Winning a test away from home has always been challenging for any team. The unfamiliar conditions have always been difficult for players to adapt. However, few teams and captains structure their teams in a way that they do well in overseas conditions. In this article, we will talk about 'Top 10 Captains with Most Overseas Wins in Test Cricket'.
1. Clive Llyod
The legendary West Indian Captain holds the record for most overseas test victories. Llyod was captain of the West Indies Test team from 1974 to 1985. Llyod had won 23 tests overseas out of 50 test matches and lost just 10 test matches, which makes it even more incredible. During his era, West Indies dominated across venues in test cricket. Under his captaincy, West Indies were undefeated for 27 matches.
2. Graeme Smith
The former South African Captain Graeme Smith captained South Africa from 2003 to 2012. Smith led his team in 52 test matches overseas, winning 22 test matches. He also holds the record for the most number of wins in Test Cricket. Under his captaincy, South Africa won 53 test matches, including series wins in Australia and England. He also holds the record of captaining most test matches.
3. Ricky Ponting
The former Australian Captain captained Australia from 2004 to 2010. This Australian side was one of the most dangerous sides, winning almost everywhere in the world. Ponting won 18 overseas test matches out of 36 test matches. He also won test series in India, South Africa, and New Zealand, which shows the quality of the team.
4. Virat Kohli
The current player and former Indian captain changed the face of Indian cricket in test cricket. Kohli captained India in this format from 2014 to 2021. The Indian side always struggled overseas, however, under Kohli team won 16 overseas test wins, which is best for any Indian Captain. His most remarkable feat was winning a test series in Australia.
5. Steve Waugh
Steve Waugh was captain of the Australian side from 1999 to 2003. He established the domination of Australia in this period, especially overseas, winning 16 test matches out of 25 test matches. Under him, Australia won the Ashes in England and won test series in South Africa and New Zealand. Waugh had a winning percentage of 72, which is quite incredible for any player. Under him, Australia won 16 consecutive test matches.
6. Allan Border
The former legendary Australian Captain Allan Border was captain of the Australian test team from 1985 to 1984. Australia did not dominate much in this period, however, he managed to win 13 overseas test matches out of the 42 test matches he played. The first player to score 11,000 test runs, Border also had a world record of captaining 93 consecutive test matches. His most significant feat was defeating England in the 1989 Ashes.
7. Misbah ul Haq
The former Pakistani Captain Misbah led the Pakistani side in test matches from 2011 to 2017. He won 13 overseas test matches for Pakistan. The most significant moment under his captaincy came when they won an away series against New Zealand in 2011. Under his captaincy, they also defeated Sri Lanka in an away series. Under him, Pakistan also reached the no.1 ranking in test cricket, their first since 1988. He is also most successful test Captain of Pakistan, winning 26 test matches.
8. Vivian Richards
The legendary West Indian batter Vivian Richards was a great batter who scored 8540 runs at an average of 50 in test cricket. Apart from this, he was also a great leader. The West Indian legend Vivian Richards captained the legendary West Indian side from 1980 to 1991. He managed to win 12 overseas tests out of 26 test matches in which Richards played a significant role with the bat. Under him, West Indies won test series in England and Australia and also in India and Pakistan. He is the only West Indian captain who did not lost any test series.
9. Sourav Ganguly
The revolutionary former Indian captain Ganguly was known for his aggressive captaincy. He brought revolution in Indian Cricket who, used to struggle to win test matches. He led the Indian team to 11 overseas wins, including victory in England and Australia and a test series win in Pakistan. He won 21 test matches for India out of 49 games he captained.
10. Michael Clarke
Clarke led the Australian team from 2011 to 2015. Under him, Australia managed to win ten overseas test matches out of 26 test matches. The most significant feat was winning the test series in South Africa in 2013/14, due to which they regained their no.1 ranking in test cricket. He also led his team to victory in Sri Lanka in 2011. He also defeated England by a 5-0 margin in 2013-14 Ashes. He overall won 24 test matches for Australia.
