Review of Australia-West Indies Tests-Part 1

Australia won the two-Test series 2-0. This was the first series between these teams since 2015-16 in Australia. The West Indies has not hosted Australia since 2015.

Here is a summary of all Tests between these teams:

Total: 118 Tests, 60 won by Aus, 32 won by WI, 1 tie, 25 draws

In Aus: 68 Tests, 39 won by Aus, 18 won by WI,1 tie, 10 draws

In WI: 50 Tests, 21 won by Aus, 14 won by WI, 15 draws.

Going to individual scores, starting with

Batting:

Most runs, minimum 1000:

Led by Lara by a large margin.Next is Viv Richards. The most by an Aus player is by Steve Waugh. Lara and Richards also have the most centuries (9 each). Lara also has the most 50+ scores (20) followed by Haynes and Border with 19.

No current player here, partly because these teams have not met much in the recent past.

Highest individual scores, minimum 175:

Led by Lara, with what was his first Test century.Second is 269* by the already forgotten AC Voges less than a decade ago. The 242 by KD Walters is significant as he was the first of several to score a double century and century in the same Test. M Labuschagne also achieved this, and his 204 also appears above.

Highest batting averages (Minimum 20 innings and 40.00):

Headed by the somewhat unexpected pair of Ian Chappell and Larry Gomes. Greg Chappell is just after Gomes. No current player here.

Highest strike rates (Minimum 1000 balls faced and 50.00):

Data on balls faced is not fully available. But it is reasonable to assume that Viv Richards would have the highest strike rate. Next is the less disputable SR of Steven Smith..

Now for

Bowling:

Most wickets (Minimum 50):

Headed by the long-serving CA Walsh (135), Ambrose (128) and McGrath (110). Again, no one from recent years.

The most fivers are 8 by Ambrose and McGrath. Only McGrath has taken two tenners.

Best innings bowling (including all 7wi and better):

Nothing from recent years. The most recent entry is by WI’s J Lawson in 2003 (not the Australian GF Lawson).

Best match bowling (Including all 10wm and better):

Headed by the colourful MG Hughes. Nothing after 2012, which does include current player Kemar Roach.

Best bowling averages (Minimum 2000 balls bowled, maximum 30.00):

Headed by McGrath and Garner. We also see that the best economy rates were by Gibbs and Walker, and that the best strike rates were by B Lee and J Thomson). N Lyon represents the current players.

To be continued.

Century and double/triple century in the same Test

In the ongoing Test between Australia and the West Indies at Perth, M Labuschagne became the 8th to achieve this double. Here is the list in chronological order:

KD Walters 242 & 103 Aus v WI Sydney 1969

SM Gavaskar 124 & 220 Ind v WI Port of Spain 1971

LG Rowe 214 & 100* WI v NZ Kingston 1972 (On debut)

GS Chappell 247* & 133 Aus v NZ Wellington 1974

GA Gooch 333 & 123 Eng v Ind Lord’s 1990

BC Lara 221 & 130 WI v SL Colombo SSC 2001 (WI lost)

KC Sangakkara 319 & 105 SL v BD Chattogram 2014

M Labuschagne 204 & 104* Aus v WI Perth 2022

Note that there are other cases of 300 runs without a double century, last achieved by RG Sharma (176 &127) at Vizag in 2019. AR Border (150* & 153 at Lahore in 1980) is the only one to score 150 or more in both innings.

Gooch and Sangakkara are the only ones with a triple century.