Test Cricket:
World Champions since 1876

  World Champions by beating... Successful defences
2000/01- India Australia 2-1  
1999/2000-2000/01 Australia Zimbabwe 1-0 Pakistan 3-0, India 3-0 (1999/2000), West Indies 5-0 (2000/01)
1998/9 Zimbabwe India 1-0 Pakistan 1-0 (1998/9)
1997/8- India Australia 2-1 nil
1996/7-1997/8 Australia South Africa 2-1 England 3-2 (1997), New Zealand 2-0 (1997/8), South Africa 1-0 (1997/8)
1996/7 South Africa India 2-0 nil
1996/7 India Australia 1-0 South Africa 2-1 (1996/7)
1994/5-1996/7 Australia West Indies 2-1 Pakistan 2-2 (1995/6); Sri Lanka 3-0 (1995/6)
1980/1-1994/5 West Indies Pakistan 1-0 England 2-0 (1980/1); Australia 1-1 (1981/2); India 2-0 (1982/3); India 3-0 (1983/4); Australia 3-0 (1983/4); England 5-0 (1984); Australia 3-1 (1984/5); New Zealand 2-0 (1984/5); England 5-0 (1985/6); Pakistan 1-1 (1986/7); New Zealand 1-1 (1986/7); India 1-1 (1987/8); Pakistan 1-1 (1987/8); England 4-0 (1988); Australia 3-1 (1988/9); India 3-0 (1988/9); England 2-1 (1989/90); Pakistan 1-1 (1990/1); Australia 2-1 (1990/1); England 2-2 (1991); South Africa 1-0 (1991/2); Australia 2-1 (1992/3); Pakistan 2-0 (1992/3); Sri Lanka 0-0 (1993/4); England 3-1 (1993/4); India 1-1 (1994/5); New Zealand 1-0 (1994/5)
1979/80-1980/1 Pakistan Australia 1-0 nil
1979/80 Australia England 3-0 nil (see also  "The disputed years")
1977-1978/80 England Australia 3-0 Pakistan 0-0 (1977/8); New Zealand 1-1 (1977/8); Pakistan 2-0 (1978); New Zealand 3-0 (1978); Australia 5-1 (1978/9); India 1-0 (1979)
1974/5-1977 Australia England 4-1 England 1-0 (1975); West indies 5-1 (1975/6); Pakistan 1-1 (1976/7); New Zealand 1-0 (1976/7); England 1-0 (1976/7)
1974-1974/5 England India 1-0 Pakistan 0-0 (1974)
1971-1974 India England 1-0 England 2-1 (1972/3)
1967/8-1971 England West Indies 1-0 Australia 1-1 (1968); Pakistan 0-0 (1968/9); West Indies 2-0 (1969); New Zealand 2-0 (1969); Australia 2-0 (1970/1); New Zealand 1-0 (1970/1); Pakistan 1-0 (1971)
1964/5-1967/8 West Indies Australia 2-1 England 3-1 (1966); India 2-0 (1966/7)
1958/9-1964/5 Australia England 4-0 Pakistan 2-0 (1959/60); India 2-1 (1959/60); West Indies 2-1 (1960/1); England 2-1 (1961); England 1-1 (1962/3); South Africa 1-1 (1953/4); England 1-0 (1964); India 1-1 (1964/5); Pakistan 0-0 (1964/5); Pakistan 0-0 (1964/5)
1953-1958/9 England Australia 1-0 West Indies 2-2 (1953/4); Pakistan 1-1 (1954); Australia 3-1 (1954/5); New Zealand 2-0 (1954/5); South Africa 3-2 (1955); Australia 2-1 (1956); South Africa 2-2 (1956/7); West Indies 3-0 (1957); New Zealand 4-0 (1958)
1934-1953 Australia England 2-1 South Africa 4-0 (1935/6); England 3-2 (1936/7); England 1-1 (1938); New Zealand 1-0 (1945/6); England 3-0 (1946/7); India 4-0 (1947/8); England 4-0 (1948); South Africa 4-0 (1949/50); England 4-1 (1950/1); West Indies 4-1 (1951/2); South Africa 2-2 (1952/3)
1932/3-1934 England Australia 4-1 New Zealand 0-0 (1932/3); West Indies 2-0 (1933); India 2-0 (1933/4)
1930-1932/3 Australia England 2-1 West Indies 4-1 (1930/1); South Africa 5-0 (1931/2)
1926-1930 England Australia 1-0 South Africa 2-2 (1927/8); West Indies 3-0 (1928); Australia 4-1 (1928/9); South Africa 2-0 (1929); New Zealand 1-0 (1929/30); West Indies 1-1 (1929/30)
1920/1-1926 Australia England 5-0 England 3-0 (1921); South Africa 1-0 (1921/2); England 4-1 (1924/5)
1911/2-1920/1 England Australia 4-1 South Africa 3-0 (1912); Australia 1-0 (1912); South Africa 4-0 (1912/3)
1907/8-1911/2 Australia England 4-1 England 2-1 (1909); South Africa 4-1 (1910/1)
1907-1907/8 England South Africa 4-1 nil
1905/6-1907 South Africa England 4-1 nil
1903/4-1905/6 England Australia 3-2 Australia 2-0 (1905)
1897/8-1903/4 Australia England 4-1 England 1-0 (1899); England 4-1 (1901/2); England 2-1 (1902); South Africa 2-0 (1902/3)
1893-1897/8 England Australia 1-0 Australia 3-2 (1894/5); South Africa 2-0 (1895/6); Australia 2-1 (1896)
1891/2-1893 Australia England 2-1 nil
1884-1891/2 England Australia 1-0 Australia 3-2 (1884/5); Australia 3-0 (1886); Australia 2-0 (1886/7); Australia 1-0 (1887/8); Australia 2-1 (1888); South Africa 2-0 (1888/9); Australia 2-0 (1890)
1881/2-1884 Australia England 2-0 England 1-0 (1882); England 2-2 (1882/3)
1880-1881/2 England Australia 1-0 nil
1878/9-1880 Australia England 1-0 nil
1876/7-1878/9 Australia &
England (jt.)
- Drawn series

Highlights, facts and figures

Complete "ladder"

Back to introduction

I would be delighted to receive comments on these ideas. Please eMail me (john.birch@ukonline.co.uk).

Compiled by John Birch, Letchworth Garden City, England

This page last updated: 24/12/01

Last amended: December 24, 2001