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Thus far, the current series between the West Indies and Australia taking place in the Caribbean has been a low-scoring affair.
The first Test failed to yield any three-figure scores, and with the second Test now well past the halfway mark, once again big totals and centuries have been conspicuously absent.
The pitches have been tricky, the bowling tight, and the margins fine.
But it hasn’t always been like this. Across decades of fierce competition, the Caribbean has witnessed several monumental innings from Australian batters.
These knocks have often come in testing conditions against high-quality West Indian attacks, making them all the more special.
Some have been match-winners, others valiant efforts in defeat or draws, but all have stood the test of time as examples of Australian grit and class.
With that in mind, let’s look back at the highest individual scores by Australian batsmen in the West Indies in Test cricket.
1. Bill Lawry – 210 in Bridgetown, 1965
Topping the list is Bill Lawry’s 210 at Bridgetown in 1965, the highest individual score by an Australian in the West Indies.
Opening the batting with Bob Simpson who made 201, Lawry batted in typically dogged fashion, Lawry defying the West Indian bowlers with a mixture of resilience and occasional flair.
His innings came against an attack spearheaded by Hall and Griffith, and he was hit on the body several times. But Lawry stood tall, grinding his way to a marathon double ton in a match that ended in a hard-fought draw.
His effort remembered as on one of the grittiest innings ever played by an Australian opener in overseas conditions.
2. Ricky Ponting – 206 in Port of Spain, 2003
Ricky Ponting’s 206 in Port of Spain was pure Ponting; it was tough, aggressive, and clinical. Playing on a slow Trinidad pitch during the first Test of the 2003 series, Ponting dismantled the West Indian attack with brutal pulls, powerful drives, and crisp footwork.
It was his highest score outside of Australia and his second double century in Tests.
The innings spanned over nine hours and helped set the tone for a series that Australia would eventually win 3-1. Ponting, then captain-in-waiting, showed all the leadership qualities and hunger that would define his illustrious tenure at the helm.
Also read: Revealed – how many more Test runs Joe Root needs to beat Sachin Tendulkar
3. Neil Harvey – 204 in Kingston, 1955
Neil Harvey, the stylish left-hander, produced a gem in Kingston during the 1955 series.
Known for his elegant stroke play and fearless attitude, Harvey’s 204 was an attacking masterpiece. Against a West Indies team featuring spin wizard Alf Valentine and speedster Frank King, Harvey went on the offensive, dominating from early on and dispatching anything loose.
His innings formed the backbone of a huge Australian score of 758 for eight and helped them to a dominant win. Harvey was well supported in his knock by Colin McDonald, Keith Miller and Ron Archer who all scored centuries as well.
To this day Harvey’s knock remains one of the most entertaining double hundreds by an Australian abroad.
4. Bob Simpson – 201 in Bridgetown, 1965
Bob Simpson’s 201 in Bridgetown in 1965 was a classic from a time when runs were ground out through sheer attrition. The Australian captain led from the front in against a powerful West Indies side that included Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith and Garry Sobers.
Simpson’s double century, part of a massive opening stand of 382, was the anchor of a mammoth Australian total in a drawn Test. It was an innings of immense discipline and concentration, lasting over 600 minutes.
His knock remains one of the most patient and calculated double centuries in Australia’s Test history.
5. Steve Waugh – 200 in Kingston, 1995
Just four years earlier, Waugh had become the first Australian since Bob Simpson to score a double century in the Caribbean.
His focussed 200 in Kingston in 1995 came in the first Test of a series that would ultimately see Australia win their first series in the West Indies in over two decades.
Waugh was at his most dogged and precise, batting for nearly nine hours and scoring at a steady pace against a still potent West Indian bowling line-up which featured Ambrose and Walsh and the Benjamin, Kenny and Winston.
The innings laid the foundation for an emphatic innings and 53 run win and heralded the start of Australia’s dominance in world cricket throughout the late ’90s and 2000s.
6. Steve Waugh – 199 in Bridgetown, 1999
Sixteen years before Smith’s 199, another great Steve had suffered the same fate. Steve Waugh’s 199 at Kensington Oval came in a classic Test match, one of the most dramatic in the modern era.
The innings was built under pressure, with Waugh showcasing immense concentration and courage against an attack led by Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh.
Just as he seemed poised to a double century on successive tours, he was trapped LBW by Nehemiah Perry, becoming one of just ten Test wickets the four-cap off-spinner would ever take.
Australia went on to lose the match in heart-breaking fashion by one wicket thanks to Brian Lara’s unforgettable 153*, but Waugh’s innings remains one of his finest.
7. Steven Smith – 199 in Kingston, 2015
Coming in at number seven on the list is Steve Smith’s agonising 199 in Kingston during Australia’s 2015 tour. It was the moment Smith firmly cemented himself as the team’s leading batter across formats.
On a slow Sabina Park pitch, Smith’s innings was a masterclass in patience, timing, and balance.
He faced 361 deliveries, batted for over eight hours, and looked untroubled throughout – until he missed one from Jerome Taylor and was adjudged LBW on the cusp of a historic double hundred.
It was a cruel end, but the innings helped Australia to a commanding win and 2-0 series victory. For Smith, it marked the beginning of an astonishing run of form that would define the next five years of his career.
Read next: Did Chris Gayle get named in this West Indies’ best Test XI of the past 40 years?
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