Top 5 Test captains and their toughest touring country

1. Brian Lara in South Africa – 9 Tests:

Brian Lara turned out to the first Test captain of West Indies on South African soil as the Caribbean team made their first tour to South Africa in 1998 only. The West Indians featured in a 5-match Test series during the 1998-99 tour spread over two months.

Unfortunately, the visitors failed to win even one match in this series. The first game in Johannesburg was the closest game as the Proteas won by 4 wickets.

South Africa won the 3rd Test by nine wickets in Durban while the remaining Tests in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Centurion by an excess of 140 runs. They returned in 2003-04 season under Lara’s captaincy for a 4-match Test series but the losing story repeated. They were 0-2 down after losing the first two Tests in Johannesburg and Durban respectively extending their losing streak in South Africa to 7 Tests.

The 3rd Test in Cape Town ended in a draw bringing an end to West Indies’ losing streak but the series ended with 8th defeat in 9 matches as they lost Centurion Test by a 10-wicket margin.

Thus, with 0 wins in 9 Tests on the South African soil, Lara holds the record of being the captain for most Test matches in an away country without winning even one. Lara, however, scored 841 runs at an average of 46.72 with two centuries including a double century.