TEST CRICKET’S TIGHTEST SERIES
THE ASHES, 1907-08
Australia took the sequence 4-1, however when it comes to tight matches this had lots. Australia chased down 275 with two wickets in hand on the sixth day of a timeless first Test, earlier than England returned serve within the subsequent match. Chasing 282 for victory, England tailenders Sydney Barnes and Arthur Field placed on 39 for the final wicket to degree the sequence. Australia gained the following two video games in blowouts, however the sequence finale was one other shut encounter as England tried to pursue 279 within the fourth innings and have been bowled out for 229.
INDIA IN AUSTRALIA, 1977-78
One of essentially the most underrated sequence, performed completely within the shadows of the primary season of World Series Cricket. Australia gained the primary Test by 16 runs when India virtually chased down 341, earlier than the hosts hauled in 339 within the subsequent Test in Perth with two wickets to spare. India hit again with massive wins in Melbourne and Sydney to degree the sequence at 2-2, earlier than threatening to tug off a miracle within the decider. Chasing 493 within the fourth innings, India have been 6-415 earlier than dropping their final 4 wickets for 30 runs to fall 47 quick.
THE ASHES, 1981
Australia scraped dwelling by 4 wickets chasing 132 within the first Test, earlier than a uninteresting draw within the second Test. Enter: Ian Botham. The allrounder ‘s149no lifted England to a win at Headingley by 18 runs after they have been pressured to observe on. In the following Test Botham took 5-11 within the fourth innings to bowl Australia out for 121 chasing 151. England gained the fifth Test comfortably, after which managed to carry on for a draw within the sixth match whereas seven wickets down at stumps on the ultimate day.
THE ASHES, 2005
The present gold-standard sequence of this century. Australia gained the primary Test with ease earlier than the sequence got here alive at Edgbaston. Glenn McGrath trod on a ball within the heat up and England hit 407 on the primary day. The hosts gained that Test by two runs, the following was drawn when Australia held on with one wicket in hand and the fourth Test noticed England squeak dwelling by three wickets in a nervy run chase of 129. The fifth Test was drawn, however solely after a Kevin Pietersen’s century on the ultimate day sealed the sequence win for England.
WEST INDIES IN BANGLADESH, 2021
Would hardly have been the most-watched matches of all-time, however this two-Test sequence produced a pair of thrillers. The Windies began the sequence by chasing down 395 with three wickets and 15 balls to spare on the ultimate day, after Kyle Mayers produced an unbeaten 210. The second Test in Mirpur then delivered once more, because the vacationers defended 231 within the remaining innings to say a 17-run win.
THE ASHES, 2023
Where to even begin? The first Test at Edgbaston is within the dialog for one of many biggest of all time, after neither aspect was ever actually forward within the match earlier than Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon’s 55-run ninth-wicket stand to say victory within the remaining hour of day 5. The final day at Lord’s was much more dramatic, as Australia gained regardless of Ben Stokes exploding with 155 after the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow. England’s effort to maintain the sequence alive at Headingley final week felt like the most important blow out of the sequence, and even that was solely a three-wicket win to the hosts.
The males’s sequence has come concurrently a ladies’s Ashes, the place a detailed Test match lasted into day 5, all T20s went into the ultimate over and England drew degree at 6-6 within the multi-format sequence on Wednesday with a tense two-wicket win within the opening ODI.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
