Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc etched his name into the record books with a sensational five-wicket haul in just 15 balls against West Indies at Sabina Park. This fiery spell during the Day-Night Test not only helped Australia seal a 3-0 series sweep but also made Starc the bowler with the fastest five-for in Test history from the start of an innings. Here’s a look at the elite list of bowlers who took five wickets in the fewest balls in Test history.
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Australia defended a modest target of 204 runs on a bowler-friendly pitch at Sabina Park, thanks to a sensational new-ball spell by Mitchell Starc, who blew away the West Indies top order.
Mitchell Starc created a world record by claiming a five-wicket haul in only 15 balls—the fastest in the history of Test cricket.
West Indies were reduced to 22/6 in 10 overs, with Starc single-handedly removing the top five. His lethal swing and pace proved unplayable.
Starc shattered the previous record for the fastest fifer in Tests, overtaking Ernie Toshack (1947) and Stuart Broad (2015), who both did it in 19 balls.
This fiery spell during the Day-Night Test not only helped Australia seal a 3-0 series sweep but also made Starc the bowler with the fastest five-for in Test history from the start of an innings.
Starc claimed his 400th Test wicket by dismissing Mikyle Louis, becoming the fourth Australian to reach the milestone and only the third left-arm pacer in the world to achieve it.
Australian left-arm medium pacer Ernie Toshack held the record for the fastest five-for in Test cricket for decades. In the Brisbane Test of 1947 against India, Toshack took five wickets in just 19 balls, leaving the visitors in disarray. Bowling with nagging accuracy and exploiting movement, he dismantled India’s middle and lower order in clinical fashion. His performance helped Australia to a convincing innings win.
In the 2015 Ashes series at Trent Bridge, England’s Stuart Broad produced one of the most iconic bowling spells of modern Test cricket. Broad picked up five wickets in 19 balls, reducing Australia to 21/5 within the first hour of play. He finished with 8/15, and his opening spell sealed the match in England’s favour and played a pivotal role in regaining the Ashes. The spell is remembered for its precision, swing, and hostile pace.
During the Boxing Day Test at the MCG in 2021, Australia’s Scott Boland stunned England with a dream debut performance. He claimed 6/7 in just four overs, including a five-wicket haul in 19 balls. His relentless accuracy and clever use of seam movement tore through England’s batting lineup. The crowd erupted as Boland, a local Victorian, received the Johnny Mullagh Medal for Player of the Match.
Though better known for his all-round abilities, Shane Watson delivered an unforgettable spell in Cape Town in 2011. Bowling seam-up, Watson scythed through the South African batting order, claiming five wickets in just 21 balls. Despite Australia eventually collapsing with the bat themselves in that infamous match, Watson's brief bowling masterclass remains one of the most devastating five-fors ever delivered by an all-rounder in such quick time.
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