West Indies v India, 2016: Top 5 India - West Indies Encounters in Whites

India West Indies cricket 1974
Andy Roberts was the hero of the first Test during the 1974/75 season

As India embarks on another series in West Indies, we have been presented with an opportunity to browse through one of cricket’s oldest legacies. Indian exploits against West Indies will always hold a special place in the heart of the fans given it was India’s Test series victory in West Indies that gave them the confidence that they belong on the bigger arena.

The same thing was repeated in the 1983 World Cup Final when India vanquished the giants of cricket and started a new era in short-format cricket. It changed the face of the country when it came to competitive sport. Over the last decade, the clash between the two teams has lost some of its sting, overlapping with the decline in the standards of the West Indian Test team – partly due to the exodus of talent to other sports and partly due to the internal politics and poor infrastructure.

  • India have won the last 5 Tests series between the two teams – three in India and two in West Indies. West Indies haven’t won a single Test against India, home or away since 2002, when they pulled off a stunning series win against the visitors. In all, 21 Test series have been played between the two teams.
  • India’s winning streak of five series equals the longest. West Indies had won the first five series played between the two teams from 1948 to 1966. India lost 12 Tests before it opened its account in 1971. If India, wins the present series, it will be the longest streak of series wins for one team. Overall, West Indies have won 12 series, India 7 and two have been drawn.

Here, we take a look at 5 of the most memorable India – West Indies series as a curtain raiser for the ongoing series.

#1 – 1974, India

West Indies won the 5-match series 3-2

It was the only Test series between the two teams where every match yielded a result. It also came in a decade where India – West Indies rivalry was scaling new heights. India had won their first Test series (and their first Test) against West Indies in West Indies three years before this series.

West Indies came back with a vengeance, but India didn’t cave in meekly at all. West Indies won the first Test comprehensively by a massive 267 runs in Bangalore. In a Test, where Gordon Greenidge blasted a century in the second innings and missed one narrowly in the first, Andy Roberts tyrannised the Indian batsmen.

The first Test is also remembered for being the debut match of the great Sir Vivian Richards. The second one was an even more one-sided affair as West Indies thrashed India by an innings and 17 runs.

However, India, under the captaincy of Mansur Ali Khan – who didn’t do too well himself – came back strongly, winning the third Test by 85 runs thanks to a stunning century by Gundappa Viswanath and an excellent spell by Bishan Singh Bedi in the final innings.

India won the fourth Test by 100 runs thanks to more runs from Viswanath and a five and four-wicket haul in the first and second innings respectively for Erapalli Prasanna. In a high-scoring affair, West Indies took the Fifth Test on the back of an unbeaten double century by Clive Lloyd.

India, however, gave an excellent account of themselves, with cricket in the country still in its infancy. Although, West Indies had their revenge, India, by no means proved to be an easy challenge. The series is also remembered for its controversy around captaincy of the Indian team.

India West Indies cricket 1976
Clive Llyod (C) marshalled his troops to a series win over India in 1976

#2 – 1976, West Indies

West Indies won the 4-match series 2-1

Another exciting series involving a world record chase ensued between the two teams. India were blown away in the first Test at Bridgetown, with Viv Richards and Clive Lloyd scoring centuries, the visitors losing by an innings and 97 runs.

West Indies narrowly missed a defeat in the second Test as India, on the back of centuries from Sunil Gavaskar and Brijesh Patel, posted a 161 run first innings lead only for the West Indies lower order to thwart them in their second innings.

India carried the momentum forward posting probably the greatest Indian win away from home in the third Test. India were set a target of 403 in the final innings. Indian team truly arrived on the international scene, scoring 406 just for the loss of four wickets in 147 overs.

Gavaskar and Viswanath scored centuries with Mohinder Amarnath and Brijesh Patel playing an excellent hand as India made cricketing history at Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain.

That record stood for a quarter of a century before West Indies broke the record for the highest fourth innings chase. West Indies came back strongly after the jaw-dropping chase beating India by 10 wickets in Kingston to take the series 2-1.

The fourth Test is also remembered for its controversy as India protested against intimidating bowling by West Indies, which had led to three of their batsmen inflicted with injuries in the first innings.

In the second innings, India declared with five batsmen absent hurt, just the same way they had declared in the first innings, after just six wickets had fallen, to protect their own bowlers. The match will be remembered for BS Chandrasekhar’s five-wicket haul and Amarnath’s brilliant half-century in the face of scary pace bowling.

Narendra Hirwani
Hirwani had a dream debut in the fourth Test

#3 – 1987, India

Series drawn 1-1

The series started with a low-scoring affair that West Indies won. India were all out for 75 and a Chetan Sharma five-wicket haul ensured West Indies were all out for 127 despite a batting order that boasted of Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Vivian Richards, Richie Richardson and Gus Logie.

India set West Indies a fourth innings target of 276 thanks to a Dilip Vengsarkar century, but West Indies chased it down with 5 wickets in hand thanks to an 111-ball 109 from Viv Richards.

The next two matches were drawn. India managed to draw the series though with a win in the final Test. It was a whopping 255-run victory as well, thanks to a brilliant century by Kapil Dev lower down the order in the first innings.

However, the match will be remembered for one of the greatest debut games in cricket history. Narendra Hirwani, picked up an eight-wicket haul each in both innings with his leg-spin, as West Indies, chasing 416 in the fourth innings were all out for just 160.

Hirwani’s career tapered out after that match, but that performance still remains one of the best bowling performances by any cricketer on debut.

India West Indies cricket 1994
Sachin Tendulkar during the 1994 Test series against West Indies

#4 – 1994, India

Series drawn 1-1

This was only the second drawn series between the two teams and almost a reversal of the 1987 series. India won the first Test at the Wankhede Stadium by 96 runs. Thanks to a score of 80 from Nayan Mongia and a five-wicket haul by Venkatapathy Raju, India managed a 32-run first innings lead.

Half-centuries from Sachin Tendulkar, Sanjay Manjrekar and Javagal Srinath helped India post a target of 363 runs. But, despite an exciting 162-run sixth-wicket partnership, West Indies were all out for 266, losing their last five wickets for just 22 runs, Srinath picking up a four-wicket haul as well as being named the Man-of-the-Match.

West Indies held on to a hard-fought draw in the second Test at Nagpur before turning the tables on India at Mohali in the third Test. Jimmy Adams, forever India’s nemesis, scored a spectacular 174 and Kenny Benjamin picked up a second innings, five-wicket haul as India were wrapped up for 114 in the final innings, after being set a bold target of 358.

West Indies quite seriously manufactured this victory scoring 301 in just 56.3 overs to make an audacious declaration, after maintaining an almost unheard-of run-rate in Test cricket those days.

Then, they bowled India out in just 35.2 overs as India lost a game they should have drawn and drew a series they should have won. Jimmy Adams was adjudged the Man-of-the-Match and Man-of-the-Series.

India West Indies cricket 2002
Indian players celebrating the fall of Brian Lara's wicket during the 2002 Test series

#5 – 2002, West Indies

West Indies won 2-1

It was one more series where India had frittered away a genuine opportunity to collect points abroad. After a prosaic draw in the first Test, the series picked up speed at Port of Spain, where India won by a narrow 37-run margin. VVS Laxman scored two fighting half-centuries and Sachin scored a century.

India went from 205 for four to 218 all out in the second innings of this exciting Test, a collapse that was all too familiar for Indian fans during the team’s away tours. Despite that breakdown, India managed to set West Indies a target of 313.

The hosts seemed to be on target at 237 for four with Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul on the crease. However, they encountered a similar collapse as India wrapped them up at 275 to take a lead in the series.

However, India couldn’t hold on to the win for too long, losing the third Test by a whopping 10 wickets, no thanks to an abysmal first innings collapse for 102, of which Sourav Ganguly scored 48. Two centuries from Carl Hooper and Chanderpaul ensured India had a mountain to climb and they just managed to erase the deficit.

Sourav once again top-scoring and ending up unbeaten on one end in the third innings. India barely escaped an innings defeat. India drew the fourth Test but Mervyn Dillon’s scintillating form ensured they lost the fifth by 155 runs, conceding the series, one of the most hard-fought ones between the two teams.

Interestingly, this was the last time, West Indies would win a Test against India as India managed to return the favour a few months later when West Indies toured India. India have managed to keep a clean sheet since then, going five Test series without losing a match.

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Edited by Staff Editor