#360stats: A history of Australia vs West Indies in Tests

Mohandas Menon 13:59 09/12/2015
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    As hosts Australia prepare to take on the once all-conquering West Indies in a three match Test series that begins in Hobart this Thursday, Sport360's resident statistician Mohandas Menon looks at the history behind the two teams' rivalry.

    The odds are firmly against the visitors claiming the Frank Worrell Trophy, more so after they were trashed in their only first-class warm-up at Brisbane by a Cricket Australia XI which won by 10 wickets. 

    Since winning six Tests in a row from July 2012 to March 2013, the West Indies have won just four of their last 20 matches, losing 13.

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    To date, the two sides have played 113 Tests against each other since the first in 1930 – nearly 86 year ago.

    This will be the 27th series between them, with Australia winning 16 to West Indies’ eight. Four of West Indies’ series victories have come in Australia: all coming during their golden age from the late 1980s into the early 1990s.

    Match results            
    Venue Tests Aus WI Drawn Tie Period
    In Australia 63 35 18 9 1 1930-2009
    In West Indies 50 21 14 15 0 1955-2015
    Total 113 56 32 24 1 1930-2015
    Series results          
    Venue Series Aus WI Drawn Period
    In Australia 14 9 4 1 1930-2009
    In West Indies 12 7 4 1 1955-2015
    Total 26 16 8 2 1930 -2015

    Series by series results in Australia

    # Month, Year Tests Aus WI Drawn Tie Series won by
    1 Dec 1930 to Mar 1931 5 4 1 0 0 Australia
    2 Nov 1951 to Jan 1952 5 4 1 0 0 Australia
    3 Dec 1960 to Feb 1961 5 2 1 1 1 Australia
    4 Dec 1968 to Feb 1969 5 3 1 1 0 Australia
    5 Nov 1975 to Feb 1976 6 5 1 0 0 Australia
    6 Dec 1979 to Jan 1980 3 0 2 1 0 West Indies
    7 Dec 1981 to Feb 1982 3 1 1 1 0 Drawn
    8 Nov 1984 to Jan 1985 5 1 3 1 0 West Indies
    9 Nov 1988 to Feb 1989 5 1 3 1 0 West Indies
    10 Nov 1992 to Feb 1993 5 1 2 2 0 West Indies
    11 Nov 1996 to Feb 1997 5 3 2 0 0 Australia
    12 Nov 2000 to Jan 2001 5 5 0 0 0 Australia
    13 Nov 2005 3 3 0 0 0 Australia
    14 Nov 2009 to Dec 2009 3 2 0 1 0 Australia

    Series summary in Australia:
    Total series: 14, Australia won 9, West Indies won 4, Drawn 1      

    Highest team totals 
    Australia

    758-8d at Kingston June 1955 (Won)
    668 at Bridgetown May 1955 (Drawn)
    650-6d at Bridgetown May 1965 (Drawn)

    West Indies

    616 at Adelaide Jan 1969 (Drawn)
    606 at Sydney Jan 1993 (Drawn)
    585 at Perth Dec 1975 (Won)

    Lowest team totals
    Australia

    76 at Perth Nov 1984 (Lost)
    82 at Adelaide Dec 1951 (Lost)
    90 at Port of Spain Mar 1978 (Lost)

    West Indies

    51 at Port of Spain Mar 1999 (Lost)
    78 at Sydney Jan 1952 (Lost)
    82 at Brisbane Nov 2000 (Lost)
    Total individual 100s    
    Total 100s 213 (in Australia: 108, in West Indies: 105)
    By Australia 110 (in Australia: 54, in West Indies: 56)
    By West Indies 103 (in Australia: 54, in West Indies: 49)

    Highest individual scores
    Australia

    242 by Doug Walters at Sydney Feb 1969 (Won)
    223 by Don Bradman at Brisbane, Exhibition Jan 1931 (Won)
    216 by Dean Jones at Adelaide Feb 1989 (Drawn)

    West Indies

    277 by Brian Lara at Sydney Jan 1993 (Drawn)
    226 by Gordon Greenidge at Bridgetown Apr 1991 (Won)
    226 by Brian Lara at Adelaide Nov 2005 (Lost)

    Leading run-getters 
    Australia

    2192 by Steve Waugh in 32 mts 51 inns ave 49.82
    2052 by Allan Border in 31 mts 59 inns ave 39.46
    1977 by Ricky Ponting in 24 mts 44 inns ave 53.43

    Most runs in Australia: 1256 runs by Allan Border in 21 mts, 40 inns, ave 33.95

    West Indies

    2815 by Brian Lara in 30 mts 56 inns ave 52.13
    2266 by Viv Richards in 34 mts 54 inns ave 44.23
    2233 by Desmond Haynes in 33 mts 59 inns ave 42.13

    Most runs in Australia: 1760 runs by Viv Richards in 22 mts, 39 inns, ave 47.57

    Most individual 100s

    Australia          7 by Steve Waugh & Ricky Ponting (in Aus: 4 by Ian Redpath, Doug Walters & Greg Chappell)
    West Indies      9 by Richie Richardson & Brian Lara (in Aus: 5 by Clive Lloyd)

    Best bowling in an innings
    Australia

    8/71 by Graham McKenzie at Melbourne Dec 1968 (Won)
    8/87 by Merv Hughes at Perth Dec 1988 (Lost)
    8/112 by Geoff Lawson at Adelaide Dec 1984 (Lost)

    West Indies

    7/25 by Curtly Ambrose at Perth Jan 1993 (Won)
    7/54 by Andy Roberts at Perth Dec 1975 (Won)
    7/55 by Gerry Gomez at Sydney Jan 1952 (Lost)

    Best bowling in a match
    Australia

    13/217 by Merv Hughes at Perth Dec 1988 (Lost)
    11/79 by Bert Ironmonger at Melbourne Feb 1931 (Won)
    11/96 by Allan Border at Sydney Jan 1989 (Won)

    West Indies

    11/107 by Michael Holding at Melbourne Dec 1981 (Lost)
    10/107 by Malcolm Marshall at Adelaide Dec 1984 (Won)
    10/113 by Gerry Gomez at Sydney Jan 1952 (Lost)

    Leading wicket-takers
    Australia

    110 by Glenn McGarth in 23 mts ave 19.38
    65 by Shane Warne in 19 mts ave 29.95
    64 by Brett Lee in 12 mts ave 23.00

    West Indies

    135 by Courtney Walsh in 38 mts ave 28.68
    128 by Curtly Ambrose in 27 mts ave 21.23
    103 by Lance Gibbs in 24 mts ave 31.28

    Overall Test record
    Australia (1877 to 2015)

    Venue Mts Won Lost Tie Draw %win
    Home 401 228 95 1 77 56.86
    Away 382 140 113 1 128 36.65
    Total 783 368 208 2 205 47.00

    West Indies

    Venue Mts Won Lost Tie Draw %win
    Home 233 84 57 0 92 36.05
    Away 277 80 118 1 78 28.88
    Total 510 164 175 1 170 32.16

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