West Indies 1984 vs Australia 1999/2000: A comparison between two great sides

Even if you follow international cricket from a distance, you may have noticed that when Australia beat New Zealand last March to beat the hosts 3-0 in their 1493rd Test match, they had notched up ten Test wins in a row.

Most would also have gathered that they were very close to matching the record of 11 consecutive Test victories, achieved by the West Indies in the mid-80s.

Next time Australia play in a Test match, their opponents will be the West Indies and if Australia win, they will have equalled the West Indies' record.

The Second Test of the tour, at the WACA ground in Perth, could then prove to be the record-breaking Test, if they win it, since it would be their 12th successive winning effort.

This past 12 months has seen Australia in a relentlessly winning habit. In October 1999, they beat Zimbabwe to start the count. In November 2000, Australia proceeded to beat Pakistan, at Brisbane, Hobart and Perth.

Then India were the victims, beaten in December 1999 and January 2000 at Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. And then the series against New Zealand.

Ten in a row!!

Similarly, 1984 was the West Indies' record-breaking year, starting ironically in March with wins against Australia at Barbados, Antigua & Barbuda and Jamaica, the last three games of a five-Test Australian tour to the Caribbean that year.

The next five Tests against England constituted one of those infamous "Black Washes" that became such a regular phenomenon when West Indies were at the absolute height of their sovereignty.

Afterwards, there were three West Indian wins in Australia before the draw at Melbourne and victory in Sydney, making it 11 games on the trot before one was drawn or lost. Hence the record.

The next comparison is between the players involved in these winning teams as they embarked on their respective winning treks.

When Australia won that game against Zimbabwe to start their succession of triumphs, the team read as follows: Michael Slater, Greg Blewett, Justin Langer, Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh (captain), Ricky Ponting, Ian Healy (wicket-keeper), Shane Warne, Damien Flemming, Colin Miller and Glen McGrath.

Ten matches later the team was little changed: Blewett, Healy, Ponting and Warne making way for Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee and Damien Martyn.

Similarly, the winning West Indies side was virtually unchanged during their record-breaking run, strengthening the case for continuity and consistency.

When the West Indies beat Australia in March 1984 in Barbados to start their winning trend, the team was: Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Richie Richardson, Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd (captain), Jeff Dujon (wicket-keeper), Eldine Baptiste, Roger Harper, Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Michael Holding.

The West Indies team on the field which won the game against Australia at Adelaide in December 1984, saw Larry Gomes and Courtney Walsh in, Baptiste and Holding out.

The final comparison concerns the merits and demerits of the players.

Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes were easily the best opening pair in the last 25 years. While Michael Slater is exciting, he still has to establish an enduring partnership with either Matt Hayden or Greg Blewett - one for the West Indies.

While Justin Langer is also batting very well at three these days, there is no contest between him and the incomparable Viv Richards - one more for the West Indies.

Mark Waugh is as classy as they come. He is productive too. Even though Richie Richardson was also quite productive, I would suggest that Waugh Junior is the more attractive on their best days - one for Australia.

Clive Lloyd was a much better batsman later in his career than he was at the start. Unfortunately, for all of the respect he has achieved, not to mention nearly 8,000 runs in Tests, Steve Waugh, Australia's indomitable captain, is the only batsman in world cricket playing today whom I would nominate to bat for my life. His tenacity and total determination are phenomenal, and better, to my mind, than Clive's overall production - another one for Australia.

Comparing Larry Gomes with Ricky Ponting is relatively easy. "Mr. Reliable", Gomes wins easily, even though Ponting shows flashes of true brilliance. Another for the West Indies.

Jeff Dujon has set more records as a wicket-keeper batsman than I think can be broken by anyone in my lifetime, so, despite Adam Gilchrist's great potential - another for the West Indies.

Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Michael Holding (or Courtney Walsh), must be a better bowling combination, at everyone's peak, than Glen McGrath, Brett Lee and Colin Miller (or Damien Flemming) at the moment. One more for the West Indies.

Shane Warne, who unfortunately won't be playing in the first three Test matches this year, may almost even things out, if not indeed turn things in the favour of the Australians. At least 1.5 to Australia, maybe more.

So these two teams appear evenly matched, even after you consider tenacity and the "never-giving-up" attitude, when compared to natural ability and flair.

How the present West Indies team does against a side that may go down as the world's best-ever, and is on the verge of setting a remarkable new record could be interesting in itself. Australia, while not invincible as Steve Waugh himself suggested in Nairobi a few weeks ago, are as tough as a team can get. It will be a hard three months, especially in the Test matches, for the West Indies.