Cricket Kitchen

Mitchell Starc Sets Record for Fastest Five-Wicket Haul in Test Cricket History

July 17, 2025

 

Kathmandu – In the third Test match against Australia at Kingston, West Indies were bowled out for just 27 runs in the fourth innings. This is the second-lowest team total in the history of Test cricket. Previously, New Zealand were dismissed for 26 runs against England in 1955.

As a result, the home team suffered a massive defeat by 176 runs.

This score of 27 is the lowest in West Indies’ Test history. Previously, their lowest total was 47 runs, also at the same ground, against England in 2004. Across both innings in this match, West Indies managed only 170 runs — the lowest combined total ever by any team in a Test match where they were bowled out twice.

Earlier, their lowest combined total was 175 runs against England at The Oval in 1957. West Indies’ second innings lasted only 14.3 overs, making it the third-shortest completed innings in Test cricket history.

Only South Africa and Sri Lanka have been bowled out in fewer overs. South Africa were dismissed for 30 runs in 12.3 overs against England in 1924, while Sri Lanka were all out in 13.5 overs against South Africa in 2023.

A remarkable statistic from the match: seven West Indies players were dismissed for zero runs (ducks), which is the first time this has ever happened in Test cricket. Previously, the maximum was six ducks in a single innings, recorded on nine occasions.

Australia’s Mitchell Starc took five wickets in just 15 deliveries during the second innings — setting a new record for the fastest five-wicket haul in Test cricket history. He broke the previous joint record of 19 balls, held by Ernie Toshack, Stuart Broad, and Scott Boland.

Throughout the entire match, West Indies and Australia combined for a total of only 516 runs, making it the seventh-lowest combined match total in the history of men’s Test cricket.