As hosts Australia prepare to take on the once all-conquering West Indies in a three match Test series that begins in Hobart this Thursday, Sport360's resident statistician Mohandas Menon looks at the history behind the two teams' rivalry.

The odds are firmly against the visitors claiming the Frank Worrell Trophy, more so after they were trashed in their only first-class warm-up at Brisbane by a Cricket Australia XI which won by 10 wickets. 

Since winning six Tests in a row from July 2012 to March 2013, the West Indies have won just four of their last 20 matches, losing 13.

– INSIDE STORY: How Sharjah helped curate UAE cricket

– #360view: Kohli's aggression drives young India forward
– INTERVIEW: Waqar Younis on the toughest job in sport
– FOLLOW: Live cricket scores from all around the world

To date, the two sides have played 113 Tests against each other since the first in 1930 – nearly 86 year ago.

This will be the 27th series between them, with Australia winning 16 to West Indies’ eight. Four of West Indies’ series victories have come in Australia: all coming during their golden age from the late 1980s into the early 1990s.

Match results
Venue	Tests	Aus	WI	Drawn	Tie	Period
In Australia	63	35	18	9	1	1930-2009
In West Indies	50	21	14	15	0	1955-2015
Total	113	56	32	24	1	1930-2015

Series results
Venue	Series	Aus	WI	Drawn	Period
In Australia	14	9	4	1	1930-2009
In West Indies	12	7	4	1	1955-2015
Total	26	16	8	2	1930 -2015

Series by series results in Australia

#	Month, Year	Tests	Aus	WI	Drawn	Tie	Series won by
1	Dec 1930 to Mar 1931	5	4	1	0	0	Australia
2	Nov 1951 to Jan 1952	5	4	1	0	0	Australia
3	Dec 1960 to Feb 1961	5	2	1	1	1	Australia
4	Dec 1968 to Feb 1969	5	3	1	1	0	Australia
5	Nov 1975 to Feb 1976	6	5	1	0	0	Australia
6	Dec 1979 to Jan 1980	3	0	2	1	0	West Indies
7	Dec 1981 to Feb 1982	3	1	1	1	0	Drawn
8	Nov 1984 to Jan 1985	5	1	3	1	0	West Indies
9	Nov 1988 to Feb 1989	5	1	3	1	0	West Indies
10	Nov 1992 to Feb 1993	5	1	2	2	0	West Indies
11	Nov 1996 to Feb 1997	5	3	2	0	0	Australia
12	Nov 2000 to Jan 2001	5	5	0	0	0	Australia
13	Nov 2005	3	3	0	0	0	Australia
14	Nov 2009 to Dec 2009	3	2	0	1	0	Australia

Series summary in Australia:
Total series: 14, Australia won 9, West Indies won 4, Drawn 1      

Highest team totals 
Australia

758-8d	at Kingston	June 1955	(Won)
668	at Bridgetown	May 1955	(Drawn)
650-6d	at Bridgetown	May 1965	(Drawn)

West Indies

616	at Adelaide	Jan 1969	(Drawn)
606	at Sydney	Jan 1993	(Drawn)
585	at Perth	Dec 1975	(Won)

Lowest team totals
Australia

76	at Perth	Nov 1984	(Lost)
82	at Adelaide	Dec 1951	(Lost)
90	at Port of Spain	Mar 1978	(Lost)

West Indies

51	at Port of Spain	Mar 1999	(Lost)
78	at Sydney	Jan 1952	(Lost)
82	at Brisbane	Nov 2000	(Lost)

 

Total individual 100s
Total 100s	213	(in Australia: 108, in West Indies: 105)
By Australia	110	(in Australia: 54, in West Indies: 56)
By West Indies	103	(in Australia: 54, in West Indies: 49)

Highest individual scores
Australia

242	by Doug Walters	at Sydney	Feb 1969	(Won)
223	by Don Bradman	at Brisbane, Exhibition	Jan 1931	(Won)
216	by Dean Jones	at Adelaide	Feb 1989	(Drawn)

West Indies

277	by Brian Lara	at Sydney	Jan 1993	(Drawn)
226	by Gordon Greenidge	at Bridgetown	Apr 1991	(Won)
226	by Brian Lara	at Adelaide	Nov 2005	(Lost)

Leading run-getters 
Australia

2192 by Steve Waugh in 32 mts	51 inns	ave 49.82
2052 by Allan Border in 31 mts	59 inns	ave 39.46
1977 by Ricky Ponting in 24 mts	44 inns	ave 53.43

Most runs in Australia: 1256 runs by Allan Border in 21 mts, 40 inns, ave 33.95

West Indies

2815 by Brian Lara in 30 mts	56 inns	ave 52.13
2266 by Viv Richards in 34 mts	54 inns	ave 44.23
2233 by Desmond Haynes in 33 mts	59 inns	ave 42.13

Most runs in Australia: 1760 runs by Viv Richards in 22 mts, 39 inns, ave 47.57

Most individual 100s

Australia          7 by Steve Waugh & Ricky Ponting (in Aus: 4 by Ian Redpath, Doug Walters & Greg Chappell)
West Indies      9 by Richie Richardson & Brian Lara (in Aus: 5 by Clive Lloyd)

Best bowling in an innings
Australia

8/71	by Graham McKenzie	at Melbourne	Dec 1968	(Won)
8/87	by Merv Hughes	at Perth	Dec 1988	(Lost)
8/112	by Geoff Lawson	at Adelaide	Dec 1984	(Lost)

West Indies

7/25	by Curtly Ambrose	at Perth	Jan 1993	(Won)
7/54	by Andy Roberts	at Perth	Dec 1975	(Won)
7/55	by Gerry Gomez	at Sydney	Jan 1952	(Lost)

Best bowling in a match
Australia

13/217	by Merv Hughes	at Perth	Dec 1988	(Lost)
11/79	by Bert Ironmonger	at Melbourne	Feb 1931	(Won)
11/96	by Allan Border	at Sydney	Jan 1989	(Won)

West Indies

11/107	by Michael Holding	at Melbourne	Dec 1981	(Lost)
10/107	by Malcolm Marshall	at Adelaide	Dec 1984	(Won)
10/113	by Gerry Gomez	at Sydney	Jan 1952	(Lost)

Leading wicket-takers
Australia

110 by Glenn McGarth in 23 mts	ave 19.38
65 by Shane Warne in 19 mts	ave 29.95
64 by Brett Lee in 12 mts	ave 23.00

West Indies

135 by Courtney Walsh in 38 mts	ave 28.68
128 by Curtly Ambrose in 27 mts	ave 21.23
103 by Lance Gibbs in 24 mts	ave 31.28

Overall Test record
Australia (1877 to 2015)

Venue	Mts	Won	Lost	Tie	Draw	%win
Home	401	228	95	1	77	56.86
Away	382	140	113	1	128	36.65
Total	783	368	208	2	205	47.00

West Indies

Venue	Mts	Won	Lost	Tie	Draw	%win
Home	233	84	57	0	92	36.05
Away	277	80	118	1	78	28.88
Total	510	164	175	1	170	32.16