Australia holds the record for the longest winning streak in Test cricket, with 16 consecutive victories.
The achievement occurred twice during Australia’s dominant modern era. Steve Waugh’s team won 16 Tests in a row from October 1999 until India ended the run at Kolkata in March 2001. Ricky Ponting’s side then matched the record, winning 16 successive Tests from October 2005 until India defeated Australia at Perth in January 2008.
The two streaks involved different generations of Australian stars, including Waugh, Ponting, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden. The record counts individual Test matches, not series: a team can win a series while drawing or losing one match, but a winning streak requires victory in every Test.
The West Indies produced 11 consecutive Test wins from 1984 to 1985, which is why they are sometimes mentioned in comparisons. Australia’s 16-match mark remains the benchmark for men’s Test cricket, and Australia shares the record with itself because it achieved it twice.