Tracking Australia’s last 6 Test series defeats at home

Australia is not a team that loses often at home. Australia is not a team that loses often anywhere in the world for that matter. That is evident in its team record.

The Baggy Greens have a W/L ratio greater than 1 against every Test playing nation. In fact, that W/L ratio is greater than 1.5 in the case of every team other than England against whom Australia has won 140 and lost 108 for a W/L ratio of 1.296.

However, Australia’s Test record is taking a battering off-late what with its fifth consecutive Test defeat. While they had a poor outing in Sri Lanka and in the UAE, its proud home record is now taking a beating with a series loss against South Africa with a Test match still to go.

A home series defeat is as rare as a blue moon for the Aussies and not many teams have been able to inflict it on the Kangaroos. The South Africans are probably the only team that have been able to do it with any sort of consistency over the last two decades.

Here, we take a look at the last six home series defeats for Australia and the time frame (1988-2019) shows how dominant Australia has been over the years at home.

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#6 1-3 Against West Indies (1988/89)

Carl Hooper in action during the 1989 SCG Test

It was one of the greatest West Indies squads ever boasting the likes of Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Sir Vivian Richards, Malcolm Marshall and the fast bowling pair of Walsh and Ambrose.

West Indies gave Australia a whitewash scare winning the first three Tests of The Frank Worrell Trophy. They were all massive wins too – by 9 wickets at Brisbane, by 169 runs at Perth and by 285 runs at Melbourne.

Australia pulled one back in the fourth Test but it was too little and too late. Ambrose ended the series with 26 wickets, 9 more than second-placed Marshall and Walsh who had 17 wickets each.

Vivian Richards’ men dominated the run-charts too as Haynes, Richardson and Richards were 1, 2 and 3.

#5 1-2 Against West Indies (1992/93)

West Indies’ bowling destroyed the Aussies in the final two Tests(Image credits: ESPN Cricinfo)

In a hard-fought Test series, Australia had taken the early lead by winning the second Test by 139 runs. However, West Indies won the fourth and fifth Tests to claim a memorable series win and retain The Frank Worrell Trophy which they had won in Australia in 1988.

In the scintillating 4th Test at Adelaide Oval, West Indies, under Richie Richardson, gave Australia a modest target of 186 in the fourth innings. Australia were all out for 184 thanks to a Man of the Match-winning fiery burst from Curtly Ambrose to follow up his 6-wicket haul in the first innings.

A 40-run 10th wicket partnership took Australia very close but they fell at the final hurdle giving West Indies a 1-run win. Ambrose continued his mighty form with figures of 7-25 in the first innings of the final Test at Perth, in one of the greatest fast bowling spells of all time, reducing Australia from 85-2 to 119 all out.

In the second innings, it was Ian Bishop who tormented the Australian batting order as they were scuttled out for 178 losing by an innings and 25 runs. Ambrose, like in the 1988-89 series, once again ended as the top wicket-taker, with 33 wickets at 16.42, way ahead of second-placed Ian Bishop who had 23 wickets.

#4 1-2 Against South Africa (2008/09)

Ricky Ponting and co. were left pondering their first series defeat since 1992

This was Australia’s first home series defeat in 16 years after they had lost to West Indies in 1992. Then, just like the present series, South Africa managed to win the series in the first two Tests before Australia pulled one back in the dead rubber at Sydney.

This series featured one of the most epic Test match chases of all time when South Africa, inspired by tons from AB de Villiers and their skipper Graeme Smith, chased down 414 in 119.2 overs winning the first Test at Perth by 6 wickets. The Proteas won the second too, thanks to a sensational 166 by JP Duminy after they were reduced to 141 for 6 and then 184 for 7, before a 67-run eighth wicket partnership and an 180-run ninth wicket partnership prepped them up.

(Video courtesy: U2one100's channel)

That ensured that when Australia were all out for 247 in their second innings, South Africa had just 183 to chase, which they did in style winning the match by 9 wickets. Apart from his vital 76 with the bat, Dale Steyn also picked up two five-wicket hauls in the game finally bringing down the Australian bastion for the first time in the new millennium after a decade and half long victorious run at home.

#3 1-3 Against England (2010/11)

Andrew Strauss’ England absolutely battered Australia in the 2010 Ashes

One of the most cherished Ashes contests of all time was played out in 2010-11 when a strong England side drubbed a weak Australian side to register a series victory Down Under. Their previous series win against Australia in Australia had come way back in 1986/87.

After a drawn Test at Brisbane, England won by an innings and 71 runs at Adelaide before losing to Australia by a massive 267 runs in the third Test at Perth. However, Australia possibly didn’t imagine what could come next. England won the fourth and fifth Tests comprehensively.

(Video courtesy: velvlol YouTube channel)

Trott’s 168 and Australia’s collapse for just 98 in their first innings helped England win the fourth Test by an innings and 157 runs. They cleaned up Australia by an innings and 83 runs in the fifth and final Test at Sydney thanks to three centurions in Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Matt Prior.

That series win immortalised the English skipper Andrew Strauss as one of England’s most successful Ashes captains.

#2 0-1 Against South Africa (2012)

South Africa celebrate a hard-fought series victory

The last series Australia lost at home also came at the hands of the Saffers 4 years ago. Led by Graeme Smith, South Africa drew the first two Tests at Brisbane and Adelaide surviving the second Test by the skin of their teeth thanks to Faf du Plessis’ marathon innings of 110 in 376 deliveries. AB de Villiers, too, was phenomenal scoring just 33 in 220 deliveries.

South Africa played out 148 overs and were 248 for 8. This gave them an opportunity to win the series eventually by winning the third Test and they did. At Perth, South Africa scored 225 and Australia just 163 in their first innings. However, Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers’ scored 196 and 169 to take the visitors to 569. Chasing 632, Australia were all out for 322 in only 82.5 overs giving South Africa a memorable series win!

#1 1-2 Against South Africa (2016)

South Africa cruised to their third successive Test series win on Australian soil

South Africa reiterated their credentials as a top touring team by clinching their third successive Test series victory on Australian soil during the 2016 tour. Even though Dale Steyn limped off the field with a shoulder injury, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada took care of the Australian batting lineup at Perth.

Philander's 5/21 in the first innings razed Australia to 85 in the second Test at Hobart. Riding on Quinton de Kock's century and Kyle Abbott's six-wicket haul in the second innings, South Africa inflicted an innings defeat on the hosts. Although the Aussies claimed a consolation victory in the third Test at Adelaide, the Proteas had already sealed a memorable series triumph down under.