After watching India defeat England in the first test from Chennai, I was wondering where does this match rate in terms of the greatest cricket match in the last ten years, let alone all-time?
So here are my top ten matches (1999-2008):
1. England defeats Australia by two runs in the 2005 Ashes at Edgbaston. Remember Andy Flintoff hugging Brett Lee after the match in a sign of sportmanship?
2. South Africa defeats Australia by chasing down the un-thinkable target of 434. Mark Boucher hits Brett Lee to the boundary to end the greatest day of hitting in the history of One-Day Cricket.
3. Australia defeats Pakistan at Hobart 1999. Adam Gilchrist (149* off 163 balls) plays one of his greatest innings in just his second test to lead Australia to a great win.
4. West Indies defeats Australia at Antigua 2003. The West Indies chases 416 against Australia. Australia needed four wickets, West Indies 47 runs. The unlikely pair of Omari Banks and Vasbert Drakes guides their team home, sealing the most unlikely and memorable of victories.
5. India defeats Australia at Kolata 2001. India comes back from the dead, with Rahul Dravid (160) and VVS Laxman (281) leading the way as they come only the third side to win after being made to follow-on.
6. South Africa ties with Australia at Edgbaston 1999. The World Cup semi-final finishes in a tie after Allan Donald is run-out in bizzare situation.
8. West Indies defeat Australia at Bridgetown 1999. West Indies recover from 6-98 in the first innings to post 329 in reply to the Australia 490, and Brian Lara plays his greatest innings against the Aussies with 153*, to guide them home to one-wicket win.
9. England defeats New Zealand at Christchurch 2002. Nathan Astle (223* off 168 balls) plays one of the greatest Test knocks after New Zealand are set 550 to win. When an injured Cairns walked out to join Astle late on the fourth afternoon, New Zealand were 333 for nine, still 217 short of a wildly improbable victory. What happened next had to be seen to be believed. Astle, 134 at the fall of the ninth wicket, proceeded to treat England’s attack as if they had been drafted in from the local kindergarten. He smashed his way to by far the fastest double-century in Tests and briefly raised hopes of a jaw-dropping, eye-popping win.
10. Yes, I had to include a game of Twenty20, so it goes to the Final of the IPL, which a Shane-Warne lead Rajasthan Royals defeats Chennai Super-Kings of the last ball.
At this stage, I’ve given the Indians win over England the Number 7 ranking.
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