Greatest Test Match

[OverratedSanity]

My favorite test of all time is Pak India Chennai 99.

One of my favourites along with Eden gardens and the Gabba.

Other great tests that belong in the conversation:
- India vs Australia Chennai 2001. Kolkata is the more epic game but this was a real thriller and had the most nerve-shredding ending to a series I can remember. If India had lost it would've made the Kolkata win a bit of a footnote in terms of it's historical significance.

- India vs Pakistan Kolkata 1999. Srinath leaving Pakistan reeling at 26-6, Moin helping the innings recover, the Akhtar yorkers to Dravid/Sachin, that incredible Anwar hundred and Srinath 8fer in the 3rd innings, controversial Sachin-Shoaib collision runout, match ending farcically with the stadium nearly empty after having been beyond capacity (100k+) for 4 days. So many memorable sequences in that game. Quality of cricket throughout was amazing.

- SL vs SA 2019 Perera 153. probably the most gob-smacked I've ever been watching a match (and innings) unfold.

- NZ vs Eng 1 run win and NZ vs SL last ball win in 2023 that happened within a couple of weeks of each other.

 

[subshakerz]

I don’t know who we were playing, but I remember Walsh and Ambrose (& Bishop?) cleaning up a side in the 4th innings who had to chase 120-something

India in 97. Wasn't a great test just a great collapse.

 

[subshakerz]

Was there at that game. Afridi's innings is underrated af.

Lucky you. Yeah high quality of cricket throughout that test.

 

[Jumno]

Australia Vs SA 1992? SA won just by three runs.

Ind Vs Pak 99 Madras.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

India in 97. Wasn't a great test just a great collapse.

I just love it because we defended a low score.

A win is always good

 

[DrWolverine]

India in 97. Wasn't a great test just a great collapse.

Low scoring test matches are good to watch.

I thought Franklyn Rose would go on to become a star.

 

[pardus]

Australia Vs SA 1992? SA won just by three runs.

Ind Vs Pak 99 Madras.

1994 SCG match.
SA won, thanks to Fanie De Villiers, another very good bowler for South Africa in 1990s, who played very few Test matches.
SA should have won the match more easily though. Australia collapsed from 50/1 to 75/8 while chasing only around 120.
As usual SA became neagtive-minded when Craig McDermott smashed a few boundaries, and let Australia back into the match.

 

[subshakerz]

I do think in terms of pure quality entertainment from start to finish, there never was a better test than Edgbaston 2005.

 

[Johan]

Edgbaston test was everything, 18 years of suffering etc

 

[Jumno]

However, from start to finish, I have never seen a more gripping, intriguing, captivating test match than the second ashes test of 2005. Freddie hitting sixes all over, a very nail biting finish.

 

[DrWolverine]

A bit of a classic but wondering if any games of the past decade make it close.

The first match that came to my mind

 

[MasterBlaster24]

Ind tour of sl 2015 1st test
Chandimal scored a magnificent century in that match.

 

[subshakerz]

The first match that came to my mind
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That match annoyed me that Stokes would even consider doing the following on.

 

[Johan]

The first match that came to my mind
View attachment 44255

Root's faced on the dismissal at 95 lived with me

 

[DrWolverine]

The last few overs were really nail bitting

 

[Fuller Pilch]

A bit of a classic but wondering if any games of the past decade make it close.

Two in two weeks:

2nd test NZ v England, Wellington 2023
1st test NZ v SL, Christchurch 2024

The Stokes and Kusal Perera 100s vs Oz & SL

 

[Fuller Pilch]

No love for the tied test of 86?

 

[Burgey]

2000 was the worst year for Indian cricket.

- In January India lost to Australia at Sydney by an innings and 141 runs resulting in a 0-3 loss

- In February & March India lost its first home test series (2-0) in 13 years to South Africa. In the second test, India lost by innings and 71 runs.

- In Novembers, India played a two test series against Zimbabwe. Andy Flower scored 540 runs in a 2 Test series and India won just 1 Test.

- India’s morale was at an all time low with their captain Azharuddin being banned for match fixing. Senior players such as Jadeja & Mongia were banned as well.

- Australia was at its absolute best. They had won the World Cup in 1999 and won a record 15 consecutive Test matches beating the record set by the the legendary WestIndies team led by Clive Lloyd which had won 11 successive tests.

- Australian captain Steve Waugh had declared that India was the final frontier. He wanted to become the first Australian captain in 4 decades to win a Test series in India.

INDIA VS AUSTRALIA 2001

In the first test match, Australia won at Mumbai by 10 wickets.

KOLKATA 2001

1st innings : Australia scored 445
1st innings : India was dismissed for 171.

India was asked to bat again.

In the 125 years of test cricket, only twice had a team won after being enforced to follow on.

Eng won in 1894 after having a deficit of 261 runs.
Eng won in 1981 after having a deficit of 227 runs.

At the end of Day 3, India’s score in the second innings was 254/4 and Sachin Tendulkar was also dismissed.

India had a deficit of 274 runs. For India to win, it has to create history.

MAGIC HAPPENED

VVS Laxman was playing at number 3 for second time in his career and Rahul Dravid was playing at number 6 position for first time since 1996.

Both Laxman & Dravid remained unbeaten the entire day to score 166 & 148 runs respectively on Day 4.

At end of Day 4, India was now leading by 315 runs.

DAY 5

On Day 5, India declared at 657/7 thanks to Laxman’s 281 & Dravid’s 180.

India had to dismiss Australia for less than 384 runs in less than 75 overs.


Australia had a great start and cruised to 74-0 in 23 overs.


Without Javagal Srinath & Anil Kumble, India’s bowling lineup was very inexperienced.

Venkatesh Prasad was our senior most bowler. Zaheer Khan was playing his 3rd Test match and Venkatapathy Raju was playing his first Test in 3 years.

Ganguly had been captain for just two series before - One against Bangladesh and one against Zimbabwe.

Harbhajan Singh was playing his first Test match in 15 months and was picked only on the insistence of Saurav Ganguly.

Harbhajan picked 6 wickets in the second innings and was aided by superstar Sachin Tendulkar who picked 3 wickets to dismiss Australia for 212 runs.

Australia’s record of 16 consecutive wins was finally over.

Indian cricket had forgotten the shame of match fixing and defeats to finally beat the World Champion.

I still remember the match and people coming out of their homes and bursting firecrackers in joy. It was a nationwide celebration.

ok

 

[Burgey]

I feel the ‘86 tied test in Madras is sadly underappreciated compared to the ‘60 test in Brisbane.

Shoutout to Greg Matthews in extremely hot conditions, bowled unchanged for 40 overs in the final innings.

Would have been a travesty had Australia lost that match. Declared twice and only lost 12 wickets in the match. Went a long way towards making Border very conservative when it came to declaring in future matches.

Must have been an incredible last day to watch though. Fair play to both sides for pressing for a win til the last.

 

[Burgey]

Adelaide 1993 was an epic match.