Gone are those days: West Indies v Test cricket

– 7 series won, 4 drawn and 18 lost in 29 Test series from 2010 to 2018

By Brandon Corlette

Judging from the statistics over the past 10 years, the West Indies have certainly lost their glory days in Test cricket. Is this because of T20 cricket, or is it because of poor management of the team?
Heading down memory lane, the West Indies were on top of the world during the period 1982/83 to 1985/86, having won seven consecutive Test series therein.
The winning streak started when India toured the West Indies in a five-match series in 1983. Exhilarating cricket was played, and the Clive Lloyd-led team won that series 2 – 0. Andy Roberts starred in the first Test match, finishing with figures of 9-100 in 46.3 overs of fearsome fast bowling; and for his efforts he was awarded ‘player of the match’.

The memorable 1983 series against India continued with three hard fought draws, but West Indies completed a ten-wicket victory in Bridgetown in the period April 15-20 1983, thus sealing the series. In that era, West Indies were equipped with fast bowling weapons that destroyed Test-playing nations. In their ten-wicket victory, West Indies bowled out India for 209 and 277 after Gus Logie (130), Desmond Haynes (92), and Vivian Richards (80) had led their team to 486.
West Indies then proved to the world that they can dominate in another team’s homeland when they defeated India 3-0 in a 6-match Test series in 1983/84. The first Test match belonged to Malcolm Marshall, who scored a defiant 92 and picked up 8-66 from 32 overs. Gordon Greenidge also played a significant role with a sensational 194 to see West Indies thump India by an innings and 83 runs.
Michael Holding then made the third Test match his own, scoring runs and picking up wickets at his own will, as the West Indies dominated India at home and away.
The third consecutive Test series won by the West Indies was against the mighty Australians (The Frank Worrell Trophy) in 1983/84. West Indies won the 5-match series 3-0, winning two Test matches by 10 wickets and one by an innings and 36 runs. It was an awesome performance by arguably the best Test team that ever played the game.

West Indies then toured England, and it was the famous 1984 tour that saw England being whitewashed 5-0. The first Test match belonged to Larry Gomes and Joel Garner. Gomes smashed his way to 143, as West Indies posted 606, and England were bowled out for 191 and 235, with Garner leading the way with match figures of 9-108 in 38.2 overs. The Caribbean men cruised to an innings and 180 runs’ victory.
In the second match, at Lords, West Indies won by nine wickets, with Gordon Greenidge smashing a fourth innings’ double-century chasing 342 runs for victory.
The dominance continued in the third Test, when Larry Gomes stroked a century that saw West Indies completing an eight-wicket win that ensured the Caribbean team lifted the Wisden Trophy with two matches to play. From 1979-1994, West Indies have never lost a Test series, until the team from down under – Australia — won The Frank Worrell Trophy 2-1 in 1994/95.

Since Bangladesh and Zimbabwe are ranked below the West Indies in the current Test rankings, West Indies have not defeated any higher-ranked Test team in a Test series since 2012. The West Indies won a two-match home Test series 2-0 against New Zealand, but that seemed a lifetime ago. When will West Indies win a Test series again? Certainly not soon, since Bangladesh has won the first Test by 64 runs in the ongoing Test series.