India reverse extraordinary Test record by keeping alive 21-year-long streak against West Indies

India have not lost a Test match to the West Indies since 2002.

The West Indies fought it out and rain in Trinidad did the rest in the second Test against India and earned a draw but it wasn't enough to prevent them from losing the series 1-0. India had thrashed the hosts by an innings and 141 runs in the first Test in Dominica which helped them secure yet another series win against the West Indies.

Rohit Sharma's India thrashed West Indies in the first Test which helped them secure the series win (AFP)

This was India's ninth consecutive Test series win against the West Indies. Moreover, the second Test was also the 25th consecutive match in which India went unbeaten against the West Indies. This is now the fourth longest unbeaten team for any team against an opponent in Test history. Interestingly, India have in the process gone past West Indies' record of 24 unbeaten Tests against them, which the Carribean side have achieved between 1948 and 1971.

Overall, England's streak of 47 unbeaten Tests between 1930 and 1975 remains the longest after which comes England's record of 30 matches against Pakistan between 1961 and 1982. West Indies' record of 29 unbeaten matches against England in the period between 1976 and 1988, which was also the period in which they were widely regarded as the best team in the world, comes third above India's current record against the West Indies.

The shifting of scales

The first Test between these two sides came in November 1948 in Delhi when West Indies had toured India for a five-match series. West Indies won the fourth match and the rest were drawn. India's first win in a Test match against the West Indies also resulted in them recording their first series win against the Carribean side. That had come in the second of the five-match series in the islands, which was also batting Sunil Gavaskar's debut international. Gavaskar played a stellar role in the match scoring 65 in the first innings and an unbeaten 67 in the second while Dilip Sardesai had scored 112 in the first. However, the stars were India's spin duo of Erapalli Prasanna, Bishan Singh Bedi and S Venkataraghavan. Prasanna took four wickets in the first innings and Bedi took three while Venkataraghavan took five in the second.

West Indies' last series win against India and the last time they even won a Test against them both came in 2002 at home. The first match was drawn and India had won the second. The West Indies then won the third by 10 wickets and then the fifth by 155 runs while the fourth was drawn.