Australia complete West Indies sweep to close in on World Test Championship final

Adelaide: Australia have moved one step closer to cementing their spot at next year’s ICC World Test Championship final with a dominant 419-run victory over the West Indies in the second Test here on Sunday.

The World Test Championship pacesetters wrapped up the 2-0 series sweep late in the first session on the fourth day of the clash, with pacer Michael Neser completing proceedings by dismissing Marquino Mindley for a duck.

It means Australia moves further ahead at the head of the World Test Championship standings, with the Aussies now boasting an impressive 75 percent win-percentage for the current period.

Pat Cummins’ side can increase their lead at the top when they host South Africa in a three-match series that commences in Brisbane later this week, before they embark on a difficult four-Test series in India during February and March that may decide which two teams qualify for next year’s final.

Cummins himself missed the demolition in Adelaide due to a quad injury, but is expected to recover in time to lead Australia in the first Test against the Proteas that starts at the Gabba on Saturday.

Fellow pacer Josh Hazlewood is in doubt for the clash with his side strain, with Scott Boland and Neser both performing well against the West Indies and a chance to retain their place in Australia’s XI.

The series was bitterly disappointing for the West Indies, who now slip out of the race for next year’s World Test Championship final as a result of the two disappointing losses.

While the Caribbean side put up a fight for much of the first Test in Perth, the second Test in Adelaide was a different story and the 77 the West Indies mustered during the second innings was the lowest total they have managed in Test history in Australia and their second lowest against the Aussies overall.

It was also the largest defeat (in runs) that the West Indies have lost a Test match by and saw them drop behind England and to seventh overall on the current World Test Championship standings with a 40.91 percent win-percentage.

–IANS