BRIDGETOWN: Australia blew away the West Indies for 141 and won the first Test by 159 runs at Kensington Oval on day three.
The West Indies was set a stressful 301 target to win on a tricky pitch and folded in 33.4 overs on Friday.
The chief destroyer was seamer Josh Hazlewood with 5-43 from 12 overs.
The West Indies collapsed to 86-8 inside 27 overs but the Australians didn’t mop up the last resistance until the day’s last over in an extra 75 minutes.
Despite the inevitable, allrounder Justin Greaves, 38 not out, and No. 10 batter Shamar Joseph, a career-best 44 with four sixes, went for broke in a team-best ninth-wicket stand of 55 runs.
Australia started the day in some bother at 92-4 in its second innings, but half-centuries from Travis Head, Beau Webster and Alex Carey hoisted them to an impressive 310 all out and a 300-run lead.
“We wanted to get 200 but felt a lot more comfortable (with 300),” captain Pat Cummins said.
“We’re lucky to have Josh, he presents a good seam and hits good areas. He bowled beautifully.”
West Indies’ attempt at its eighth highest successful run chase and highest in eight years was in trouble from the outset.
Mitchell Starc claimed opening batter Kraigg Brathwaite in the first over, caught at backward square by a diving Sam Konstas.
“We lost our most experienced batsman in the first over and never got a foot back in the game,” West Indies captain Roston Chase said.
“The result was heartbreaking. We did well to get a (10-run first-innings) lead but couldn’t put a batting innings together.”
Starc also should have bagged Keacy Carty on 1 but Cameron Green spilled the catch at gully. That was the 10th dropped catch in the match and Australia’s third.
Hazlewood changed ends and suddenly had success by dismissing John Campbell, scooping badly and gloving to wicketkeeper Carey, and Brandon King, caught above the 1.98-meter Green’s head, in successive balls.
When Chase gave Konstas another catch at short leg, West Indies was 49-4 in 13 overs.
Brief scores: Australia 180 & 310 bt West Indies 190 & 141 in 33.4 overs (S Joseph 44, J Hazlewood 5/43)