Cricket: 5 most dominant teams in the history of the game

The sensational debate over which team has been the most dominant in the history of Test cricket has captivated the attention of fans, pundits and professionals across the world for about a decade now. It remains one of those topics that bring forth firm opinions founded on passionate justifications, embellished with statistical grandeur.These are the teams that have scaled remarkable heights and maintained their class throughout a period of time. The quality of cricket they put on display proved to be unassailable as they championed over their respective contemporaries with ease and grace.Comparing the mind-boggling numbers led me to enlist five candidates for the best team ever to have brandished the willow and swung the cherry.

#5 South Africa (late 1965 - 1970)

Barry Richards

When Peter van de Merwe took over the reins from Trevor Goddard following a disastrous series against England in 1965, there was little hope for rejuvenation. What ensued signalled the beginning of a new era in South African cricket, before their hopes were crushed with the entire talent pool of the nation victimized by the government’s apartheid policy.

After winning the three-match series in England 1-0, South Africa returned home to defeat Australia 3-1 in a five-Test encounter. Two years later, led by the genius Ali Bacher, they handed Bill Lawry’s Australia a resounding 4-0 whitewash. In the 12 matches played during that period, South Africa won 8 and lost only a single one.

While the tenacious duo of Mike Procter and Peter Pollock strengthened Bacher’s bowling attack, the batting remained in safe hands – those of Barry Richards and Graeme Pollock, the latter being commended by none other than Bradman. Eddie Barlow’s all-rounder capabilities summed up the line-up that dictated cricketing world, albeit for a very brief period.

#4 England (1910 - 1914)

Jack Hobbs

One of the best English squads to have played the game, this team led mostly by Johnny Douglas crafted 14 triumphs in 21 matches with a win-loss ratio of 3.50.

Shrimp Leveson Gower and Frederick Fane couldn’t inspire their team as they lost 2-3 in the tour to South Africa with the home team wrapping up the fourth Test in only 3 days. It was then that Johnny Douglas stood up and took responsibility of leading the team that comprised of players like Jack Hobbs, Sydney Barnes and Wilfred Rhodes to reclaim the Ashes in 1911-12.

The tour proved to be successful for Barnes and Frank Foster who shared 66 of the 95 Australian wickets that fell. In the fourth Test at Melbourne, Hobbs and Rhodes put up a partnership of 323 runs – a record that still remains the highest first wicket stand for England against Australia in Tests.

In December 1913, against Herbie Taylor’s South Africa, the English team won back-to-back Tests batting only once each at Lord’s, Durban and Old Wanderers. They completed the tour 4-0 by winning the third and the fifth match while drawing the fourth.

#3 Australia (1930 - 1952)

Don Bradman

Reasonably named as the ‘Invincibles’, the Australian team of the 1930s and 40s won 46 out of the 70 Tests they played, losing only 12. During these 12 years, they were involved in 15 Test series in which they emerged victorious on 13 occasions.

Bolstered by the presence of Don Bradman, who averaged 103.63 at No. 3, the Australians materialized as an inspired bunch of talented cricketers who simply refused to accept defeat. In fact, the dexterity of the spinners who scalped 344 wickets at an average of slightly above 30 and the combination of Ray Lindwall, Keith Miller and Bill Johnston ensured that they were well-equipped in all departments.

However, during this team’s domination period, the sole challengers were West Indies and England – the rest had a win-loss average of below 0.6 against teams barring Australia. Not surprising, therefore, that the win-loss ratio for the Australian team dipped by almost 40% when only matches against England and West Indies are considered.

Yet there’s no denying the domination of the team that won 9 away Tests and lost only 3, although none of them were held in the subcontinent.

#2 West Indies (1976 - 1995)

West Indian pace quartet

None, who had ever heard the names of Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Michael Holding, would question the bouts of trepidation that the 1980s West Indian side elicited in the hearts of the batsmen. Batting without helmets against these merciless pacers who spared no respite from deadly bouncers was akin to climbing a steep cliff on stilettos while death beckoned from beneath.

Under the captaincy of Clive Lloyd, who united the islanders under a single West Indies team, the Caribbeans emerged victorious in 36 of the 74 matches with a win-loss ratio of 3.00. That, in turn, served as the groundwork to Sir Vivian Richards’s team that won 40 of the 69 Tests between February 1981 and December 1989 with a bewildering win-loss ratio of 5.71.

Propped up by their venomous pace attack that scalped 1068 wickets at an average of 23.24 during that period, West Indies leaped new altitudes. Even against competent sides like Australia, England, Pakistan, New Zealand and India, all of whom had a win-loss ratio of 0.9 or more against teams other than West Indies, Lloyd averaged over 50, while Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge and Richie Richardson bordered on late 40s.

#1 Australia (1999 - 2008)

1999 World Cup winning Australian team

Scanning the annals of the game may reveal quite a few records, but none as astounding as those scripted by the Australians in the 2000s. The Australian team of 2007-08 remains the highest rated team in history, according to the ICC rankings.

It is hardly without reason that many consider Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting’s men to be the best ever to have graced the 22 yards. This generation not only gave birth to legends like Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, but also witnessed the emergence of stylishly ruthless batsmen like Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden who entirely changed the perception of playing the game.

Blessed with able leaders in Waugh and, later, Ponting, the Australians flourished enormously in both the formats of the game. Between October 1999 and February 2001, they won 16 consecutive Tests, only to repeat the feat four years later between December 2005 and January 2008.

Not that their adversaries weren’t adequately able. In fact, England had regained the Ashes in 2005 and the Indian team – boasting of caliber of that of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble – had heroically defeated them in 2001. Yet it was the Australians who firmly held fort and avenged their defeats soon.