Australia complete series sweep with a crushing 419-run win
Lyon, Starc and Neser ran through a beleaguered West Indies to wrap up victory 30 minutes before the dinner
Australia dominate West Indies to claim series win
Australia 511 for 7 dec (Head 175, Labuschagne 163) and 199 for 6 dec (Joseph 3-33) beat West Indies 214 (Chanderpaul 47, Phillip 43, Lyon 3-57) and 77 (Boland 3-16, Neser 3-22) by 419 runs
Nathan Lyon claimed his 450th Test wicket as Australia completed a 419-run thrashing over a dispirited West Indies early on day four of the second Test in Adelaide.
Lyon became the third Australian bowler after Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath to reach the landmark by clean bowling Alzarri Joseph to cap Australia’s convincing 2-0 series triumph in the Frank Worrell Trophy.
RELATED
Kraigg Brathwaite: ‘We didn’t show any fight at all’
-
Head’s love affair with Adelaide continues
-
Neser, Boland once again show off Australia’s fast-bowling depth
-
Cameron Green’s growing pains on a steep learning curve
It was their biggest-ever victory by runs against West Indies, whose second-innings total of 77 was their second-lowest total ever against Australia.
A ruthless Australia attack ran through a beleaguered West Indies to wrap up victory 30 minutes before the dinner break having won the first Test in Perth by 164 runs.
Australia stretched their unbeaten record in day-night Tests to 11 matches with seven of them having been at the Adelaide Oval. In contrast, West Indies offered little resistance in an uncompetitive performance to cap a disappointing series – their first against Australia since 2015-16.
Starting at a forlorn 38 for 4, after West Indies’ top-order was ripped apart under lights on day three by recalled quick Scott Boland, Devon Thomas and Jason Holder tried to prolong an inevitable result.
They were under immediate pressure from Australia’s accurate seamers with quick Mitchell Starc hitting the pads of Thomas but the not-out decision was upheld on review.
It was only a matter of time before a probing Starc removed Thomas, who was caught behind after flashing at a wider delivery. It was a lacklustre end for debutant Thomas, a reserve wicketkeeper in the squad, after showing grit with the bat and surprisingly taking two wickets with his handy seamers.
West Indies’ slim chance of getting through the session was left to Holder, who put up a rearguard of 11 off 61 balls. But he could do little against a red-hot Starc, who produced a gem of an inswinger to knock out the off stump and move to 296 Test wickets.
Lyon came into the attack before the drinks break as he eyed his 450th wicket. The offspinner thought he had it when Travis Head took a sharp one-handed take at leg slip only for the ball to have missed the bat of Joshua Da Silva. But Lyon would savour his milestone shortly later.
Seamer Michael Neser also got among the wickets by removing Roston Chase thanks to a superb juggling catch from wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who was up at the stumps.
Neser claimed Da Silva later in the over after another sharp take from Carey, who claimed his fifth catch for the innings. The Neser-Carey pairing then dismissed Marquino Mindley to put West Indies out of their misery.
Australia’s depth of pace bowlers was underlined by sensational performances from miserly seamers Neser and Boland, who combined for eight wickets in the match – their first Test since last summer’s Ashes.
Australia’s big victory was set up when stand-in captain Steven Smith won a crucial toss and elected to bowl on a batting-friendly pitch. Australia’s massive first innings of 511 for 7 was highlighted by a 297-run fourth-wicket partnership between Marnus Labuschagne and hometown hero Head, who each scored big centuries.
A second-string West Indies attack failed to trouble Australia’s batters on a pitch with tennis ball-like bounce and occasional movement.
Their injury woes deepened when debutant quick Mindley broke down on day one with a hamstring injury after two overs. It was heartbreak for him after arriving in Adelaide from the Caribbean just 48 overs before the match.
Australia declared in each of their four innings with their batting order dominating listless West Indies bowling, most notably Player-of-the Series Labuschagne who scored 502 runs with three centuries.
West Indies, obviously, had few bright spots but their one shining light was the impressive Test start for opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul, son of legendary batter Shivnarine, who defied Australia’s attack with 160 runs at an average of 40.
But their 25-year Test drought in Australia continued as West Indies will need to do plenty of soul-searching ahead of returning Down Under next summer.
Tristan Lavalette is a journalist bas
