No we're not - The Invincibles, as I've said before, is often used in discussions like this as annoying shorthand for the Australian team of 1946-52 which was ridiculously dominant.
And one of those two losses was a dead rubber Test when they were 4-0 up.
Wasn’t a normal series by any means. Plus Viv Richards wasn’t in the touring squad.
I've just always loved this photo - both for how bloody good Michael Holding looks kicking over the stumps, and how utterly disinterested by it all that John Parker appears to be.
Of course wi got knocked out early. Who the hell would pick a wi team of the 80s minus it's best bowler. And no Wi team would include Bacchus. I would've gone with either of these two lineups that actually played together:
Which is why I rate Hutton's team of the '50s. Following Australia's dominant period. they won the Ashes at home in '53 (against a touring side that included Morris, Harvey, Hassett, Miller, Lindwall and Davidson etc) then successfully retained them in Australia (3-1) and at home, led by Peter May in '56 (against an attack which included Davidson, Miller, Lindwall and Benaud). And yet Sky Sports didn't give them a mention.
Wi from that loss to NZ til tour of Australia in 1986 ( 5th test):
Disagree with the bolded part. Don't know much about the Invincibles admittedly but the 80s wi bowling attacks were better than the 2000 Australian attacks.
Definitely was Waugh's team peak, that series, he said so himself.
Yes, they were but the Aussies had Warne for variety and the Windies struggled with leggies like Bob Holland, so Warne is a new kettle of fish. I admit the likes of Gillespie and Lee were well behind their WI equivalents.
It surprised me a bit too, though there was a statistical reason that specific XI at that moment was picked - it wasn't just on a whim. I wish I could find now what it was.
Some odd sides here. Pakistan 79? SA 2003?
Larry Gomes was a well organised, competent No.3 batsman who knocked the ball around while the more flashy batsman got all the glory.
WI didn't struggle vs Bob Holland. He literally took wickets vs wi in dead rubbers. Then there's hirwani who took wickets on a literal dust bowl. Still, none of these situations ever cost WI a series, so....But if we're using that as a measurement, Warne had a decent record vs the WI team of his time. Doubt he'd do much better vs the much stronger lineup of the 80s.
