Best ever test series IYO?

[JBMAC]

Bodyline and 60-61 Series Aust vs WI

 

[Howe_zat]

My favourite series ever is the 2010-11 Ashes. I know every inch of it. I have 2 books on it despite only owning five cricket books.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the beholder in this case was a mostly nocturnal and academically inactive student who posted on a dozen different cricket sites

 

[SteveNZ]

Anyone who doesn't answer 2005 Ashes is wrong ftr

Spectacle wise,absolutely. Standard wise, yep somewhere up there. Only asterix being that England didn't beat Australia once in that series with McGrath playing. That doesn't necessarily change it being the best series of all time, just playing devil's advocate. I know you only beat who gets put out in front of you.

My personal favourite, India v NZ in 2002 at home. Massive bowler woody the whole series and lots of BCCI sooking.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Of those I've seen, probably 2000/01 India vs Australia. I felt that we were finally going to win, but then Eden Gardens happened. Even after the first innings of the final match I was hoping but Laxman again and Sachin wore us down. I didn't like losing, but the series was great cricket

 

[mr_mister]

Frank Worrell Trophy in 1995.

I really like that series, as well as the '99 series as well with Waugh's 199 and Lara's 153*, though the goodness might only be confined to one test >_>


I've been watching a lot of series robelinda has uploaded and it seems Eng/NZ always had exciting series when they vsed in the 90s, '97 in NZ and '99 in England were both exciting, as it was anytime England vs SA in the '90s or early '00s

 

[OverratedSanity]

SA-India series have been consistently superb. 2010 in India, 2010-11 in SA, 2013-14 in SA... All great series.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Spectacle wise,absolutely. Standard wise, yep somewhere up there. Only asterix being that England didn't beat Australia once in that series with McGrath playing. That doesn't necessarily change it being the best series of all time, just playing devil's advocate. I know you only beat who gets put out in front of you.

Tbf, England dominated at Manchester and should've won.

 

[G.I.Joe]

My favourite series ever is the 2010-11 Ashes. I know every inch of it. I have 2 books on it despite only owning five cricket books.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the beholder in this case was a mostly nocturnal and academically inactive student who posted on a dozen different cricket sites

I thought we were exclusive

You're sleeping on the couch tonight.

 

[Binkley]

Ashes 2005 was an epic - but if "best" means "the one Binkley enjoyed most" then NZ vs India in 2014 would have to be top of the tree. Gee whizz that was nerve-shredding and fun to watch as a New Zealand fan. Going back further, Aus vs NZ in 1985/86 is the series that is etched on my childhood. From 30 years distance the participants just seem like otherwordly titans now. Hadlee's 9-52. Crowe's 188. And just the sight of Greg bloody Matthews name on a scorecard is enough to set my blood to boil. Even though I can't really remember why.

 

[Jono]

There have been some dynamite 2 test series in the last 5 years or so haven't there? Ind in NZ 2014, Aus in SA 2011, NZ in Eng 2015, NZ in Aus 2011/12.

Edit: A lot of NZ in there, good old "2 test NZ"

 

[OverratedSanity]

There have been some dynamite 2 test series in the last 5 years or so haven't there? Ind in NZ 2014, Aus in SA 2011, NZ in Eng 2015, NZ in Aus 2011/12.

Edit: A lot of NZ in there, good old "2 test NZ"

Yeah.

+ Aus in India 2010, India in SA 2013-14, SL in Eng 2014, Ind in England 2014... all great 2 test series

 

[Jono]

!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[morgieb]

I'll also suggest the Australia/Windies series of 92/93. Was before I was born but from reading about the series it looks like an epic. Went to a 5th Test, breakout performances from Lara and Warne, closest winning margin ever in the 4th, Ambrose's spell in the 5th.

 

[mr_mister]

I watched Windies/Aus from 96/97 and that looked good too. Healy, Blewett and Bevan all outbatted The Waughs and Taylor, which was strange. Hayden scored a 125 and showed a glimpse of what the future might bring but didn't get a chance until 4 years later to show his class. Elliott got injured and missed the whole series on 78 after a mid pitch collision with Mark Waugh when he looked certain to ton up. People often cite this as like, him missing his chance forgetting he got 127 and 199 in the ashes later that year. In fact Elliott was pretty damn unlucky he had so much competition for his spot and Taylor was lucky he was captain

And Bevan took a string of wickets including a 6 for. Fair to say Windies and Aus had some great contests in the 90s. Chanderpaul/Hooper/Lara/Adams is a terriffic middle order, pity all 4 never fired in the same series

On the subject of Bevan, his unbeaten pair of 80s in the 4th and 5th test combined with his 6 for combined with his famous last ball four when constructing one of the ATG ODI innings against the Windies(which I think occured in the middle of the test series) must have made the whole country anticipate him to be the next big thing in Aussie cricket. Pity he didn't deliver in the 5 day format


We had such deep batting stocks back then.

Slater, Taylor, Elliott, Hayden, Blewett and Langer as potential openers, and they all had at least a stint of greatness up there(though Blewett's might have come more in the mdidle order)

Then you've got the Waughs, Ponting, Lehmann, Martyn, Law and Bevan all fighting for the 4 middle order spots. Bloody tough going.

 

[Red]

The 2005 Ashes- It was the first time in about a decade that someone had really stood up to the Australian juggernaut. Australia - just had an incredible team - Langer/Hayden, Ponting, McGrath, Warne & Gillespie along with a host of other guns - they had been formidable giants, literally colossuses for years. I don't know if anyone expected England to play as well as they did, or for the cracks to start showing in Australia as they did, but Pietersen and Flintoff were epic, Vaughan led well, Trescothick and Strauss dealt with Australia's quicks well, and Harmison, Jones, Hoggard and Flintoff hunted in a pack. Meanwhile, McGrath was injured at a crucial time, Gillespie had lost the zip that had made him such a gun, Lee struggled a bit in English conditions. Hayden went missing. But it was a close series. Warne was amazing through the series and I don't think he could have done anything more than he did. His competitive urge tried so hard to will Australia to win, but it just wasn't enough, even from the great man.

That ending at Edgbaston. Phew.

Looking back ten years on - and without meaning to sound too hyperbolic - the series seemed like two ancient tribes of gladiators battling each other, under heavy brooding skies, punching and counterpunching until only one could stand. Warne, Ponting, McGrath, KP, Flintoff, they all seemed to loom incredibly large that series. An ageing warrior champion vs an unexpectedly strong opponent who was very well led. It really was an epic.

 

[mr_mister]

^I really wish at least one veteran of the 90s team (Gough, Ramprakash and Thorpe were realistically the only players still a chance of selection right) had been part of the 05 team, they really deserved to taste ashes success after literally losing how many series in a row? At least 6 or something. Imagine if Stewart or Athers had lasted til 05. Would have made a great moment even greater IMO

 

[OverratedSanity]

The 2005 Ashes- It was the first time in about a decade that someone had really stood up to the Australian juggernaut.

That's a bit of a myth perpetuated by media who love to glorify that Ashes series even more. Australia struggled plenty to beat India. They got destroyed in 98 (albeit at the end of a gruelling summer of non-stop tests so they were exhausted), were beaten in 2001, almost beaten in 03/04 (ravaged by injury, yes but still), and although they won in 04 in India, it was hardly a cakewalk.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

That's a bit of a myth perpetuated by media who love to glorify that Ashes series even more. Australia struggled plenty to beat India. They got destroyed in 98 (albeit at the end of a gruelling summer of non-stop tests so they were exhausted), were beaten in 2001, almost beaten in 03/04 (ravaged by injury, yes but still), and although they won in 04 in India, it was hardly a cakewalk.

Yeah and NZ got robbed in the days before DRS in the deciding test in 2001/2 at Perth

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6UlqoVovU9M

If that had been given we would've won and could've easily won the 1st test too

 

[Red]

That's a bit of a myth perpetuated by media who love to glorify that Ashes series even more. Australia struggled plenty to beat India. They got destroyed in 98 (albeit at the end of a gruelling summer of non-stop tests so they were exhausted), were beaten in 2001, almost beaten in 03/04 (ravaged by injury, yes but still), and although they won in 04 in India, it was hardly a cakewalk.

Yeh, look, fair enough, but...

They got destroyed in 98 (albeit at the end of a gruelling summer of non-stop tests so they were exhausted)

2/1 India's way is hardly "destroyed" especially in Indian conditions, although India's wins in the first two tests were fairly comprehensive.

were beaten in 2001

Once again, 2/1 in India. But yeh, fair point.

almost beaten in 03/04 (ravaged by injury, yes but still), and although they won in 04 in India, it was hardly a cakewalk

Yeh, we won those.


I think of the Australian period of dominance beginning in 95 in the Windies series and going through til around the end of Ponting's captaincy. I get that we lost a few series in that time, but what I meant was we were the clear #1 side in the world for a long time. I might've been clearer in what I meant I guess.

 

[Flem274*]

This is nostalgia talking since it was my first ever test series I watched as a little kid but NZ v Australia in Australia around 2000 where Fleming's side got the 0-0 draw was awesome. It probably should have been 2-1 Australia since rain gave NZ a hand and umpires/wides saved Australia at Perth, but whatever.

That series and the India Cry series a bit later were so good, then Akhtar bowling like the wind and Oram smoking South Africa and Fleming sledging Graeme Smith. Much nostalgia.

2006/07 Ashes were awesome to see the Australian side really peak one last time, and then the India and Australia Cry series in 2008 was good fun.