The first Test match I saw marked the debut of Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge. Also making its debut was the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, while Andy Roberts was playing only his second Test. The West Indies team, then in transition, was led by Clive Lloyd who had played under both Garry Sobers and Rohan Kanhai two all-time greats.
Lloyd led the team to a 3-2 series win; Richards, Greenidge and Roberts became the mainstays of the side as great fast bowlers and batsmen appeared as if on a conveyor belt. For a span of about a decade and a half from 1980, West Indies won nearly four times as many Tests as they lost, and were undefeated in a Test series.
The West Indies played a superior brand of England’s Bazball cricket today. They didn’t have to work at it, or be conscious of enjoying themselves. It all came naturally; the enjoyment was built-in and communicated itself to the viewers. They bowled fast, batted with authority and caught everything with ease.
