Steve Waugh Opens Up About His Battle With 'Incredible Adversary' Curtly Ambrose And His 1995 Series Winning Double Hundred In Jamaica

Steve Waugh, former Australian captain, had his fair share of enthralling battles with some of the great fast bowlers of his era but can match his altercation with Curtly Ambrose during that historic 1995 Test series between then world champions West Indies and Australia.

Hailing Curtly Ambrose as an ‘incredible adversary’ and a ‘respected opponent’, Steve Waugh during a recent conversation with former England captain Michael Atherton heaped praise on the West Indian legend, adding that one of Ambrose’s biggest attributes was he never said anything.

“Curtly Ambrose was a great bowler. He was an incredible adversary and my most respected opponent. He never said anything to you, and that was worse than sledging. You didn’t know what he was thinking, is he trying to get me out, or is he going to hurt me,” Steve Waugh said.

“That’s worse than someone telling you what they are going to do. He was always there on the good length, and his short ball was always on the throat. He was an incredible competitor,” he added.

Also Read: Curtly Ambrose Recalls His 1995 Altercation With Steve Waugh Where He Threatened To ‘Knock Out’ Steve Waugh

‘You are soft, and need to do better’- Steve Waugh reveals Bob Simpson’s words before the 1995 Jamaica Test

Steve Waugh scored a defiant 200 in the decider of the four-match Test series at Kingston, Jamaica, one that not only gave Australia the series but it also ended the 15-year unbeaten run for the mighty Windies.

Waugh regarded the double hundred as the making of him as a player. He also went on to reveal how then-coach Bob Simpson’s words before the third Test played a rule in him playing that knock.

“The West Indies innings made me as a player and probably goes back to Bob Simpson. He doesn’t get a lot of credit. After the first couple of Tests, he sat our group of batsmen down and he said ‘this is not good enough. Somewhere, one of you guys need to go and get a big hundred, and we said ‘well, hang on look, why don’t you go and try this, those are four quicks, and we are doing our best’. Steve Waugh added.

“But I walked away from that meeting and I thought ‘maybe there is something in what he is saying. Are we tough enough? Can we break through and get that big score,” he revealed.

“That happened in the 200 I scored in Jamaica. Sometimes you need to be told the truth and he told us ‘you are soft, and need to do better’. And getting that 200 was the highlight of my career, against the best team in the world that had been unbeaten in 15 years,” Waugh said.

Thanks to Steve Waugh’s 200 and a 126 from his twin Mark, Australia went on to post 531 in reply to West Indies first innings total of 265.

The home side was eventually bowled out for 213 in their second innings to hand Australia a win by an innings and 53 runs.