Perth, December 3: Steve Waugh’s Australian side set a new World record 12 successive Test wins here on Sunday when they thrashed the West Indies by an innings and 27 runs on the third day of the second Test at Perth’s WACA Ground.It is the greatest winning sequence in the sport since Test cricket began 123 years ago, beating the 11 victories on the trot by Clive Lloyd’s champion Caribbean team of the mid-1980s. The West Indies, ousted for 196 in the first innings, were skittled for 173 in the second after Australia hammered 396 in their knock. The end came in front of a ecstatic crowd of 11,057 when Brett Lee trapped veteran tailender Courtney Walsh leg before wicket 19 minutes after tea.Earlier in a dramatic final over, Lee snared Nixon McLean (11) and Marlon Black (0) to finish the innings with 5-61. Immediately Walsh was dismissed, Australian players formed in a huddle on the field, congratulating each other. Stumps were souvenired and players walked round the ground waving to the crowd. Australia’s remarkable winning sequence under skipper Steve Waugh began in Zimbabwe where they won a one-off match in Harare 14 months ago. This was followed by 3-0 clean sweeps over Pakistan and India in Australia last summer and a 3-0 whitewash of New Zealand there shortly after. Australia equalled the old record in Brisbane and surpassed it with another irrepressible performance here which underlines the side’s claims as by far the best in current Test ranks. There was early promise on Sunday of a stern fight by the West Indies as they resumed with 16 for two. Opening batsman Daren Ganga and left-hander Wavell Hinds kept out the hungry Australian attack for 44 minutes. Ganga fell to speedster Jason Gillespie for 20 when third slip Matthew Hayden pouched a superb diving catch. But the crucial dismissal of the morning was that of champion batsman Brian Lara, bowled by leg-spinner Stuart MacGill for 17 as he attempted a pull through mid-wicket. Lara fell to the rash shot after courageously surviving a ferocious assault by the Australian pace attack, led by Glenn McGrath. Lara made 0 and 4 in Brisbane and 0 in the first innings. Hinds, who hit a half century in the first innings, made 41 in almost two hours, with six thunderous boundaries. The procession continued after lunch as fast bowler Brett Lee sent back the luckless Ramnaresh Sarwan (1), who now has three runs from four innings in the series. Skipper Jimmy Adams, who finished with an unbeaten 40, and Ridley Jacobs (24) offered stern resistance in a 54-run stand before Jacobs was run out. Steve To Miss Next TestPERTH: Australian captain Steve Waugh confirmed on Sunday he will be sidelined with injury from the third Test against the West Indies starting in Adelaide Friday week. Waugh, 35, a veteran of 130 Tests, has a torn muscle in his left buttock and will undergo intensive treatment in a bid to be fit for the fourth Test starting in Melbourne on Boxing Day (December 26). He received the injury while fielding on the opening day of the second Test here. SCOREBOARDWest Indies (1st innings): 196Australia (1st innings): 396-8 decl. West Indies (2nd innings): S Campbell c Gillespie b Lee 4, D Ganga c Hayden b Gillespie 20, M Dillon c Gilchrist b McGrath 3, W Hinds b MacGill 41, B Lara b MacGill 17, J Adams (not out) 40, R Sarwan c Gilchrist b Lee 1, R Jacobs run out 24, N McLean b Lee 11, M Black b Lee 0, C Walsh lbw Lee 0, Extras (lb8, nb3, b1) 12. Total (all out, 66 overs) 173. Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-16, 3-42, 4-78, 5-95, 6-96, 7-150, 8-173, 9-173. Bowling: McGrath 18-7-26-1, B Lee 15-2-61-5, S MacGill 17-6-37-2, Gillespie 12-4-26-1, Hayden 2-0-9-0, Waugh 2-1-5-0.
