Clinical Australia rout West Indies to claim comprehensive series victory in Adelaide

Australia completed an emphatic series victory against the Windies after walloping the visitors in the second Test in Adelaide. The hosts were dominant throughout the duration of the pink-ball Test, registering a massive 419-run victory, their highest against the West Indies in red-ball cricket.

The day started with the Windies’ lower middle order hoping to provide some resistance against a marauding Australian bowling attack. However, the morning started unceremoniously for the visitors after Devon Thomas was dismissed chasing a wide delivery from Mitchell Starc, ending his dogged partnership with Jason Holder.

The hammer blow for the West Indies came soon after as Starc cleaned up the former Windies skipper with a trademark inswinging delivery, sending the off stump for a walk. It was a procession after that wicket as Australia wrapped up the game within 90 minutes on the fourth day, dismissing the visitors to a paltry 77.

The Australian pace attack fired on all cylinders despite the absence of star pacers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. The incoming Scott Boland rattled the Caribbean outfit with a triple wicket maiden late on day three, while it was the Mitchell Starc show on what turned out to be the final day of the Test series. The pacers, Starc, Bolland, and Neser shared three wickets each, while Nathan Lyon claimed a solitary wicket, taking his tally to 450 wickets in Test cricket.

Travis Head was named the player of the match for his trailblazing century in the first innings, while his middle-order partner Marnus Labuschagne was the player of the series for his extraordinary output with the bat in the two-match series.