Cricket teams from four continents dominated the Test cricket with authority in the last four decades. Some had the ability to intimidate the batsmen by just their frequent bouncer while others bamboozled batsmen on their prime time and conquered the world. There was a team which had never found an opponent who could compete with them, and there was a team which became a team to beat on home conditions.
Let’s check five teams who won the most number of Tests in a row:
1. Australia (16)
The invincible Australia under the captaincy of Steve Waugh took over the baton from West Indies to dominate the cricket world for next 15 years, if not more. It was in 1999 Harare Test, where Australia won their first Test to which they later added 13 home and three away Test wins before going down to India at Eden Gardens in the famous 2000-01 Kolkata Test. The team was comprised of legends like Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie, Michael Slater, Ian Hilly, Damien Fleming, Justin Langer, and Glenn MacGrath. Australia whitewashed Pakistan, India, the West Indies at home and New Zealand in their den. Finally their unbeatable streak was broken by India at the Eden Test before registering a comfortable 10 wicket victory over India in Mumbai Test.
2 Jan 2000: Steve Waugh and the Australian Cricket Team before the Federation Test against the West Indies at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia.
2. Australia (16)
The second Australian wave took three years to come. This time in 2005 under the captaincy of Ricky Ponting Australia started a three years of unbeaten runs in Test cricket. Australia started with a two match home series victory over South Africa before defeating the same opponent at their home. Unlike the Steve Waugh’s Australia, undefeatable run of Ricky Ponting’s Australia was comprised by 11 home and five away match victory, and was even sweeter as they whitewashed England in the Ashes at home. Other victories came against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and India. But, it was India once again who stopped Australia from breaking the previous record by registering a 72 runs convincing victory at Perth. The team comprised by legend like Mike Hussy, Adam Gilchrist, Mathew Hayden, Brett Lee, Glenn MacGrath and Ricky Ponting himself.
(AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND OUT) The Australians leave the ground sfter winning the second test match on day five of the Boxing day Test at the MCG against South Africa, on 30 December, 2005
3. West Indies (11)
The invincible, the intimidating West Indies under the captaincy of legendry Clive Lloyd registered 11 successive Test victory, the most in the history of Tests cricket in 1984. It was an era when cricketers used to bat without helmet. West Indies had all time greats like Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Larry Gomes, Viv Richards, Jeff Dujon who demolished the opponent’s bowling attack and with the ball in hand Michael Holding, Roger Harper, Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall, Courtney Walsh created havoc. To avoid the bloody attack from “whispering death” Michael Holding many tail enders opted to skip the batting. The graceful, rhythmic action of the West Indian bowlers was the enduring memories for the spectators in that time. On their way to eleven consecutive wins West Indies whitewashed their most loved opponent Australia twice and England once.
The West Indies cricket team prior to their match against Worcestershire at New Road in Worcester, 19th May 1984. Back row (left-right): Gus Logie, Thelston Payne, Larry Gomes, Jeff Dujon, Eldine Baptiste. Middle row: Jackie Hendricks (manager), Malcolm Marshall, Desmond Haynes, Roger Harper, Courtney Walsh, Milton Small, Richie Richardson, Walter St John (assistant manager), Dennis Waight (physiotherapist). Front row: Joel Garner, Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge and Michael Holding. This West Indies team defeated England 5-0 in the 1984 Test match series in England.
4. Sri Lanka (9)
The golden generation of Sri Lankan cricket led by Sanath Jayasuriya had won nine successive Test in 2001-2002 calendar year. The island nation was comprised with legends like Marvan Atapattu, Kumara Sangakkara, Aravinda de Silva, Tilakratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas and Mittiah Muralitharan. Sri Lanka started their one year domination in international cricket by defeating India and Bangladesh at Colombo by an innings and 77 and 137 runs respectively and their last came against Pakistan at Lahore. In between, Sri Lanka whitewashed Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and West Indies at home conditions.
UNITED KINGDOM – JANUARY 29: CRICKET : MUTTIAH MURALITHARAN / SRI LANKA (Photo by David Munden/Popperfoto/Getty Images)
5. South Africa (9)
After Sri Lanka, South Africa led by Shaun Pollock and Graeme Smith scripted their domination in Test cricket 2002-’03. A team comprised with technically sound batsmen like Gary Kirsten, Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Jacques Rudolph and Neil Mckenzie and lethal fast bowlers like Makhaya Ntini, Andre Neil and Pollock demolished all who come in front of them throughout the year. After huge innings and 360 runs defeat to Australia at Johannesburg Test, South Africa responded strongly at the Durban Test, and defeated Australia by 5 wickets. Since then they whitewashed Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan in consecutive seven Tests at home under the captaincy of Pollock before adding two more at Dhaka and Chittagong under the newly appointed captain Graeme Smith following their disappointing 2003 world cup campaign. Their winning streak was stopped by England at Birmingham Test as the match was drawn in July, 2003.