Most competitive Test Rivalry in last 50 years ?

[Chubb]

I've heard it said before (by English writers) - India was more important to Waugh than the Ashes because of how rubbish England were for the majority of his career.

But yes it's more likely he was just old and those journalists just have an inferiority complex.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I've heard it said before (by English writers) - India was more important to Waugh than the Ashes because of how rubbish England were for the majority of his career.

But yes it's more likely he was just old and those journalists just have an inferiority complex.

I think there was something to saying that winning in India was more important to him, having won about 37 Ashes series in his career. But not so much a series v India in Aus.

Regardless, if that was the case he retired almost immediately before the next tour of India in 2004 anyway which makes that entire hypothesis clearly wrong

 

[Chubb]

I think there was something to saying that winning in India was more important to him, having won about 37 Ashes series in his career. But not so much a series v India in Aus.

Gilchrist, Hayden and Gillespie all said that after the 2005 Ashes IIRC. But then, they would.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I was a big cricket fan as a kid at the time and there was a lot of talk of India being "the final frontier" and such. It's definitely not a hindsight kind of thing after 2004.

 

[Burgey]

Pak-WI is from 80-00.
You can name any rivalry which I missed.

What about Aus-England if you go back 50 years to the 72 Ashes, instead of, you know 40?

 

[Burgey]

I was a big cricket fan as a kid at the time and there was a lot of talk of India being "the final frontier" and such. It's definitely not a hindsight kind of thing after 2004.

Yeah Aus hadn’t won there since about 1970 before 2004 iirc. Shame we didn’t tour more often in the intervening years.

 

[subshakerz]

I was a big cricket fan as a kid at the time and there was a lot of talk of India being "the final frontier" and such. It's definitely not a hindsight kind of thing after 2004.

Because India until then had destroyed Taylor's team. Australia even if they lost in Pakistan and SL were never crushed that way.

 

[Sunil1z]

What about Aus-England if you go back 50 years to the 72 Ashes, instead of, you know 40?

I am not talking about a particular series . Here I am talking about atleast 4 to 5 competetive test series between 2 teams in a space of 20-25 years .I know Aussies dominated Ashes between 89-05 . So were Ashes close between 72-89 ? I will admit having little knowledge about Ashes between 72-89.

 

[Burgey]

72 was 2-2, 75 was 1-1, 81 was the epic Botham series, 82/83 finished 2-1 Aus as well iirc.

 

[Tom Flint]

Eng vs Aus 2005 - present
Series wins
England 5
Australia 4
Draws 1

 

[TheJediBrah]

Eng vs Aus 2005 - present
Series wins
England 5
Australia 4
Draws 1

What about overall Test wins

 

[nightprowler10]

Surprising lack of Pak vs Eng. Up until the last 2 series where we clearly the underdogs, it's been pretty competitive since, what, the 90s?

 

[OverratedSanity]

Surprising lack of Pak vs Eng. Up until the last 2 series where we clearly the underdogs, it's been pretty competitive since, what, the 90s?

Always controversial too

 

[Burgey]

Eng vs Aus 2005 - present
Series wins
England 5
Australia 4
Draws 1

You probably need to limit it to series in England for this to be taken seriously tbh. The Ashes here since 86/87 have all been pretty one-sided.

Still you never know. Maybe in 2025 someone will be able to do a TikTok about an England test win in Australia.

Unlikely, but you just never know.

 

[anil1405]

Every time Graeme Smith toured England, he ensured it was the last series for his counterpart skipper as skipper/player.

That gives me a reason enough to swing towards Eng-SA rivalry.

 

[Dendarii]

Every time Graeme Smith toured England, he ensured it was the last series for his counterpart skipper as skipper/player.

England discovered the perfect tactic to counter that this year - change the captain before the series.

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

India vs South Africa is slightly underrated ...So much talking points on and off the pitch ...

The Match Fixing scandals involving Hansie Cronje and Mohammad Azharuddin , Sreesanth blowing SA away at Kingsmead and his battles with Andre Nel , Klusener 8-for on debut in India , Sehwag triple hundred , Dale Steyn reverse swing in India , the 458 game where SA made 450/7 to draw , Bumrah vs De Villiers , Rabada vs Kohli , Tendulkar's classic knocks , Kallis raining supreme , Amla's Nagpur double ton , Ashwin and Jadeja running riot

 

[subshakerz]

India vs South Africa is slightly underrated ...So much talking points on and off the pitch ...

The Match Fixing scandals involving Hansie Cronje and Mohammad Azharuddin , Sreesanth blowing SA away at Kingsmead and his battles with Andre Nel , Klusener 8-for on debut in India , Sehwag triple hundred , Dale Steyn reverse swing in India , the 458 game where SA made 450/7 to draw , Bumrah vs De Villiers , Rabada vs Kohli , Tendulkar's classic knocks , Kallis raining supreme , Amla's Nagpur double ton , Ashwin and Jadeja running riot

Generally are pretty polite well mannered contests though. Lacks the edge of India Australia.

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

Generally are pretty polite well mannered contests though. Lacks the edge of India Australia.

That is true , but a series can be competitive without acting away .

 

[subshakerz]

That is true , but a series can be competitive without acting away .

India-SA, SA-England, Eng-Aus have been pretty competitive. But for a real rivalry you need out of the field energy too.