Pakistan v India '99, India v Aus 2001 or England v Australia 2005? Which was more epic?

[GLORY OF '92]

3 of the greatest series of the past 2 decades.

Which was the most epic one?

Hard choice with Chennai, Kumble's 10fer, Laxman, Flintoff etc....

 

[Sidilicious]

Pak vs Ind deserved an extra third test. If you count the Kolkata test as the third test, it was amazing.

But even as an Indian supporter, the Ashes 2005 ranks as the best series of modern times. the ebb and flow was amazing, plus it was a 5 test series.

India vs Aus next, again due to the ebb and flow, but since it was a 3 test series, tends to lose its significance a bit.

India vs Pak was a great series, but ranks below these 2.

 

[taqi]

my fav list with priority

1) Pakistan vs India 99
2) Ashes 2005
3) India vs Aus 2001

 

[Sherlock]

Eng v Australia 2005 Ashes!

 

[Markhor]

"Jones ! Bowden ! Kasprowicz the man to go !"

Edgbaston 2005 gets the nod probably by the sheer closeness of the scoreline and the incredible drama of the whole series.

It was on free to air TV and over 7 million watched. Cricket became the national sport over the summer, even more so than football. The most extraordinary summer and its unbelievable its 10 years ago.

 

[The_KING]

Definitely the 2005 ashes series. What a series!!! I can't believe that it was 10 years ago. It was before Sky Sports came and ruined cricket like other sports. I miss those days.

 

[Scrolln]

India vs Australia 2001.

No rain effected matches, with full strength teams going head to head with all players all the top of their games.

Ashes 2005 was superb but England were largely benefited by the absence of McGrath in the 4th test (which England won), Damien Martyn at the fag end of his career, Adam Gilchrist in the middle of his worst test batting patch, an inexperienced out of form Michael Clarke and an over the hill Jason Gillispie.

The 2001 Australian team that India defeated was comfortably superior, and in the middle of the greatest winning streak in history.

All hail VVS!

 

[Sandeep]

2005 Ashes has to be the greatest series of all time, just for the sheer quality of cricket that was played by either side.
2001 Border-Gavaskar comes next, for the epic turnaround against an extraordinary side.
1999 series, I don't even remember the result, except that Sachin's innings.. What was the final scoreline?

 

[Sandeep]

McGrath's absence in at least a couple of tests in 2005 helped England a lot, but still a massive achievement nevertheless..

 

[Acricketfan]

India vs Australia 2001 is the greatest series of the last 25 years at least. Take a VVS Laxman , Rahul Dravid and Bhajji.

 

[Cricfan4eva]

Ashes 2005 was just something different. Watching a young KP take on the spin legend was a sight to watch. Ind v Aus 2001 comes close.

 

[TheNightWatchman]

1-Ashes 2005
2-Inda Pak 99
3-India Aus 2001

Ashes 05 had so many close matches and iconic moments

 

[tempus123]

India vs Australia 2001 is the greatest series of the last 25 years at least. Take a VVS Laxman , Rahul Dravid and Bhajji.

So, players from only one team deserve the applause, and the series was great ?

 

[tempus123]

India vs Australia 2001.

No rain effected matches, with full strength teams going head to head with all players all the top of their games.

Ashes 2005 was superb but England were largely benefited by the absence of McGrath in the 4th test (which England won), Damien Martyn at the fag end of his career, Adam Gilchrist in the middle of his worst test batting patch, an inexperienced out of form Michael Clarke and an over the hill Jason Gillispie.

The 2001 Australian team that India defeated was comfortably superior, and in the middle of the greatest winning streak in history.

All hail VVS!

Kumble didn't play, also Ponting could be said to be going through his worst Test form, the same logic you are applying with Gilly in Ashes. To think of it, even Gilly after his match winning century in Mumbai, didn't do anything of note in the rest of the series.

 

[tempus123]

1-Ashes 2005
2-Inda Pak 99
3-India Aus 2001

Ashes 05 had so many close matches and iconic moments

India Australia 2001, the last Test match was very close, and the second match was as iconic as it gets.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Ind vs Aus 2001....

Eng vs Aus 2005

Ind vs Pak 1999

 

[TheNightWatchman]

India Australia 2001, the last Test match was very close, and the second match was as iconic as it gets.

The 2nd and 3rd tests in the Ashes were much closer and the 4th test too to an extent

 

[TheNightWatchman]

The only reason I posted Pak India higher was because of the contests between the 2 W's and the Fab 4 and the extremely high tension buildup. No test series could ever replicate that anticipation. And the 1st test contest was worth the wait.

 

[Sidilicious]

The only reason I posted Pak India higher was because of the contests between the 2 W's and the Fab 4 and the extremely high tension buildup. No test series could ever replicate that anticipation. And the 1st test contest was worth the wait.

There was no fab 4 then! or at least they had not reached the levels they would reach a couple of years later

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

2005 Ashes
Ind - Aus (because of that iconic test that changed the course of the series plus the thriller 3rd test)
India - Pak (amazing no doubt but those 2 were better)

 

[Neferpitou]

2005 Ashes.

 

[Acricketfan]

So, players from only one team deserve the applause, and the series was great ?

Does a cricket fan remembers any great performance by an Aussie player in that series ?

 

[BeautifulGame]

India vs Australia 2001.

No rain effected matches, with full strength teams going head to head with all players all the top of their games.

Ashes 2005 was superb but England were largely benefited by the absence of McGrath in the 4th test (which England won), Damien Martyn at the fag end of his career, Adam Gilchrist in the middle of his worst test batting patch, an inexperienced out of form Michael Clarke and an over the hill Jason Gillispie.

The 2001 Australian team that India defeated was comfortably superior, and in the middle of the greatest winning streak in history.

All hail VVS!

Both of India's recognized test bowlers Kumble and Srinath were injured and out for the test series.

 

[Sanzcool]

Definitely the Ind vs Aus series was superior when compared to others. To beat one of the (If not the) strongest team in histories and that too the comeback that India made in the series was something special.

 

[BeautifulGame]

2001 series simply becoz no one would have predicted the come back or India winning the series after the 3rd day at Kolkatta.It was one of the greatest comebacks ever in sporting history not just cricket imo

 

[Stallion__]

Ashes 2005
Border-Gavasker 2001
Indo-Pak 1999

If there is any achievement of Indian cricket, I would want it to be Pakistan's, it would be that Australia series of 2001.

 

[Sandeep]

The only reason I posted Pak India higher was because of the contests between the 2 W's and the Fab 4 and the extremely high tension buildup. No test series could ever replicate that anticipation. And the 1st test contest was worth the wait.

How many tests were played and what was the result of the series? Can you tell me without looking at cricinfo?

 

[tempus123]

Does a cricket fan remembers any great performance by an Aussie player in that series ?

Matthew Hayden. He scored around 500+ that series. Was probably the only one who stood to Harbhajan.

McGrath took 17 wickets in the series if I am not wrong.. that is a very good bowling, and not to forget Gillespie's spirited performance in the last innings of the series.

So, unless you deliberately choose to ignore them, I am pretty sure Aussies were worth a mention.

 

[tempus123]

How many tests were played and what was the result of the series? Can you tell me without looking at cricinfo?

2 Tests, 1-all. It was very famous series, not sure why anyone would require cricinfo to remember even the performances.

 

[Neferpitou]

1999 Indo-Pak series though memorable was too short to be considered an ATG series and the pitches prepared were pathetic to say the least.

 

[tempus123]

1999 Indo-Pak series though memorable was too short to be considered an ATG series and the pitches prepared were pathetic to say the least.

The pitches were good.. which world are you living in ?

 

[tempus123]

The 2nd and 3rd tests in the Ashes were much closer and the 4th test too to an extent

I am not sure you can get a more exciting Test match than a team following on and ending up winning it.

 

[Scrolln]

Both of India's recognized test bowlers Kumble and Srinath were injured and out for the test series.

Sorry, i missed that.

However, in Kumble's absence Harbhajan Singh gave one of the freakiest series bowling performances of all time. He took 32 wickets in 3 matches and the next best bowler for India was Sachin Tendulkar with 3 wickets !

Srinath did play the first match of the series, and wasn't particularly impressive. His record against Australia was poor, and since that series went into a decline from which he could never recover. I don't think he would've made much difference to the outcome
of the later games, say as much as McGrath missing out tests against England.

 

[Pantani]

Does a cricket fan remembers any great performance by an Aussie player in that series ?

Hayden and McGrath were brilliant through all three tests. Gilchrist's ton at Mumbai was also fantastic. And Waugh made a fine rearguard hundred at Eden Gardens, batting with Gillespie and McGrath for most of it.

Nobody really did very poorly on the Australian side other than Ponting. Even Warne had a pretty good game in the first test.

 

[Pantani]

I am not sure you can get a more exciting Test match than a team following on and ending up winning it.

Following on after being routed in the previous test and contending with an opponent who had won sixteen matches in a row! It was such a huge upset. Completely against the formbook and the run of play in the test itself.

 

[tempus123]

Sorry, i missed that.

However, in Kumble's absence Harbhajan Singh gave one of the freakiest series bowling performances of all time. He took 32 wickets in 3 matches and the next best bowler for India was Sachin Tendulkar with 3 wickets !

Srinath did play the first match of the series, and wasn't particularly impressive. His record against Australia was poor, and since that series went into a decline from which he could never recover. I don't think he would've made much difference to the outcome
of the later games, say as much as McGrath missing out tests against England.

We never know, if Kumble had played along with Bhajji, the Kolkata and Mumbai Tests would have been in favour of India anyway. Even the Chennai Test would not have gone down to the wire as it did, because India had only one bowler operating.

 

[Scrolln]

We never know, if Kumble had played along with Bhajji, the Kolkata and Mumbai Tests would have been in favour of India anyway. Even the Chennai Test would not have gone down to the wire as it did, because India had only one bowler operating.

You are probably right. I did not know Bhajji and Kumble played as many tests together before the epic series.

That makes the victory even sweeter for us, that we did it without our greatest bowler on home soil ever

 

[Sidilicious]

Does a cricket fan remembers any great performance by an Aussie player in that series ?

Hayden throughout the series.

Gilly in the first test.

Steve Waugh with the tail in the Kolkata Test after Bhajji's hat trick

Aussies coming back into the game collectively in the 4th innings of the final test, when India were in a very commanding position with Ramesh and Laxman at the crease

 

[Sidilicious]

1999 Indo-Pak series though memorable was too short to be considered an ATG series and the pitches prepared were pathetic to say the least.

Pitches I though were fine. Both tests took 40 wickets and went to the 4th day

 

[Pantani]

The 1990s series' between Australia and West Indies were before my time but they sound like they were good:

http://m.espncricinfo.com/magazine/...type=features;teamSettingId=2;refsource=index

 

[MenInG]

Former leg-spinner Shane Warne recalled how it was being on the field for almost 180 overs and watching VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid script one of Test cricket’s greatest comebacks of all time during the 2001 Test match between India and Australia and Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.

In reply to Australia’s first-innings total of 445, India were bundled out for 171. However, after Steve Waugh decided to enforce the follow-on, Dravid and Laxman’s record 376-run partnership for the fifth wicket laid the groundwork for India’s mammoth 657/7 declared, a stage from where they came back to win the Test match, becoming only the third team in history to win a Test after following-on. Warne, who finished with 1/152 from 34 overs, recalled his and Australia’s long day on the field.

“I remember standing in slips in between bowling about 4000 overs and getting hammered around the ground. I discussed my favourite movies with Adam Gilchrist, we swapped hats, and tried everything to try and not think about it. My favourite songs... I think we were delirious,” Warne said on air during the third Test between England and Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl.

That said, Warne took nothing away from Laxman and Dravid’s effort. Coming together at 248/4, the two batsmen batted an entire day – and a total of 104 overs – with Laxman carving a place for himself scoring in history with a career-best knock of 281. The knock helped raise Laxman’s stocks and he reached unprecedented heights from there.

“But they played beautifully, Laxman and Dravid. In my time, it was as good an innings as there was. Laxman’s innings was beautiful, Dravid was exceptional too. Sometimes you just have to say ‘too god’,” Warne added.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...ardens-test/story-gEKXFgNpO7R66hETA3e3HL.html

 

[Ab Fan]

Laxman's 281 remains the greatest inning that I have ever seen.

Considering the opposition, bowling attack, game situation and impact it has to Indian test cricket post Eden Gardens test, it was a GOAT knock.

 

[Last Monetarist]

It's one of those questions that would provoke heavily biased answers depending on the nationality of the chap surveyed.

For what it's worth:

1. Chennai '99
2. Edgbaston '05
3. Bridgetown '99
4. Headingley '19
5. Kolkata '01

 

[ufcfan]

Nothing comes close to 2001 series,birth of aggressive brand of cricket in India
GOAT Aussies on a rampage met India

 

[CanadianG00se]

The only reason I posted Pak India higher was because of the contests between the 2 W's and the Fab 4 and the extremely high tension buildup. No test series could ever replicate that anticipation. And the 1st test contest was worth the wait.

Not really at least for most Indian fans.

2001 series for me personally is best series ever.

0-1down(heavy defeat in first test) and follow on in second test(seem series was lost already), then came Dravid-Laxman magic to change the game and series. India-Pakistan 99 series isn’t even in top 5 for me.

India v Australia 2001

India v Australia 2003-4 Australia

India v Australia 2016-17 India( very exciting series)

India v Pakistan 2004
India v Australia 2018 ( First ever series win down under).

 

[sweep_shot]

England vs Australia (2005).

That was the best Test in my lifetime.

 

[Shaddy86]

Ashes 2005, The best test series of all time. Nothing will ever come close.

 

[shariqnoor]

Ashes 2005. It was compelling viewing. Basically Warne vs England. And kudos to the England selectors at that time. They dropped Graham Thorpe to induct Kevin Pietersen. Masterstroke it turned out to be.

 

[MP2011]

India Australia 2001 series, by far.

 

[gibsyhesperis]

Easy — Eng vs Aus 2005
Best series in over forty years of watching Test cricket. The level of cricket, the historical rivalry and the backdrop of England winning the Ashes at home after such a long time.
Nothing even close

 

[andy0204]

Recent times
Ashes 2019
India vs Australia 2017
England vs Pakistan 2016
South Africa vs India 2018
Windies vs England 2019
Windies vs Srilanka 2018
Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe 2018