Dominant Australia win 2nd Test

Adelaide, Dec. 12: Top-ranked Australia dismissed an outclassed West Indies for just 77 Sunday to win the day-night second Test in Adelaide by 419 runs and seal the series 2-0.

The visitors resumed day four on 38-4 and were all out in the first session with Mitchell Starc and Michael Neser doing the damage to end a lopsided campaign.

Australia won the first Test at Perth by 164 runs. "Nice start to the summer, we get an extra day or two (rest) which is handy. But great individual and team performances," said pace spearhead Starc. "The batters set up both games perfectly."

Defeat ended the reign of West Indies head coach Phil Simmons, who announced his intention to quit after their disastrous recent Twenty20 World Cup campaign, when they exited in the first round.

Simmons led the West Indies to victory in the 2016 T20 World Cup in India, and then returned as coach for a second stint in 2019. Australia took a stranglehold on day one when Travis Head smacked 175 and Marnus Labuschagne hit 163 and they never let up.

It propelled them to 511-7 declared with the visitors then dismissed for 214 before Australia posted a quickfire 199-6 to set the West Indies 497 to win.

The Caribbean side were never in the hunt after Scott Boland sent down a sensational three-wicket maiden under the lights on Friday evening to leave them decimated. Devon Thomas and Jason Holder, both on eight, trudged out on an overcast Sunday still 459 runs adrift, with defeat just a matter of time.

Landmark

It culminated a dominant win for Australia notable for several landmarks, with Labuschagne becoming the second-fastest man to 3,000 Test runs behind only the great Donald Bradman.

The focused number three slammed 204, 104, 163, and 31 in his four series innings to cap a sensational run which elevated him above England's Joe Root as the number one Test batsman in the world.

Veteran spinner Nathan Lyon also set a record as the most successful bowler at the Adelaide Oval since the revered ground opened its doors in 1873, surpassing Shane Warne's 56 wickets. (AFP)