Australia v West Indies, 2015-16

	The victorious Australia side pose with the Frank Worrell Trophy © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links Tour and tournament reports : Australia v West Indies, 2015-16 Matches: Australia v West Indies at Sydney Series/Tournaments: West Indies tour of Australia Teams: Australia | West Indies

At Sydney, January 3-7, 2016. Drawn. Toss: West Indies.
Torrents of rain not seen at a Sydney Test for a quarter of a century denied Australia the chance of a 3-0 series victory. After events at the MCG, Holder simply had to bat when he won the toss. The previous Test had shown that the West Indian batsmen could compete in patches; now they had to do it from the start. Certainly there was improvement, but too often wickets were lost just as a partnership was blossoming. It was Kraigg Brathwaite's turn to be the trunk of the innings while the branches snapped off around him; Samuels's comical run-out, stranded after Brathwaite dropped his bat mid-pitch, then returned to safety, summed up his tour and the frustration for those around him.

This was a track suited to the twirlers from the first day. Lyon's hard-spun delivery to bowl Blackwood pitched so far outside off stump that the batsman offered no shot. The selectors had got it right in picking O'Keefe, the slow left-armer playing his second Test. He removed Holder, caught one-handed by Burns at short leg as West Indies finished the day on 207 for six.

Then came the rain. Only 11.2 overs were possible on the second day, though at least they were entertaining, Carlos Brathwaite twice smashing Pattinson over the fence, including an audacious slay over extra cover, on his way to 69 from 71 balls. After the third and fourth days were washed out, decisions had to be made. Smith suggested a mix of forfeited innings and declaration bowling, but Holder was keen for his side to pass 300 for the first time in the series. And so they did, guided by Ramdin's 62, an innings that spanned all five days. Three wickets apiece for Australia's spin twins was just reward.

Warner had been the only member of Australia's top five yet to notch a century in the series, but he made amends with a hundred from 82 balls, the fastest in Tests at the SCG. A damp, limp match to end the dampest, limpest series felt about right.
Man of the Match: D. A. Warner.