Scott Boland takes hat-trick; Mitchell Starc takes 400th Test wicket; Alex Carey out with concussion

Scott Boland took a hat-trick and Mitchell Starc bagged 6-9, and moved to 400 Test wickets, as Australia rolled the West Indies for the second-lowest innings total in Test history in scarcely believable scenes on Tuesday (AEST).

Australia completed a 3-0 whitewash in the Jamaican capital when Starc demolished Jayden Seales’ stumps to take his sixth wicket and end a calamitous West Indies run chase on 27.

The Australians took just 14.3 overs to rip through the West Indies with the pink ball and seal victory by 176 runs. They completed the carnage during the second session of day three.

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The Windies were hunting 204 for victory but all prior hope of an improbable win went up in smoke as the hosts crashed to 3-0 in the first over.

The Windies’ innings total of 27 is only higher than one score in Test cricket’s 148-year history — the 26 registered by New Zealand against England in 1955.

Ahead of play on day three, Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey was ruled out due to concussion, having copped a blow to the helmet while batting during the night session of day two, and the gloveman was replaced by Josh Inglis.

Australia suffered another blow when first drop Cameron Green left the first ball of day three and was bowled, before the visitors succumbed for 121, leading by 203.

Then all hell broke loose.

The three wickets that fell in the first over of the Windies’ chase were taken by Starc, who had the home side reeling at 3-0 in front of a shell-shocked crowd in Kingston. He took wickets with his first, fifth and sixth balls.

In the fifth over, the left-arm quick took his fourth scalp when he trapped Mikyle Louis lbw to move to 400 Test wickets.

At that point, the NSW tearaway, playing his 100th Test, had 4-0.

He became the 18th cricketer to take 400 Test wickets and only the fourth Australian to do so, joining Shane Warne (708), Glenn McGrath (563) and Nathan Lyon (562).

In a record-breaking spell, Starc needed only 15 balls to take the fastest five-for in Test history. Previously, Australia’s Ernie Toshack held the record for fewest balls to a five-wicket Test haul, having got there in 19 balls against India in 1947.

Tea was taken with the Windies in an embarrassing position at 6-22, still four runs shy of equalling the lowest innings total in Test history.

And although the Windies managed to scramble to 26 after the break, Boland struck with his hat-trick when the hosts were on that total.

For his first wicket, the cult hero had Justin Greaves caught by Beau Webster at second slip. With his next ball, he trapped Shamar Joseph lbw. He then completed his hat-trick when he tore through the defence of Jomel Warrican, sending the bails flying.

Boland, who finished with figures of 3-2, became the 10th Australian to take a Test hat-trick, and the first since Peter Siddle celebrated his 26th birthday in heavenly fashion against England at the Gabba in 2010.

Alarmingly, a terrible misfield by Sam Konstas at gully allowed the Windies to move from 26 to 27, ensuring the hosts wouldn’t equal the lowest innings score in Test history. The 19-year-old’s misfield followed two dropped catches off the bowling of Starc in the fourth innings, as well as his well-documented disasters with the bat.

The Windies’ top scorer was Greaves, the first to fall in Boland’s hat-trick. Greaves made 11.

The second-highest scorers, Louis and Alzarri Joseph, made 4 — two runs fewer than the six extras the Australians conceded.

Seven Windies batters made ducks.

The wickets were divided between Starc (six), Boland (three) and Josh Hazlewood (one). The bowling of captain Pat Cummins wasn’t required.

“It’s disappointing,” said Windies skipper Roston Chase after play.

“Obviously we’ve been putting ourselves in positions to win games, and then we [are] just laying down and not putting up a fight in the last batting innings.

“It’s quite heartbreaking because I think we did it in all three Tests, and we’re not really learning from our mistakes.

“Being bowled out for less than 30 is quite embarrassing.”

At 36, Boland wrote another remarkable chapter in his legendary story.

“I was nervous on that last ball. Amazing feeling,” the hat-trick hero said.

“Didn’t expect 10 wickets to fall in the first session. For Starcy to start like that, three wickets in the opening over, unbelievable.

“I just tried to keep the ball in the right areas.”

Starc was awarded man of the match and man of the series. The 35-year-old took 1-32 and 6-9 in Kingston, and snared 15 wickets at an average of 14.80 across the three Tests of the series.

Shamar Joseph, one of the few shining lights for the Windies in the Caribbean series, took a series-high 22 wickets at 14.95.

Cummins hailed Starc after the left-armer joined the 400-wicket club.

“You talk about 100 Tests and skill and fitness … but I think today showed the real Mitchell Starc — what he can bring to a team, which is out of nowhere [he can] tear an opposition apart and win a game for you,” Cummins said.

“He does it consistently in any format and I feel very lucky he’s in our team.”

Not for the first time in recent years, Starc was left marvelling at the heroics of Boland.

“He is amazing, isn’t he?” Starc said.

“He would have played so many more Tests matches in another team … He is never far from the perfect length and he showed what a wonderful Test bowler he is.”