAT-TRICK AS WINDIES ROLLED FOR 27

Scott Boland had to wait til aafter the tea break to open his account, but as his way got on a roll from there.

Having knocked over Justin Greaves to reduce the West Indies to 7-26, he proceeded to snare a Test hat-trick by removing Shamar Joseph and Jomel Warrican.

“I was bit nervous on that last ball, but yeah amazing feeling,” Boland said of his hat-trick ball.

“[I was] just trying to keep concentrating and keep putting balls in good areas.”

Starc was more effusive in his praise.

“He’s amazing, isn’t he? He would have played so many more Test matches in another team. But every time he comes in, he’s on the money, like we saw this week, a hat-trick, he’s never far from the perfect length as soon as he comes in.

“He’s preparing all the time to play and this week he got his opportunity and showed what what a wonderful Test bowler he is.”

Re-live the action from day three of the third Test in our live blog below. The first ball is scheduled for 4.30am.

Originally published as Australia roll West Indies for 27 as Mitchell Starc produces 15 balls of carnage