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Prince of Antigua
Wisden CricInfo staff - May 9, 2002
When the St John's ground in Antigua hosted its first Test, in 1980-81, it was West Indies' first new Test venue since 1930. There have been 16 Tests here, of which West Indies have won six and lost three. Only a quarter of those 16 have been won by the team batting first. India have drawn both their Tests here.
The last five Tests at this venue have all been low-scoring affairs which have produced a decisive result. West Indies have won three of those, losing to Australia in 1998-99 and to South Africa last year. Interestingly, both the defeats came in the fourth Test of the series. In those five matches there has been only one score in excess of 325.
The overall innings-by-innings runs-per-wicket here is as follows: 36.2 (1st innings), 38.4 (2nd), 31.1 (3rd) and 25.6 (4th).
Antigua has been the scene of two of the most famous innings in cricket history. In 1994 Brian Lara hammered 375 against England - the highest score in Tests - and eight years earlier Viv Richards had smashed the fastest known century, off only 56 balls.
The highest score in West Indies-India Tests here was tainted by tragedy. Gordon Greenidge made 154 in 1982-83 before retiring to visit his sick two-year-old daughter in hospital. Sadly, she died two days later. Greenidge's innings was adjudged retired not out, the only such instance in Test history. In the same match Mohinder Amarnath made 116, the highest score by an Indian here.
Given his 375, it's not entirely surprising that Lara is the only man to make 1000 Test runs here. In all he has 1096 runs at an average of 73, and has made two hundreds in addition to that 375; one of them was on India's last visit, in 1996-97.
No bowler has ever taken more than six wickets in an innings in an Antigua Test. Courtney Walsh's 6 for 54 against Australia in 1994-95 tops the list, while the best figures in West Indies-India matches are a modest 4 for 87, by Malcolm Marshall in 1982-83. For India, Sunil Joshi's 3 for 76 ranks on top.
Pacemen have done much better than spinners at Antigua. Out of 439 wickets, the seamers have taken 355 at 30.50, while spinners have scalped 84 wickets at a high 52.4. Muttiah Muralitharan is the only spinner to have taken a five-for here; seamers have achieved this feat 11 times.
Rob Smyth is on the staff of Wisden.com and S Rajesh is sub editor.
© Wisden CricInfo Ltd
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