In a very historic, embarrassing, and alarming show of historical batting nescience, the West Indies cricket group melted down versus Australia. They were all out for just 27 runs, the second-lowest total ever recorded in Test match history. The Adelaide Oval hosted the third and final Test of the three-match series. The pitch was an absolute nightmare, heavily favoured bowlers, resulting in a very horrible display. This result raises grave doubts about the future of West Indies cricket. They’ve now logged three of their five lowest innings total in only the 21st century.
How West Indies crumbled that day again 94 all out, as West Indies batted only 14.3 overs – the third-lowest innings all out in Test history. It was Mitchell Starc, boarding on the unplayable as he led Australia’s bowling attack to quite remarkable levels. He took 6 for 9 runs only in 7.3 overs, with four maidens. He exhibited dominance throughout the match, propelling Australia to a comprehensive series victory by margins of 159, 133, and 176 runs in each contest.
Justin Greaves was the only bright spot for the West Indies as he led the team in scoring with 11 runs. He was the only man to make double figures in a team that saw 55 men bat in the five lowest innings in Test match history. His accomplishment puts him among only five players to have scored double digits in such abysmal conditions.
The West Indies only managed a pitiful 27, falling one run short of the undesired record. That is currently the record, held by New Zealand, who were restricted to 26 runs against England in Auckland in 1955. The team’s recent performance reflects a deepening slide. Their record of 23 Test series wins since 2000 is a poor ratio out of the 87 they’ve played thus far, with these wins coming only against the weaker teams, such as Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and recently formed Afghanistan.
Cricket West Indies president Dr. Kishore Shallow responded harshly to the calamity. He organized an emergency meeting to assess the damage from the series and begin planning their next steps. He realized that there is an uphill battle that is still to be fought for the sport, particularly within the region.
“Progress is rarely straightforward. It takes time, perseverance and belief, especially in our most difficult moments.” – Dr. Kishore Shallow
Dr. Shallow capped off the morning with a call for cohesion and intentionality going forward. He went on to say that although much work is needed to return the team to its past greatness, it all needs to be done together.
“There is much work to be done. But we must do it with purpose, and we must do it together.” – Dr. Kishore Shallow
Roston Chase, one of the best players in the West Indies squad, praised their bowlers for an “excellent” performance. The bottom line, as he noted, was their batting never came through.
“Assessing this series is simple: the bowlers kept us in the contest and the batting let us down time after time,” – Roston Chase
Australia was bowled out for a paltry 225 all out – the highest score of the match. This sad batting print-picture supports the narrative of the West Indies’ plight at the scorching burning.
Mitchell Starc put up a momentous performance in this match. His remarkable haul of 81 wickets in day-night cricket cements his reputation as a premier bowler, well ahead of his closest rival, Pat Cummins, who has taken just 43 wickets.
The impact of this game goes beyond the stats alone. It lays bare the systemic obstacles plaguing West Indies cricket today. Dr. Shallow would like to hear from ex-players as soon as possible. Their experiences are key to understanding what caused the Eagles to fall off a cliff performance-wise during arguably cricket’s golden era for the Pacific, and indeed the world.
“These are men who helped define our golden eras, and their perspectives will be invaluable as we shape the next phase of our cricket development.” – Dr. Kishore Shallow
Cricket West Indies is in deep trouble. Stakeholders in the sport are anxious to see how it can be further refined to help rebuild and develop a new generation of sprinting talent that’ll help restore the team’s global competitiveness.
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