5 best India-West Indies Tests in history
The West Indies (WI) take on India in the second Test of a two-match series on Thursday, July 20, 2023, at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad. This match will also be the 100th Test match between these two sides.
Right from the first Test match between these two teams in November 1948 at the Feroz Shah Kotla, we have witnessed top-class cricketing action whenever they've locked horns. Cricket fans have also had the pleasure of watching some of the all-time cricketing greats go head-to-head.
On that note, let's take a look at the five best India-West Indies Tests in history.
#5 1958 - Eden Gardens, Kolkata - WI won by an innings and 336 runs
On New Year's Eve 1958, began a Test match in which the West Indies absolutely dominated India to register a win by a margin that has yet to be broken. The place was Eden Gardens and the touring Windies had taken a 1-0 lead in a five-match series ahead of the third Test.
Winning the toss and batting first, the Windies batters made merry of batting-friendly conditions and battered the Indian bowlers to submission. Rohan Kanhai led the way with his 256-run knock as centuries from Basil Butcher and Sir Garfield Sobers powered them to a total of 614/5.
In reply, India imploded in their first innings, unable to handle the pace of Wes Hall and Roy Gilchrist, getting bowled out for 124. Asked to follow on, they could better their first-innings total by only 30 runs as they were all out for 154, with Roy Gilchrist picking up a six-wicket haul to complete a facile win for the Windies.
#4 2006 - Sabina Park, Kingston - IND won by 49 runs
The fourth Test of India's 2006 tour of the West Indies is one of the best Test matches between the two sides. The first three matches were drawn, with Kingston playing host to the decider. India captain Rahul Dravid won the toss and opted to bat first, and led from the front.
On what was a bowler-friendly wicket, Dravid stood tall with his 215-ball 81 to guide India to a total of 200, with Harbhajan Singh's five-fer giving India a 97-run first-innings lead. Jerome Taylor and Corey Colleymore combined to bowl India out for 171 in the second innings, setting West Indies a target of 269. It was Rahul Dravid's 166-ball 68 that helped prevent an Indian collapse.
The West Indies gave their best shot at chasing down the target, but 269 proved to be too high a target in the fourth innings at this venue as they crumbled to 219 all out. Anil Kumble led the way with the ball, picking up six wickets, while S Sreesanth scalped three as India registered a memorable 49-run victory to secure the four-match series 1-0.
#3 1975 - Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai - WI won by 201 runs
The West Indies' 1974-75 tour of India is one of the best Test match series between these two sides, and with the tie level at 2-2, they met at the Wankhede Stadium on January 23, 1975, to decide the winner.
The Windies opted to bat first on what was a batting paradise and they made merry. West Indies captain Clive Lloyd was the star of the show as he smashed 242 runs, with opener Roy Fredericks scoring a hundred while Alvin Kallicharran and Deryck Murray were dismissed in their 90s. They declared after scoring 604/6 in 161 overs.
Another Eknath Solkar hundred and runs from Sunil Gavaskar and Gundappa Viswanath helped India to 406 before they were bowled out. However, they still ended up conceding a big lead and after quickly scoring 205 runs in only 40 overs, the West Indies set India a target of 404.
The pace of Vanburn Holder proved too hot to handle for India in their second essay as they were bowled out for 202, with Brijesh Patel the lone ranger, remaining unbeaten on 73.
The West Indies won the series 3-2, concluding another thrilling India-West Indies series.
#2 2013 - Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai - IND won by an innings and 126 runs
This game wasn't as memorable for the contest itself, but rather for the meaning it held for cricket fans all over the world. That's because the second Test of a two-match series against the West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in 2013 was Sachin Tendulkar's farewell match.
After 24 years of taking to the 22 yards, Sachin finally decided to call time on his playing career and it was a monumental occasion whose weight every player on the field understood. MS Dhoni won the toss and put Darren Sammy's Windies into bat, and when they were bowled out for 182 courtesy of a Pragyan Ojha five-wicket haul, it was fairly evident that India might not get to bat a second time.
India lost a couple of wickets after a brisk start, and in walked Sachin at No. 4. He was at his fluent best throughout his stay at the crease, but unfortunately, hopes of another hundred were extinguished when he edged one to Darren Sammy off Narsingh Deonarine's bowling after scoring 74.
Hundreds from Pujara and Rohit Sharma helped India to 495, and Ashwin and Ojha rounded out the West Indies pretty quickly to register an innings victory. This match is, however, best remembered for Sachin's retirement speech at the presentation ceremony, charting his memorable cricketing journey and everyone who played a part in it.
#1 1971- Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain - IND won by 7 wickets
India secured their first win over the West Indies in Test match cricket in the second Test of a five-match tour at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain. After the first Test at Kingston ended in a draw, both sides were looking to open up a lead for themselves.
The West Indies won the toss and batted first, but were dismissed for 214, with Erapalli Prasanna and Bishan Singh Bedi spinning a web around the opposition. In response, India put in a big shift to post a total of 352 on the board, with Sunil Gavaskar's 65 at the top and a 112-run knock from Eknath Solkar powering them to that total.
It was another spinner Srinivas Venkataraghavan who starred in the second innings for India, picking up a five-wicket haul as they scored 261, setting India a target of 124. Sunil Gavaskar's unbeaten 67 guided India home to a memorable first win against the mighty West Indies.
With the next three matches ending in a draw, India clinched the series 1-0, a remarkable achievement away from home.