The West Indies squeezed past the follow-on to stall Australia's relentless charge for another comprehensive win and their record 14th on the trot in a dramatic finish to the second day of the fourth Test in Melbourne yesterday.
Chasing Australia's first innings 364, last man in Courtney Walsh was run out going for a ridiculous third run after he and partner Marlon Samuels had scraped their team past the follow-on target of 165 runs to force Australia to bat again.
Having already lost the series after big defeats in the first three Tests, the West Indies looked doomed to face the indignity of being forced to follow-on, but they were indebted to a spirited unbeaten 60 from Samuels. In only his second Test, he had batted with courage for 153 minutes while his team-mates crashed around him.
The Test now looks certain to go into a fourth day after the West Indies had been humbled inside three days in the first two Tests in Brisbane and Perth.
The tourists looked to have stabilised with a 75-run sixth-wicket stand between the in-form Ridley Jacobs and Samuels before Jacobs fell to a blinding one-handed catch from Mark Waugh at second slip to leave his team at 103 for six.
With Jacobs back in the stands for 42 off 69 balls after his unbeaten 96 in the second Perth Test, the West Indies bunkered down with Samuels at the helm and only the weather shaping as their potential ally.
Rain intervened three times and it was just minutes after returning to the wicket from the third shower delay that Jacobs, lost his vital wicket.
Nixon McLean hoicked Andy Bichel for six but the Queenslander got his revenge when he yorked him for 17 leaving the tourists groping at 144 for seven and Mervyn Dillon was bowled first ball by Jason Gillespie for 150 for eight.
Steve Waugh had completed his 23rd Test hundred to be unbeaten on 121 in Australia's first innings. The batting tail wagged furiously with the last five wickets adding 215 runs after the home side had been labouring at 149 for five on Tuesday.
Waugh, who batted for 362 minutes and faced 237 balls, put on 81 runs with Gillespie (19) and 41 with buccaneering Colin Miller to make a mockery of the tourists' ragged bowling as Australia profited from sloppy bowling and fielding.
The only shining light for the tormented tourists was wicketkeeper Jacobs' seven catches in the innings to equal the Test record along with India's Wasim Bari, England's Bob Taylor and New Zealander Ian Smith.
But no sooner was it the West Indies' turn at bat after a 35-minute rain delay following lunch than they imploded. Gillespie removed Daren Ganga for four and Wavell Hinds was dropped twice in two balls before Michael Slater plucked a spectacular catch from mid-air in the gully to leave him out for a duck.
Brian Lara lasted 42 minutes before he was snapped up low down at second slip by Mark Waugh off Andy Bichel for 16 to leave his team at 28 for three.
Lara's dismissal heralded a chaotic 13ball spell with the West Indies losing 3-0. Captain Jimmy Adams lasted just six balls before a delivery from Bichel appeared to glance his gloves to offer Adam Gilchrist a catch behind for a duck.
In the second day of the Test between Sri Lanka and South Africa in Durban, Muttiah Muralitharan strangled the South African lower order with his off spin, but still could not prevent the hosts reaching 420 thanks to a mammoth 180 from Gary Kirsten. Sri Lanka then recovered from the loss of both openers for ducks to reach 62 for two in reply.
