| Span | 1980-1989 |
|---|---|
| Matches Played | 82 |
| Won | 43 |
| Lost | 8 |
| Draw | 31 |
| Win % | 52.43 |
Key Insights
The West Indies were an invincible side in Test cricket in the 1980s. And their record speaks for itself.
During this period, the Caribbean side won 43 of their 82 Test matches, the most by a team in this period. Australia were the second-best team with 27 Test wins.
The Windies were also the only team to lose fewer than 10 Tests in the 1980s. Only one of those losses came at home against Pakistan in the 1988 Georgetown Test, the least by a team.
In 1984, the West Indies won 11 Test matches in a row, the second-longest win streak by a team in the format. Interestingly, the West Indies were the first team to win more than 10 Tests on the trot. Their 11 Test wins are also the joint-most in a calendar year.
The Caribbean side’s 18 wins at home were only bettered by Australia, who won 19 home Tests from 1980 to 1989.
On away tours, though, the West Indies were miles ahead. They won 25 of the 52 away Tests, the only side to win more than 10 overseas matches! Ten of those victories came in England, followed by eight in Australia, four in India, two in Pakistan, and one in New Zealand.
The West Indies were unbeaten against England in the 1980s. They played against the Englishmen in 24 Tests and returned with 17 wins and seven draws. This included a 10-match winning streak from June 1984 to April 1986.
Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards led the West Indies in the 1980s with 22 and 21 wins, respectively. They are the only two captains to win more than 20 Tests in this period.
Find here West Indies’ overall home Test records summary here!
West Indies’ Test Series Results in 1980s (1980-1989)
| Series | Host Country | Result | Margin (Total Matches) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand vs West Indies | New Zealand | Lost | 0-1 (2) | 1980 |
| England vs West Indies | England | Won | 1-0 (5) | 1980 |
| Pakistan vs West Indies | Pakistan | Won | 1-0 (4) | 1980 |
| West Indies vs England | West Indies | Won | 2-0 (4) | 1981 |
| Australia vs England | Australia | Drawn | 1-1 (3) | 1981 |
| West Indies vs India | West Indies | Won | 2-0 (5) | 1983 |
| India vs West Indies | India | Won | 3-0 (6) | 1983 |
| West Indies vs Australia | West Indies | Won | 3-0 (5) | 1984 |
| England vs West Indies | England | Won | 5-0 (5) | 1984 |
| Australia vs West Indies | Australia | Won | 3-1 (5) | 1984 |
| West Indies vs New Zealand | West Indies | Won | 2-0 (4) | 1985 |
| West Indies vs England | West Indies | Won | 5-0 (5) | 1986 |
| Pakistan vs West Indies | Pakistan | Drawn | 1-1 (3) | 1986 |
| New Zealand vs West Indies | New Zealand | Drawn | 1-1 (3) | 1987 |
| India vs West Indies | India | Drawn | 1-1 (4) | 1987 |
| West Indies vs Pakistan | Pakistan | Drawn | 1-1 (3) | 1988 |
| England vs West Indies | England | Won | 4-0 (5) | 1988 |
| Australia vs West Indies | Australia | Won | 3-1 (5) | 1988 |
| West Indies vs India | West Indies | Won | 3-0 (4) | 1989 |
Key Insights
The West Indies contested 19 bilateral series from 1980 to 1989. And they won 13 of them, the most by a team in the 1980s.
Seven of those series wins came away from home, the most by any team during this period. Their six series victories at home were the joint-second most, alongside Australia and New Zealand. The West Indies’ remarkable run of seven consecutive home Test series wins from 1976 to 1986 is a feat surpassed by only three other such dominant streaks in Test history.
Except for a series loss in New Zealand in February-March 1980, the Caribbean team didn’t lose any other series in this period. They were unbeaten in 18 series.
The West Indies had a seven-series win streak from February 1983 to April 1986, the joint-second longest for a team in Test cricket.
This streak included two series whitewashes against England, the most for a team in the 1980s. They defeated England 5-0 in consecutive series in 1984 (in England) and 1986 (at home). Overall, the Caribbean side beat the Englishmen in five Test series in the 1980s.
Find about the visiting team’s Test records in the Caribbean Islands here.
