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Both these teams are being compared to work out which was the greatest team in the history of Test cricket. Predictions abound as to who would win if the two teams could have played each other.
The Test Cricket Ratings Service has mapped out the ratings of all teams since the first Test in 1877. According to these ratings, the greatest team in Test history is in fact Lindsay Hassett's Australians, after they destroyed the West Indies 4-1 in 1951/52, with a rating of 1228 points. This West Indies team included the three Ws - Weekes, Worrell and Walcott - among others.
Hassett took over the "Invincibles" upon Bradman's retirement. They did not have an unbroken run like the current team. Instead, they achieved an outstanding run of successful series against England, South Africa and the West Indies including 12 wins, 2 losses and one draw.
Before their record breaking run of 11 Test wins, the West Indies held a rating of 1124. By the end of their 11 Test victories, this had increased by 66 points to 1190.
However, the West Indies improved even more after they had set this record, under the captaincy of Sir Vivian Richards. In April 1986, after the so-called "black wash" of England in the Carribean, their rating rose to 1225 points. This is the second highest rating in the history of Test cricket, surpassed only by Hassett's Australians.
Australia, under Steve Waugh, began their record breaking run in Zimbabwe last year. At that time their rating was 1114, ten points below Lloyd's West Indians at the equivalent time.
Based on their performance in the first two Tests, it seems that Australia will go on to win either four or five of the Tests in this series.
The Australians' rating will rise to 1178 if they win four Tests or 1204 if they win all five. This means the total increase in their rating will be either 64 or 90 points respectively compared to the 66-point increase of Lloyd's team.
On a straight comparison, the team with the higher rating would be favored to win a Test series if they could have played each other with the use of a time machine. However, the best point of comparison would be at each team's peak.
As noted above, the West Indian rating continued to climb after they set their record for consecutive victories. The West Indies peaked at a rating of 1225.
Waugh's Australians entered this series with a rating of 1168 and have yet to peak. If they follow the trend of the West Indies and other teams of past years, they will continue to improve for a while yet.
When the current Australians will peak cannot be accurately guessed. If history is any guide, both Hassett's Australians and Richards' West Indians obliterated the number two team of the time when they peaked and set their record high ratings.
For Waugh's Australians, the equivalent to this would be to defeat the South Africans during the next Australian summer.
