Best Rest of the World Test XI against West Indies 1980 and 1984 Champion team

[Harsh Thakor]

The West Indian team of 1979-80 and of 1983-85 were arguably the strongest sides ever to have strode on a cricket ground in a test match.Hard to conceive even Bradman's 1948 invincivles or the best Australian teams led by Ian Chappell,Steve Waugh or Ricky Ponting beating them.Imagine playing against the likes of Viv Richards,Gordon Greenidge,Clive Lloyd,Andy Roberts or Joel Garner all together in 1980 and Malcolm Marshall introduced in 1983-84. 1983-84.Arguably no side has revealed such depths of supremacy in the history of test cricket.Just consider the strength of the Aussie team rolled over in 1979-80 and it's 11 successive wins in 1984.No Overseas team has beaten India so comprehensively on Indian soil as Lloyd's side in 1983-84.

Below are my 2 xi's selected to play against Lloyd's team.

1979- early 82

1.Sunil Gavaskar
2.Graham Gooch
3.Ian Chappell
4.Greg Chappell
5.Gundappa Vishwanath
6.Wasim Raja
7.Imran Khan
8.Alan Knott
9.Richard Hadlee
10.Dennis Lillee
11.Derek Underwood

Ian Chappell was master against pace and was the ultimate man for a crisis.Imran had a great record against West Indies unlike Botham.Played superbly against them in 1977 and 1980.Gooch displayed mastery in the Carribean in 1980 scoring 153 n.o.in Kingston and averaged over 57.Gavaskar was the ultimate boulder.Greg Chappell was statistically the best performer averaging 69,with 3 centuries in supertests in 1979 in West Indies.Few middle order batsmen displayed such creative or innovative skill against sheer pace as Vishwanath.His Innings of 124 at Madras in 1978-79 is a testimony to this and his 75 at Edgbaston in the 1979 prudential cup.Wasim Raja is close to the bravest I have seen against them who overall performed better than any batting great against them.Hadlee won them a home series in 1980 causing a major upset.Underwood was tormentor on a turning track.Dennis Lillee was simply the most complete pacemen of them all and a champion against the Calypsos.He proved it in 1975-76 and in Wsc supertests.Wasim Raja could also be used as a spinner.

Would you back this team to beat the West Indian xi?By a whisker I feel the rest of the world xi would prevail.The all-round skills of Richard Hadlee and Imran Khan would play a big factor.

1983-early 85

1.Sunil Gavaskar
2.Mohsin Khan
3.Mohinder Amarnath
4.Alan Border
5.Dilip Vengsarkar
6.Alan Lamb
7.Kapil Dev
8.Richard Hadlee
9.Geoff Lawson
10.Abdul Qadir
11.Syed Kirmani

Gavaskar was still the ultimate bating architect.Mohsin Khan had great prowess against genuine pace as he showed in the 1983 world cup semi final when scoring 70 on a fast track.Amarnath played the Carribaen quartet better than nay batsmen ever in 1983 on their soil aggregating 598 runs at 66.Alan Border was almost his equal when touring there in 1984.Alan Lamb scored 3 centuries at home in 1984 against them.Vengsarkar batted like a champion at home in 1983-84.Kapil Dev was magnificient in West Indies with both bat and ball in 1983.Lawson in 1984-95 posed great threats for calypso batsmen.Abdul Qadir even mesmerised the likes of Viv Richards.Botham excluded as he hardly was at his best versus West Indies.Imran Khan excluded as he was injured after early 1983 and came back only in late 1985 to regular test cricket.Imran because of shin fracture could not bowl in prime era of Lloyd's team from late 1983-to early 1985.

Do you think this team would beat Clive Lloyd's xi?I would back West Indies by a narrow margin.

 

[Slog]

lol who is vishwanath?

ive heard of vengsarkar i guess he's a selector or sth now. But he's making World elevens now

OP, Indian bias much?

 

[kaifmazhar]

Except Gavaskar no Indian player can be there. And that too only in Test.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

lol who is vishwanath?

ive heard of vengsarkar i guess he's a selector or sth now. But he's making World elevens now

OP, Indian bias much?

Watch Vishy's batting against West Indise at Madras in 1974 and 79 which even the likes of Tendulkar or Lara may not surpass against sheer pace.On a wicket as fast as Perth Vishy revealed the skill and innovation of a Michelangelo .Also Edbaston 1979 world cup knock.How India bias?Included Wasim Raja,Imran,Mohsin and Qadir-more pakistani players.please confirm.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Except Gavaskar no Indian player can be there. And that too only in Test.

In Clive Lloyd's time Kapil Dev bowled and batted like a champion against them see 1983 record in West Indies.Century in Trinidad and 98 at Antigua and captured 24 wkts.In 1983-84 at home took a record 29 scalps and was joint man of the series.

 

[omcswe]

In Clive Lloyd's time Kapil Dev bowled and batted like a champion against them see 1983 record in West Indies.Century in Trinidad and 98 at Antigua and captured 24 wkts.In 1983-84 at home took a record 29 scalps and was joint man of the series.

some people only berate kapil because of their love of imran.

kapil in his own right was magnificent and a player way ahead of his time.

the color coded patriotic glasses of majority of cricket fans is such a major nuisance.