Teams With Most Whitewash Series Wins In Test Cricket

Not many teams manage to achieve a series sweep in Test cricket. A side can accomplish in blanking their opponents in a two-match or even a three-Test series. However, when it comes to succeeding in more than that, they have to stay right on the top at all times, not even letting an inch to the opposition. Nevertheless, it is a groundbreaking achievement when an outfit attains it.

Also Read: Top 10 Active Players With Most Sixes In Tests

Also, usually, a team fulfils the milestone in their home conditions since they are well-versed with the same.

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On the other hand, that side may emerge victorious in an away Test series; a series sweep would be an uphill task.

Over the years, we’ve had recorded a tally of 60 whitewashes. The list only includes the leg where three or more matches took place.

We take a look at the number of series sweep each team has achieved so far:

8. Bangladesh – 1

Bangladesh cricket team secured their only series sweep against Zimbabwe thus far. The Tigers whitewashed the African nation back in 2014 in a three-match series with Shakib Al Hasan being named the Man of the Series for scoring 251 runs alongside 18 wickets.

The only silver lining the visitors had was Hamilton Masakadza ending as the top run-getter in the series with 356 runs in three Tests. But Zimbabwe as a side could only do so much as the hosts ran riot around Shakib, who had a stellar series.

7. West Indies – 3

West Indies achieved their last series sweep of more than three games way back in the 1985/96 season against one of their old foes, England.

The changing times is a testament of West Indies’ fall from grace, who were once considered the unofficial Test match champions.

With Clive Lloyd calling it quits from Tests, Viv Richards took over the leadership reigns. Richards’ men first beat England on their home turf by 5-0 and beat the Three Lions in a return series in West Indies with the same scoreline.

The two whitewash rubbers were famously dubbed as “blackwash. The Caribbeans’ third victim of whitewash were India back in the 1961/62 season by 5-0.

6. Sri Lanka – 4

The Sri Lankans have recorded four series whitewash so far, the last of which came against Australia in 2016. With the whitewash in 2016 in the sub-continent, Sri Lanka regained the Warne-Muralidharan Trophy that Australia retained in the 2012/13 series.

The first Test at the Pallekele in 2016 was Sri Lanka’s first Test victory over Australia in 17 years.

Rangana Herath received the Man of the Match award for bagging 28 wickets in three Tests in that series.

Nevertheless, they lost it back to the Australians in the 2018/19 season. Sri Lanka’s three other sweeps in Tests were against West Indies, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh, all of which they won by 3-0.

5. Pakistan – 5

Pakistan have secured a tally of five series sweeps thus far. The last of their whitewash came against England at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the 2011/12 season.

The Englishmen arrived at the UAE as the number one Test team but left with a clean sweep (3-0). The spin duo of Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman left them entirely clueless.

The pair of Ajmal and Rehman shared 44 scalps between them with the former taking the man of the series award with 14. The tourists gained some revenge in the subsequent ODI series, winning by a scoreline of 4-0.

Pakistan’s other four whitewashes came against Australia(1982/83), New Zealand(1990/91), West Indies(1997/98), Bangladesh(2003), all of which they won by 3-0.

4. South Africa – 5

South Africa are tied with Pakistan with five to their name as well. The Proteas’ most recent series sweep came against Pakistan at the start of 2019. Duanne Olivier, who soon after the series, accepted the Kolpak deal, bagging 24 wickets in three Tests.

The Test series was also best known for Dale Steyn surpassing Shaun Pollock as South Africa’s highest wicket-taker in Tests.

The other three came against Pakistan in 2012/13(3-0), Sri Lanka in 2016/17(3-0), West Indies in 1998/99(5-0), and Australia in 1969/70(4-0).

3. India – 6

India are slightly ahead of the two with six series sweeps so far. The dominating team’s most recent whitewash came against South Africa in October 2019. With 529 runs in three Tests, Rohit Sharma was awarded the player of the series award. Rohit’s 529 included three centuries at an astounding average of 132.85.

India secured their other five series whitewashes against all high-profile opponents.

They blanked Sri Lanka twice in 2017 and 1993/94. India’s remaining three came against Australia in 2012/13(4-0), New Zealand in 2016/17(3-0), and England in 1992/93(3-0).

2. England – 13

At second, it is the Englishmen, whose record for Test series sweep is at 13. The Sri Lankans became England’s victim of their previous series sweep, having lost to them by 3-0 in Sri Lanka in 2018-19.

This was England’s first overseas whitewash since 1963. Debutant Ben Foakes received the man of the series, having scored 277 runs in three Tests at 69.25

Foakes was also their leading run-getter in the series with one hundred and one fifty. The Three Lions scored a sweep against New Zealand in 1962/63, 1965, 1978 and 2004, all of which they won by 3-0. India fell prey thrice in 1959 (5-0), 1967(3-0), and 2011(4-0). The Caribbeans became their victim in 1928 and 2004, losing by 3-0 and 4-0 respectively.

The Proteas lost to the Englishmen two series in 1895/96 and 1912, losing by 3-0 both the times. England have whitewashed their old foes Australia only once, defeating them way back in 1886 by 3-0.

1. Australia – 23

Sitting pretty at the top is Australia, who are ahead by a mile from the rest with 23 series whitewashes.

The Baggy Greens accomplished their last series sweep against their neighbours, New Zealand, whom they also blanked in 1999/00. Marnus Labuschagne received the Man of the Series award in 2019-20 for hammering 549 runs in three Tests at 91.50.

Australia scored their first series whitewash against the Englishmen, beating them 5-0 in 1920/21 Ashes series.

The series sweep was the first before whitewashing the Englishmen again in 1979/80(3-0), 2006/07 and 2013/14 by 5-0. The Australians have blanked the South Africans on three occasions in 1931/32(5-0) and winning by 3-0 in 2001/02 and 2005/06.

India fell prey to Australia’s whitewashing rampage, winning by 3-0 in 1967/68 and 1999/00 and by 4-0 in 2011/12. Australia victimised Pakistan starting from 1972/73, 1999/00, 2002-03, 2004/05, 2009/10, and 2016/17, winning every series by 3-0. Another sub-continent nation in Sri Lanka fell prey to the Baggy Greens, having swept them in 1995-96, 2003/04 and 2012/13 by three-nil. Australia made the men from the Caribbean their victim of whitewash only twice, winning by 5-0 in 1999/00 and 3-0 in 2005-06.

Also Read: 7 Instances When A Batsman Scored 200 And Got Out On A Duck In The Same Test Match

(All stats updated till 24th March, 2020)