When the four-man apocalypse hit Australia

The last time West Indies won a series in Australia was during the famous 1992-93 summer, when Courtney Walsh clinched the one-run victory in Adelaide and Curtly Ambrose bowled a devastating spell in Perth.

At the Jamaica Test during Australia's Caribbean tour this June, the Australian media were rightfully already grumbling about the possibility of replacing West Indies with New Zealand for the Boxing Day and New Year Tests. How did Cricket Australia decide to give West Indies the two most lucrative Tests of its international calendar for the first time in 15 years?

In assessing the upcoming series, renowned cricket historian Gideon Haigh said, "I wouldn't be booking third-day tickets for any of the games - they could be brutishly short." All signs point to this being the most embarrassing West Indies tour to Australia in history, and those running the affairs of West Indies cricket, those who have sent an under-strength squad to face Steven Smith's men, need to take much of the blame.

During the halcyon days of West Indies cricket, a tour to Australia was one that produced great memories. The 1960-61 series between the two sides is arguably the greatest series of the 20th century. The legendary ABC radio commentator Johnnie Moyes labelled it "the most wonderful cricket tour Australia has known".

Sir Frank Worrell, West Indies' first official black captain, was cheered by 200,000 Australia fans (still living under a white immigration policy) with "For he's a jolly good fellow" in an open motorcade at the end of the tour. But West Indies lost that series 2-1.

It was only in 1979-80 that West Indies won their first Test series down under. The seeds of that victory were sowed during the humbling 5-1 defeat on the 1975-76 tour, and aided by India chasing down a record 403 in Port-of-Spain in April 1976. The losses prompted West Indies captain Clive Lloyd's decision to build a four-man pace battery, which he unleashed on Australia three years later.

Andy Roberts and Michael Holding, the leaders of the attack, which also included Joel Garner and Colin Croft, firmly placed the 1979-80 win as the highlight of their careers.

"Being a member of the first ever West Indies team to beat Australia in Australia will always be tops," said Holding. "Despite winning two World Cups and so many other things with the West Indies, winning in Australia was the pinnacle."

By that tour, Roberts said, West Indies were a changed side from the past. "We weren't only playing calypso cricket, which people tended to use against us in those times to suggest that we were good to watch for a period then fall into bad habits - we totally dominated them in every department."

The events of 1975-76 had left a strong impression on Lloyd's men. Holding, in particular, recalled a moment from the fourth Test, in Sydney, when Australia captain Ian Chappell was caught behind, but to Holding's dismay didn't walk.

"The story with Chappell in Sydney is well documented," Holding said. "He was out caught behind, wasn't given out, and of course, since he never walks, just stood there. I sat down at extra cover in disbelief, and it was Lance Gibbs, I think, who came over and encouraged me to continue."

But the bad memories didn't fester a feeling of wanting revenge in 1979-80, only a quiet confidence. Both Roberts and Holding credited the two years in World Series Cricket (WSC) for the preparation it gave their team.

"We had the fire power, so we were confident," said Roberts. "Plus, WSC was great preparation. Although we didn't play at Perth, one of the fastest wickets I ever played on was during WSC in Townsville. So we were prepared for anything in '79-80."

That confidence faced an early challenge going into the opening Test, in Brisbane, when Lloyd, who was recuperating from a knee operation, was ruled out. After West Indies scored 441 in reply to Australia's 268, hundreds by Greg Chappell and Kim Hughes forced a draw.

Greg Chappell, alongside Sunil Gavaskar, had the best overall career average against West Indies in Tests and in WSC. His ESPNcricinfo profile states: "Perhaps the outstanding batting of his career left no trace on the record books, his 629 runs at 69 in five unauthorised World Series Cricket 'SuperTests' in the Caribbean in 1979, off a West Indian attack of unprecedented hostility."

Roberts and Holding felt that having seen so much of Greg Chappell in WSC would help them finally work out a plan to dismiss him early. And so it proved, because after scoring 74 and 124 in Brisbane, Greg Chappell didn't pass 50 in the remaining Tests against West Indies that season.

"Greg was one of the best batsmen we bowled to. Indeed, it took a while to figure him out, but that was another advantage of WSC. Seeing so much of him, after a while, we came up the idea of attacking him more aggressively than normal in order to shake up his technique," said Roberts. They decided to keep him on the back foot and not allow any front-foot drives.

"That Australian summer he made runs against Pakistan, who were also touring, but not against us," said Holding.

Roberts, who dismissed Greg Chappell three times in the series, best illustrated this plan in the final Test, in Adelaide, when he got him out first ball, fending a lethal bouncer to Garner at gully.

At the time Viv Richards held the record for most runs in a calendar year, in 1976, but Roberts and Holding rate his batting in the 1979-80 series as his best.

"I remember the incident with Viv [in Melbourne] when he hit Rodney Hogg into the stands the very next ball he faced after he got hit in the face from a bouncer. That totally deflated him and the Australian team," said Holding.

"Viv was in total command of everything compared to any series I ever played with him or saw after I retired," said Roberts. "Some of shots he played off [Jeff] Thomson and [Dennis] Lillee, the pulls from the front foot through midwicket and straight down the ground - I have never seen a batsman play express bowling with such command before or since."

In 11 Tests together between 1979 and 1982, Roberts, Holding, Croft and Garner took 172 wickets at 24.11.

"All four of us brought something different," Roberts said. "I was the shortest and brought my experience. Michael, well, what more can you say about him? Garner and his height and unrelenting accuracy, and Colin Croft's angle and pace - no other fast bowler ever bowled with that unique style from around the wicket, aiming to a batsman's ribcage.

"Although Malcolm came in later and became arguably the greatest fast bowler ever, I'm not sure how he could have fit into that team, even at his best. We knew from that Australia tour that our pace strategy could dominate the world, and so it proved to be."