Best Test

[vcs]

Kolkata test was great for Indian fans and it can be counted in one of the greatest comebacks ever but overall, it wasn't a 'great' test. It only had great performances from one team.

Weren't Steve Waugh, Hayden and McGrath/Gillespie great in that game? You can't have all 22 players being successful in the same match.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

I really enjoyed the NZ v SL series especially the Reserve Test 2nd Test: New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Wellington, Jan 3-7, 2015 | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

Second.

 

[AldoRaine18]

Weren't Steve Waugh, Hayden and McGrath/Gillespie great in that game? You can't have all 22 players being successful in the same match.

They couldn't take a single wicket for an entire day.

Tue, 13 Mar - day 3 - India 2nd innings 254/4 (VVS Laxman 109*, R Dravid 7*, 75 ov)
Wed, 14 Mar - day 4 - India 2nd innings 589/4 (VVS Laxman 275*, R Dravid 155*, 165 ov)

That's awful, both for the captain and the bowlers. They have themselves expressed disappointment about that.

Not to mention the Aussie batting dropping like flies two innings in a row to the same bowler. You really cannot defend Australia's performance in that game with either bat or ball.

 

[fredfertang]

Old Trafford '56 - ten little Aussie boys, Lakered in a row

 

[mr_mister]

def second 3rd test from Aus vs WI from '99. Scoring 500 in your first innings and losing is ridic


3rd Test: West Indies v Australia at Bridgetown, Mar 26-30, 1999 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo


I'll also say the 4th match of the '01 Ashes, Australia had looked unbeatable all series and then Butcher randomly plays out of his skin to steal it


4th Test: England v Australia at Leeds, Aug 16-20, 2001 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[mr_mister]

They couldn't take a single wicket for an entire day.

Tue, 13 Mar - day 3 - India 2nd innings 254/4 (VVS Laxman 109*, R Dravid 7*, 75 ov)
Wed, 14 Mar - day 4 - India 2nd innings 589/4 (VVS Laxman 275*, R Dravid 155*, 165 ov)

That's awful, both for the captain and the bowlers. They have themselves expressed disappointment about that.

Not to mention the Aussie batting dropping like flies two innings in a row to the same bowler. You really cannot defend Australia's performance in that game with either bat or ball.

contender for worst post of all time i've read here

you are aware India were required to follow on after the first innings right? The match is so good because Australia dominated the first half and India the second. I believe they call it a 'comeback' in sporting jargon


I'll defend McGrath's 4-18 and Waugh's 110 thank you very much

 

[AldoRaine18]

contender for worst post of all time i've read here

you are aware India were required to follow on after the first innings right? The match is so good because Australia dominated the first half and India the second. I believe they call it a 'comeback' in sporting jargon


I'll defend McGrath's 4-18 and Waugh's 110 thank you very much

Sorry, but there's no excuse for not taking a single wicket for 90 overs.

How many times has that even happened?

I'm an Indian and that is the single greatest moment in the history of cricket for our nation, I watched every single minute of it and I was as baffled as anyone else to see Harbhajan of all people take 15 wickets against that Australian batting order.

Anyway, to each his own, mate.

 

[StephenZA]

Since its impossible for me to say which is the greatest test of all time I will give my favourite/most memorable tests in descending order as a Saffa (post 1994):
1st Test: England v South Africa at The Oval, Jul 19-23, 2012 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo
1st Test: Australia v South Africa at Perth, Dec 17-21, 2008 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo
2nd Test: Australia v South Africa at Melbourne, Dec 26-30, 2008 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo
1st Test: India v South Africa at Nagpur, Feb 6-9, 2010 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo
2nd Test: Australia v South Africa at Sydney, Jan 2-6, 1994 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[mr_mister]

Sorry, but there's no excuse for not taking a single wicket for 90 overs.

How many times has that even happened?

I'm an Indian and that is the single greatest moment in the history of cricket for our nation, I watched every single minute of it and I was as baffled as anyone else to see Harbhajan of all people take 15 wickets against that Australian batting order.

Anyway, to each his own, mate.

The excuse is that ya boys VVS and Rahul batted tremendously. Not everything is a result of one team underperforming, sometimes the other team played good

 

[AldoRaine18]

The excuse is that ya boys VVS and Rahul batted tremendously. Not everything is a result of one team underperforming, sometimes the other team played good

Of course, no question. Laxman's innings is rated as one of the best of all time and rightly so, and Rahul was a class act as always.

Anyway, if you read above you'd see I've already called it an amazing test match, one I've watched live and then on replays plenty of times, but this discussion is about the best test ever, which is where I thought a more balanced test in terms of performances and historical moments could be chosen.

Not sure where the hostility is coming from, though that's a silly thing to ask on the internet.

 

[jimmy101]

So virtually every Australian Test ever then....

I guess Australian tests are popping up alot because a victory against them is always a memorable one & a real notch in the belt.

 

[Burgey]

Been a couple of noms for the Aus-SA Test at Sydney in 1994. I went to the second day of that test and I can honestly say it as the worst day's play I've seen in my life. A few of us from the cricket club went together along with my grandfather (it was the last Test he went to) and as we walked in he said "I came and saw Australia play South Africa here in the (50s or 60s) and there were only about 160 runs scored all day. Hope today is better". Well, fmd. Australia limped from 1/20 at the start to 5/200 at stumps. It was utterly tedious.

You could tell the deck was a bit slow, but it was only going to get harder to bat on. Why Australia bated so slowly when the pitch was at its best is beyond me. Day one SA had gone from 1/90 odd to all out 170, and it looked like Australia would just grind them into the ground. Neither side could cope with the slow deck, really.

Just shows you don't need to have perfectly executed skills for a match to turn out a great one.

 

[GIMH]

Gotta be Edgbaston 05 hasn't it?

Sorry to be a pain but class this as either a nomination or a seconding.

 

[mr_mister]

Of course, no question. Laxman's innings is rated as one of the best of all time and rightly so, and Rahul was a class act as always.

Anyway, if you read above you'd see I've already called it an amazing test match, one I've watched live and then on replays plenty of times, but this discussion is about the best test ever, which is where I thought a more balanced test in terms of performances and historical moments could be chosen.

Not sure where the hostility is coming from, though that's a silly thing to ask on the internet.

sorry about the hostility

 

[G.I.Joe]

Kolkata test was great for Indian fans and it can be counted in one of the greatest comebacks ever but overall, it wasn't a 'great' test. It only had great performances from one team.

Australia had great performances in the test too.

That they may have toiled in the field for a day and a half later does not retrospectively make Hayden's 97 or Steve Waugh's 100 or McGrath's 4/18 vanish into thin air. The magnitude of India's response in the Test necessarily implies that Australia had already put in the yards over the first two innings in establishing that seemingly unsurmountable challenge. You're basically disregarding Newton's third law.

 

[SkyBlue]

From what i've watched :

Definitely Aus-India at Eden Gardens 2001.One of the greatest comebacks of all time imo.

Ashes Edgbaston test 2005

England-Sri Lanka at Lords(last year i think).Infact both the test matches in that series was a superb advert for test cricket.

Australia-West Indies where Lara wins it for them in '98 i think.

Australia-SA in South Africa in 2011 where Cummins scores the winning runs for the Aussies.

 

[AldoRaine18]

Australia had great performances in the test too.

That they may have toiled in the field for a day and a half later does not retrospectively make Hayden's 97 or Steve Waugh's 100 or McGrath's 4/18 vanish into thin air. The magnitude of India's response in the Test necessarily implies that Australia had already put in the yards over the first two innings in establishing that seemingly unsurmountable challenge. You're basically disregarding Newton's third law.

Not disagreeing it was a great spectacle, mate. I do believe Australia could have definitely done better at times, without taking anything away from our players. Specially with the bat.

 

[AldoRaine18]

sorry about the hostility

No harm done.

 

[StephenZA]

Been a couple of noms for the Aus-SA Test at Sydney in 1994. I went to the second day of that test and I can honestly say it as the worst day's play I've seen in my life. A few of us from the cricket club went together along with my grandfather (it was the last Test he went to) and as we walked in he said "I came and saw Australia play South Africa here in the (50s or 60s) and there were only about 160 runs scored all day. Hope today is better". Well, fmd. Australia limped from 1/20 at the start to 5/200 at stumps. It was utterly tedious.

You could tell the deck was a bit slow, but it was only going to get harder to bat on. Why Australia bated so slowly when the pitch was at its best is beyond me. Day one SA had gone from 1/90 odd to all out 170, and it looked like Australia would just grind them into the ground. Neither side could cope with the slow deck, really.

Just shows you don't need to have perfectly executed skills for a match to turn out a great one.

My abiding memory of that Test is Fanie de Villers standing in the middle of the pitch with his arms raised. He was such a good swing bowler...

 

[SkyBlue]

Special mention to the Cardiff Ashes test in 2009 where Anderson and Panesar batted like 20 overs odd to save the test match.England would've looked back at that game fondly as that result helped them to bag the Ashes.

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