Greatest Test Series Victory

[capt_Luffy]

Kusal Perera had his fair share of luck.

Context matters too. As for Stokes, the close call was right at the end

Imagine how howling it would had been had Stokes been lbw when England needed 2 more runs.....

 

[centurymaker]

Imagine how howling it would had been had Stokes been lbw when England needed 2 more runs.....

Neither England nor Australia won the series.

Stokes winning it made it 1-1 instead of 2-0 for Aussies, so it was good, personally speaking.

 

[capt_Luffy]

Neither England nor Australia won the series. Thats the key. Stokes winning it made it 1-1 instead of 2-0 for Aussies, so it was good.

That doesn't really makes much sense imo. So Perera is being penalized for winning the series??

 

[govinda indian fan]

As indian i cherish 20-21 series win in aus greatest win in indian history i would not rate that as upset esp as we have been competitive in aus since turn of century and won series in 18/19 of course winning gabba with ranji attack and missing so many players was special but i dont consider that we were written off before the series started it was 60-40 before 36 allout and we became underdog only after vk left so sl win in sa is true underdog win

 

[Slifer]

It does matter where you play. Winning in typical SA conditions vs conditions which are helping your spinners too is a notable difference. SL doesn't win the series even if 1 match was in Cape Town, Johannesburg or Centurion. They didn't overcome typical or usual SA conditions. Thats what winning away is essentially about. We are comparing greatest away wins and these things matter in this discussion.

Philander had broken down, which played a part in SL chasing the 300 total.

Bangladesh winning in Pakistan and that too on pitches that had far less assistance for spinners compared to pacers is a bigger achievement than SL's in SA.

Bangladesh had never won a series away.
SL had already won series in England, NZ, etc.

Bangladesh winning in Pakistan is a huge achievement and upset make no mistake but unless my geography is off were they not the same country once upon a time? Therefore, the conditions in Pakistan were not as alien (imo) than what they were for Sri Lanka in RSA. Steyn was on his last legs and Philander yes was injured but RSA still had Rabada, Olivier and Kesh.

And outside of an atg Australia team, zero teams have swept South Africa away; Sri lanka did. Pakistan by comparison has lost to England, Australia, should've lost to NZ in their most recent home series. In the home series before losing to SL, South Africa destroyed Pakistan and beat two formidable teams in Australia and India. The first two tests vs Australia were also played at the same venues that SL played fwiw.

 

[Slifer]

Umm no. Wrong again.

England & Ben Stokes' chase at Headingley is the best of all time.

No way. Perera then Lara then whomever else.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I'd say India winning in Australia given all the injuries India had. They must have had half the team missing and still won. Remarkable win.

 

[Slifer]

In terms of series upsets in my lifetimes, these three are at the top along with the 2005 Ashes and WI drawing recently in Australia.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Bangladesh winning in Pakistan is a huge achievement and upset make no mistake but unless my geography is off were they not the same country once upon a time?

1971 is a long time ago now.

They are still a long way apart

 

[Slifer]

1971 is a long time ago now.

They are still a long way apart

The point being, RSA is much more remote culturally and otherwise including playing conditions than what Bangladesh dealt with in Pakistan. Note that Bangladesh winning is still a huge achievement/upset.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

In terms of series upsets in my lifetimes, these three are at the top along with the 2005 Ashes and WI drawing recently in Australia.

Was the 2005 Ashes an upset? I was quite young at the time, it was the first Ashes I fully remember (lucky me!), but I could tell that we were on the upswing and they were there to be got at. The Windies win was fantastic, the only slight grumble is that it was a 2 match series, those would become illegal under my benevolent dictatorship!

 

[Slifer]

Was the 2005 Ashes an upset? I was quite young at the time, it was the first Ashes I fully remember (lucky me!), but I could tell that we were on the upswing and they were there to be got at. The Windies win was fantastic, the only slight grumble is that it was a 2 match series, those would become illegal under my benevolent dictatorship!

I don't think anyone gave England a prayer in that series.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

I don't think anyone gave England a prayer in that series.

Definitely not after they'd been crushed in the 1st test.

 

[Burgey]

And the missed run out.

And the dropped catch(es).

It was still an epic knock though, no doubt. Lara's 153 in the 99 series vs Aus to win was as good as any chase given the Aus attack had McGrath, Gillespie, Warne and MacGill. A more than decent attack.

 

[Burgey]

I don't think anyone gave England a prayer in that series.

Nah England had yapped themselves up pretty hard ahead of that series tbh.

 

[Adders]

I don't think anyone gave England a prayer in that series.

Only people that weren't paying attention. Eng hadn't lost a series for 18 mths prior, indcluding beating your mob 3-0 away and 4-0 at home......so you of all people should know this was a very decent Eng side going into the 2005 Ashes.

Definitely not after they'd been crushed in the 1st test.

Whilst they obviously did get crushed in the first test I reckon they showed enough that first morning at Lords that the Aussies knew they had a fight on their hands.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Whilst they obviously did get crushed in the first test I reckon they showed enough that first morning at Lords that the Aussies knew they had a fight on their hands.

That's fair.

England had also played very well the year before against a strong NZ side (sans Bond unfortunately) and showed they were developing well.

 

[Daemon]

India-Aus was insane. You should not be beating that full strength Australian side at home over a 5 match series fielding a side with 7-8 players missing at the end (with multiple players breaking down mid game), using 2 net bowlers and multiple debutants. It simply should not happen.

SL vs SA was pretty wild and they were bigger underdogs pre-series. Given how the series developed though I think India had it rougher and played the greater series.

 

[centurymaker]

That doesn't really makes much sense imo. So Perera is being penalized for winning the series??

My comment was not in relation to this discussion. It was a general personal comment about how Ben Stokes rescued the series for England (and that I was glad that neither Australia nor England won the series).

 

[centurymaker]

And outside of an atg Australia team, zero teams have swept South Africa away; Sri lanka did. Pakistan by comparison has lost to England, Australia, should've lost to NZ in their most recent home series. In the home series before losing to SL, South Africa destroyed Pakistan and beat two formidable teams in Australia and India. The first two tests vs Australia were also played at the same venues that SL played fwiw.

Conditions in this series were not similar to conditions you find in Bangladesh. There was assistance for seamers.

You are quite mistaken that you seem to think no team has dominated in South Africa besides Australia. And how is a clean sweep over just 2 Tests (and not on main venues) any better than England's 3-1 series win in SA in 2019?

England's unbeaten record in South Africa since 2000

2004 England won 2-1
2009 England drew 1-1
2015 England won 2-1
2019 England won 3-1

3-1 win from 4 tests is arguably better than a 2-0 win from 2 tests. 2 nil sweeps are much easier to achieve than winning 3-1 from 4 tests away from home.