Five of the best..!

In cricketing parlance, the mere mention of 1960-61, 1981, 1999, 2001 and 2005 serves up heady memories and replays and is inevitably a precursor to plenty of discussions. These years saw classic test matches and series played and cricket lovers all over were treated to some of the finest performances ever seen in the game's great history. The drama of these riveting and absorbing games was further enhanced by the tremendous achievements of the legendary players who graced these contests..I shall, with descriptions, photos and statistical highlights, aim to recapture those great moments from these outstanding series..

1. Almost universally acclaimed as the greatest series of all, the Australia-West Indies clash in 1960-61 had it all..Legendary players, top flight performances, brilliant and aggressive cricket coupled with edge of seat thrillers evoked a sense of awe in one and all who witnessed this memorable series. Frank Worrell (WI) and Richie Benaud (Aus) led their respective teams. The West Indians had arrived in Australia with the reputation of playing fearless aggressive and exciting cricket. But was their dynamic Calypso charm going to hold its own against brutal Australian efficiency?..A mouth watering contest was in prospect and it did not disappoint one bit..

The series began at the Gabba in Brisbane. From a rather precarious 65/3, the West Indies ended up with a very good score of 453. Garry Sobers made a superb 132 which is still regarded by many as one of the finest test innings seen down under. Worrell and others weighed in to put pressure on the hosts. Australia replied powerfully with Simpson who scored 92 and a magnificent 181 from Norman O'Neill. They had amassed 505 and a lead of 52 was going to be handy. The West Indians were blown away for 284 with the great left arm paceman Alan Davidson taking 6 wickets..Faced with a rather attainable target of 233, the Aussies were stunned by the fiery pace of Wesley Hall and were tottering at 96/6. Davidson joined the skipper Benaud and together they were involved in a fantastic rearguard effort and at 226/6, Australia looked to have it all wrapped up..A moment of panic resulted in Davidson being run out and when Hall began the final over of this extraordinary game, all results were possible. Benaud was caught behind, Hall missed an easy run out and dropped a catch that would have been easily taken by Kanhai and by now it was nail biting stuff..Conrad Hunte ran Grout out with the scores level and when Joe Solomon swooped brilliantly and threw down the stumps from mid wicket to run Ian Meckiff out, the teams were stunned. They didn't realize immediately that they had been part of a classic test match finish and the rarest one at that- a tie.!..What a start it had been to the highly anticipated series?...

In the next test at the MCG, the Aussies dominated the West Indians throughout and earned a 7 wicket win. Davidson picked up 8 wickets for the match. But there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the Caribbeans would be back..and they did exactly that.
Sobers top scored with 168 and the spin pair of Gibbs and Valentine combined in both innings to enable the West Indies to inflict a crushing 222 run defeat on the Aussies..The series was now thrown widely open again and the teams entered Adelaide to try and press home the advantage..Rohan Kanhai made brilliant centuries in both innings and with Australia reeling at 207/9 chasing a massive 460, few had any hope that they could survive two hours against the marauding West Indian attack. In a quite remarkable display of grit and determination, Kline and Mackay survived nearly 110 minutes and rescued Australia from certain defeat and this truly exhilarating series reached its much awaited finale when the teams travelled to Melbourne for the final test..In a gripping contest, the bloody mindedness of the Aussies came to the forefront as they squeezed home by two wickets to win what was possibly the finest series ever 2-1..The West Indians were lauded for the fascinating brand of cricket they played and were given a ticker tape farewell in Melbourne with thousands lining the streets..The contest between these two great cricketing nations came to be renamed after the charismatic West Indian captain Frank Worrell who so inspired his team and gained the respect of one and all..The memories of the summer of 1960-61 undoubtedly are ingrained in the minds of all test cricket lovers and the quality of cricket played has never been bettered..

Below: Left- Final run out of the tied test at the Gabba
Right: Farewell accorded to Frank Worrell's team in Melbourne after the great series.







The scorecards and statistics of this magnificent series can be found here

The video highlights of the tied test and the series can be found here.

2. Australia had been ravaged by the Packer years and when the team was back to full strength in 1981, they travelled to England to contest the Ashes. England was led by the mercurial Ian Botham, a strange and rather hasty choice for captain..The Aussies missed the great Greg Chappell who was out with injury but had a strong outfit led by Kim Hughes..In the first test at Nottingham, Australia prevailed in a low scoring game by 4 wickets with Lillee and Alderman causing havoc in the English ranks..Botham resigned from captaincy after the 2nd test at Lords where he bagged a pair. The game itself ended in a draw and when the series moved to Leeds, the Aussies definitely had the edge. English morale was at an all time low and they had to quickly find a way to settle the nerves. Mike Brearley took over as the English skipper and persuaded Botham to relax and perform..The game started horribly for Brearley when in response to Australia's 401 (Dyson 102, Hughes 89), England were bundled out for 174. After being asked to follow on, England collapsed to 135/7 and were staring at an ignominious defeat. Ian Botham who had top scored in the diastrous first innings with a half century was joined by Graham Dilley and Dilley's aggressive approach soon rubbed off on Botham. Ian Botham went on to score an audacious unbeaten 149, the highlight of which was the extraordinary hooked sixes off Lilee..Richie Benaud's immortal line on commentary "Dont bother looking for that. Its gone right into the confectionery stall and out again" remains in memory..Chris Old also supported Botham and England finally posted 356 setting Australia a paltry 130 to get..The momentum had swung though. Australia, still favourites to win were quite irritated and when Botham got the first wicket, the game was on. Bob WIllis scythed through the Aussies with a quite remarkable spell of 8/43 and the Aussies were bundled out for 111 and England had triumphed astonishingly after being asked to follow on. The series was well and truly alive when it moved to Edgbaston. Australia dominated the game and at 105/5 chasing 151, they were extremely well placed to go 2-1 up. Ian Botham who had risen like a phoenix had other ideas though. In a sensational spell of fast bowling, he took 5 wickets for 1 run and the Aussies collapsed to 121 leaving England victorious by 29 runs..In the next test at Old Trafford, Botham once again scored a quickfire 118 in the 2nd innings. He belted 6 sixes and 13 fours and it was a quite stupendous display of power hitting. Australia, with centuries from Yallop and Border bravely attempted to chase the massive target of 506 but fell 103 runs short. The Ashes had witnessed an unbelievable turnaround and Ian Botham was the toast of England. The next test at the Oval was drawn to hand the series to England 3-1. For reasons well documented, this series came to be known as Botham's Ashes and to this day is the pinnacle of the great all rounder's remarkable career.

Below: Left- Ian Botham after his remarkable 149* at Leeds.
Right: Bob WIllis during his superb spell of 8/43 at Leeds.







The scorecards and statistics of this immortal Ashes face off can be found here

The video of Botham's 149* is here.

3. It was David vs Goliath once again except that in this case there wasn't a glimmer of hope for the underdog. When Steve Waugh led his exceptional Australian team to meet the Brian Lara led West Indies in the Caribbean in 1999, nobody was in doubt about the result. The West Indies were plagued by controversies and crushing defeats over the past two years had done little to boost their confidence for this all important clash..In the first test at Port of Spain, the West Indies were bowled out for what was then their lowest test score- 51 to lose the test by a huge margin of 312 runs..Severe criticism and calls for Brian Lara's head followed and there seemed no way out..What followed can only be described as out of the world!...In the 2nd test at Sabina Park, Brian Lara exorcised the ghosts of the previous test by compiling a supreme 213 and added a record 322 with Jimmy Adams paving the way for a huge total. The West Indian bowlers responded well to bowl the Aussies out for 177 and set up a 10 wicket win..The comeback had only just begun..At the mecca of West Indian cricket- Barbados, the Aussies, riding on strong performances from their captain Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting scored 490. After bowling out the West Indies for 329, Australia themselves ran into an inspired Courtney Walsh and were routed for 146 thus setting a daunting target of 308. It seemed all over at 105/5 when Lara and Adams combined again to lift the home team to 238 when Glenn McGrath came back to castle Adams with a beauty. McGrath then left the West Indies gasping with two more quick wickets and at 248/8 with 60 runs more to get and only the tailenders Ambrose and Walsh to follow, all hope seemed lost. Brian Lara already incensed after a clash with McGrath kept the runs flowing and essayed some gorgeous drives. When Ambrose finally fell with 6 runs to go, the end seemed nigh considering the fact that the inept Walsh was to follow. Courtney Walsh showed enough pluck and guts and kept out some fantastic balls from McGrath and Gillespie and when Brian Lara finally crashed Gillespie through the covers to win this classic game, the world had just witnessed one of the most remarkable matches and were enthralled by the sublime batting skills of the left handed genius. Lara smashed a superb 100 made off just 84 balls in the next test but was unable to stave off defeat as his team went down by 176 runs..The series was level 2-2 but the psychological battle had been won by the West Indies and Brian Lara had taken single handedly on the might of the Aussies and come up trumps..

Below: Brian Lara rushes off to celebrate the astonishing win at Barabdos.



The details of this classic series can be found here.

The highlights from the Barbados classic including Lara's epic 153* can be found here.

4. Steve Waugh called India the 'final frontier'. The Aussies had not triumphed in a series in India since 1969 and he was determined to change this. His all conquering juggernaut visited India in Feb 2001. The Aussies had won a record 15 tests in a row and when the first test got underway in Mumbai, the signs were ominous for India. They were bowled out for 176 with only Tendulkar (76) offering any resistance. The Aussies were in trouble at 99/5 when the dashing Gilchrist joined Matthew Hayden and proceeded to slaughter the bowling. He made a brilliant 122 and the Aussies had well and truly gone ahead. When they bowled India out for 219, they were left to score 47 and this was achieved without any fuss. The Aussies had won by 10 wickets and this was their 16th consecutive win. India needed to get things right when the two teams moved to clash at the hallowed Eden Gardens. Steve Waugh scored a gritty century and his partnership with the tail enders boosted the score to 445. Nobody resisted with the exception of VVS Laxman, who made 59. Steve Waugh decided to enforce the follow on as he had a huge lead of 274 runs. When Tendulkar was dismissed, the result seemed a formality. The captain Saurav Ganguly provided much needed support to Laxman who had been promoted to number 3. Rahul Dravid joined Laxman at the fall of Ganguly and this pair went on to create history. Laxman's immortal 281 replete with classical strokes and silken wristwork was ably supported by the technically superb Dravid who made a superb 180. They batted the entire 4th day without being separated and Laxman's chanceless knock has since been regarded the greatest played by an Indian. His expert handling of the great Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne stands out for its sheer quality..India had altered the balance and now the Aussies were struggling. Harbhajan Singh, who had earlier taken a hattrick in the first innings bowled brilliantly and the pressure got to the Aussies. They lost the game by 171 runs and the Aussie team had been halted in its victory march..The great series moved to Chennai and a moment of indiscretion from the Aussie skipper Steve Waugh, who handled the ball, saw his team collapsing from a position of great strength at 340/3 to 391 all out. India led by Tendulkar's ton secured a lead of 110 runs and this was going to be vital on a wearing pitch..Australia once again failed to master the 'Turbanator' and his haul of 8/84 left India chasing 155. From 101/3 when victory seemed within the grasp, India collapsed to 135/7 and eventually the man who did the job with the ball, Harbhajan Singh had to squeeze out the winning runs to win the classic test match and thus seal India's triumph in one of the finest series of all time..This series instantly brings to mind VVS Laxman's immortal 281, Harbhajan Singh's 32 wickets and the return of Matthew Hayden who went on to become one of the most prolific batsmen of the decade..

Below: VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid during their immortal stand against the Aussies, Calcutta 2001




Check the scores and stats for this series here.

The video of the immortal Eden Gardens test where VVS Laxman scored his 281 can be found here.

5. Ricky Ponting had taken over the reins of the Australian team from Steve Waugh and the biggest challenge he faced was to sustain the extraordinary performances of the team under Waugh. Ponting reached England in the summer of 2005 with an exceptional unit and going by past records, retaining the Ashes was deemed to be a mere formality. The hype was enormous and the tension was palpable. In the first test at Lords, Steve Harmison grabbed 5 wickets and Australia were shot out for 190. Any hopes of an England lead were quickly crushed by Glenn McGrath who bowled remarkably picking up 5 wickets leaving the hosts tottering at 21/5. Kevin Pietersen, the volatile yet exceptionally talented debutant counter attacked and propped up England to 155. Michael Clarke's 91 to go with half centuries from Damien Martyn and Simon Katich boosted Australia to 384 and they had set England a target of 420. England collapsed to 180 and went on to lose by 239 runs. The familiar pattern had set in again and it was becoming all the more difficult for them to get back into the contest. The morning of the 2nd test brought England hope even before the game started. Glenn McGrath, so often England's nemesis twisted his ankle after stepping on a stray ball during practice and was ruled out of the game. England's morale needed no further boost and they proceeded to attack the rest of the Aussie attack and scored a remarkable 407 in les than 80 overs. England's fast bowlers came to the party and restricted the Aussies to 308. Shane Warne's brilliant bowling effort left the hosts stunned and at 131/9 it looked very bleak. Andrew Flintoff smashed the bowling and took the score to 182 which left the Aussies having to score 282 for a win. When Steve Harmison bowled Michael Clarke with a superb slower ball to leave the Aussies at 175/8, 1-1 seemed round the corner..Shane Warne had other ideas though. He made 42 and added crucial runs with Brett Lee. When Flintoff returned to have Warne hit wicket, at 220/9. the game seemed destined to be England's. Michael kasprowicz joined Lee and a quite stunning rearguard effort took them to striking distance. The tension was unbearable and just as it seemed that the Aussies had pulled off another of those great escapes, Steve Harmison produced a wicked bouncer which was ruled to have flicked Kasprowicz's glove. England had squeezed home by 2 runs and the Ashes was front page news all over England..There was hope all round and the sense of expectation and anticipation was something that couldn't be missed..The series moved to Old Trafford and England seemed to have the edge. McGrath was back but far below his best. England made 444 with Vaughan leading with a brilliant 166 and bowled Australia out for 302 with Simon Jones taking 6/53. England then made 280/6 dec setting Australia a huge target of 423. Australia lost wickets at regular intervals but also resisted with stubborn partnerships. Ricky Ponting's glorious knock of 156 took them to the doorstep of safety when with 24 balls remaining, he was dismissed. Yet again, this extraordinary series had taken another twist..Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath staved off some top class swing bowling and defended with their lives to keep Australia alive in the series. England dominated the 4th test at Trent Bridge and for the first time in 17 years, Australia were asked to follow on. After a poor show in the first innings, the Aussies responded well and set England a target of 129. Shane Warne reduced England to 57/4 and then Pietersen and Flintoff salvaged the situation taking them to 103 when Lee struck with too brilliant deliveries. He removed both the batsmen and when Jones went at 116/7, the match was up for grabs. Ashley Giles and Matthew Hoggard calmly saw England through this tense phase and the hosts now led 2-1..The country was over the moon and euphoric celebrations were triggered...The 5th test played at the Oval ended in a draw. Rain intervened and Pietersen, the beneficiary of dropped catches made an exceptional 158 to take the game away from the Aussies. England had won the series 2-1 and this was their first Ashes series win since 1986. Brilliant and lethal reverse swing which was so well exploited by England and the heroics of Pietersen and Flintoff to go with Shane Warne's haul of 40 wickets stand out among the various memories from this once in a lifetime contest..

Below: Flintoff consoles Brett Lee at the end of the Edgbaston test. Despite the brave effort of the Aussies, England squeezed out a 2 run win.




The details of this modern classic series can be viewed here.

A lookback at the classic 2005 Ashes series can be found here.

This is purely my list of the best 5 series I have watched, read or heard about. There are some more worth mentioning. The 1974 India West Indies series (WI won 3-2) which saw the debut of two legends in Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge and the West Indies Australia series of 1992-93 (WI won 2-1) which included the thriller in Adelaide where the Caribbeans prevailed by 1 run. I for one believe that cricket lovers who get to witness these classics or read about these series are truly fortunate as all the best facets of the game tend to be manifested in these amazing contests..Hope the great form of the game continues to enthrall, entertain and amaze for years to come!...