The Indian frontier is only days away for the Australian Test team, and with it lies the opportunity for the Aussie batsmen to put together a series that will define their careers.
Michael Clarke returns to the country where he burst onto the Test scene with a century on debut, while all but Shane Watson will be experiencing their first series on Indian soil.
The likes of Cowan, Hughes and Warner will be keen to test themselves on pitches which have seen Australian tourists struggle in the past, while Watson must prove his worth as a specialist batsman.
The thought of an Australian batsman potentially dominating a series led me to think of the top five individual series by an Aussie over the last 20 years.
Figures alone do not determine who makes this list, although they make for compelling reading. Team performances, pressure, conditions and the overall occasion have been used for criteria.
Steve Waugh – West Indies 1995
This series will forever live in Australian cricket folklore as one of the country’s finest hours.
The West Indies had not lost a series since 1980 and their side included some of the game’s finest.
Steve Waugh was in career best form where he amassed 429 runs at an average of 107.25.
The series will be best remembered for Waugh’s famous mid pitch confrontation with Curtly Ambrose, probably the world best fast bowler at the time, as well as his double hundred and 230 run partnership with brother Mark in the deciding Test in Jamaica.
Australia has held the Frank Worrell Trophy ever since this historic victory.
Matthew Hayden – India 2001
Coming into the 2001 Indian series, Matthew Hayden’s international career was at crossroads.
The man with endless amounts of potential had only scored one century and was averaging in the mid 20’s.
During what many have described as one of the most exciting Test series in the last 20 years, Hayden scored 549 runs at an average of 109.8. While the likes of Mark Waugh and Ponting struggled against man of the series Harbhajan Singh, Hayden shone as he developed a personal blueprint to attack and sweep India’s spin bowlers.
The 2001 Indian series was a turning point in Hayden’s career, where for the next eight years he would dominate attacks around the world and assert himself as one of Australia’s greatest ever openers.
His attacking form was so good that he was chosen for, and dominated, the preceding Indian ODI series.
Michael Clarke – South Africa 2012-2013
It could be argued that any of Michael Clarke’s series of recent times could make this list; however his form at the start of the summer against the world number one side is among the best the cricket world has seen.
Clarke truly established himself as the world’s premier batsman with back to back double centuries in the first innings’ of the Brisbane and Adelaide Tests.
What makes both of these knocks extra special is the fact that Australia was 3 for fewer than 55 on both occasions, with Clarke able to take his side from disastrous to close to match winning positions.
Damien Martyn – India 2004
The 2004 Indian series was Australia’s final frontier after coming agonisingly close in 2001. If Australia were to conquer the sub-continent, they would need strength and consistency in their middle order against India’s tweakers.
Martyn stood firm, showing his vast improved footwork as he led Australia to achieve what the likes of Taylor, Border and the Waugh brothers were unable to do in tours before.
Martyn had his finest series in the baggy green, taking man of the series honours and finishing with an average of 56.
Mike Hussey – England 2010-2011
In a series from which Australia could draw few positives, it was Mike Hussey’s resurgent form that was the highlight for Aussie fans.
He began the series with his place in the team under pressure, only to craft a magnificent 195 in the first Test in Brisbane, where he combined for 307 runs with keeper Brad Haddin.
He was Australia’s leading batsmen in the second Test mauling in Adelaide, then made another magnificent ton in the third Test and only win for the Aussies in the Ashes dominated by Alastair Cook and Jimmy Anderson.
In a series which could be considered as a career low for Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting, and that saw Simon Katich play his final Test, Hussey was considered Australia’s shining light.
A follow up article will be done on the best test series by Australian bowlers.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
It seems franchise cricket has forgotten about the great battle between bat and ball. In fact, this season in the IPL there is no battle at all.
The mammoth rise of Jake Fraser-McGurk - his enormous potential and the destructive shot-making that he possesses makes him a very tempting option.
Marcus Stoinis produced his first IPL century and it was a beauty. He went 6, 4, 4, 4 to finish off the Lucknow Super…
Xavier Bartlett has been permission to extend his cricketing education with a spell of T20s in England, playing in the Blast competition for Kent…
Three-Test spinner Matthew Kuhnemann has signed with Tasmania in a bid for red-ball game time ahead of Australia's tour of Sri Lanka next summer.…
Last week, you read about the Matt XI, a compilation of the best cricketers ever to represent the name Matt. And to be fair,…
