West Indian cricket team in Australia in 1975–76

The West Indies cricket team toured Australia in the 1975–76 season and played six Test matches and 1 ODI against Australia.

The test series was built up as an unofficial World Championship series for the title of best test team in the world. The West Indies came into the series after winning the inaugural 1975 World Cup, defeating Australia with several exciting young talents, most notably in Gordon Greenidge, Andy Roberts and Viv Richards. Australia won the first test in Brisbane at The Gabba convincingly by eight wickets but West Indies came back and defeated them in Perth at the WACA by an innings. However, Australia recovered and beat the West Indies in the remaining four tests, winning the series 5–1.

The series was a watershed event in West Indies cricketing history, thereafter adopting the formula of playing four out-and-out fast bowlers after witnessing at first-hand the destruction caused by Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson bowling close to 100 mph.

Gordon Greenidge, who went into the tour as an exciting young batter, struggled badly against Lillee and Thomson before eventually being dropped after suffering a lack of confidence. Therefore, Clive Lloyd opted to use Viv Richards as opener with Roy Fredericks in the final two tests. Despite getting good starts, Richards failed to capitalise in the first four tests, but whilst opening the batting in the final two tests, he scored two centuries and one fifty, ending the tour with 426 runs in 10 innings. This tour was also described as "the coming of age for Viv Richards", who went on to become the best batsman in the world and one of few positives for West Indies in a dreadful tour.

This was first test series for Greg Chappell as captain of Australia, succeeding his brother Ian Chappell. In the last test at the MCG, Lance Gibbs took his 308th test scalp, passing Fred Trueman.

Only ODI
Between the 2nd and 3rd Tests a 40 over ODI was played.

Annual reviews

 * Playfair Cricket Annual 1976
 * Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1976