What is the favourite/most memorable series by your team?

[War]

Was having a conversation with my Pakistan cricket friends in England after their recent disappointing series vs S Africa. And they were reminiscing how they miss the PAK team of the 90s and how their favourite ever PAK team was the team of the 1992 world cup & world cup 1999.

So it had me thinking what would be my favourite series played by my supported ENG/AUS team, thus i start this thread:


England in Pakistan/Sri Lanka 2000/01:

Up to this day i still have very fond memories of waking up early in those early winter mornings before school, to follow these 6 tests & it remains by favourite two series for England.

After beating windies for the 1st time in 31 years during the 2000 home season, ENG embarked on this two super difficult Asian tours with basically no hope.

But these wins really proved the captaincy/coach partnership of Hussain/Fletcher was really working for an England team who at the end of the 1999 home series vs N Zealand was ranked the worst in the world.

Coming down to the winning final test vs SRI Lank, the ENG team was this: Atherton, Trescothick, Vaughan, Hussain, Thorpe, Stewart, White, Giles, Croft, Gough, Caddick.

Just as how ENG enteted the now famous 2005 Ashes series win on the back of big series in Windies & S Africa for the 1st time in over 3 decades, they entered the 2001 Ashes with high hopes.

But sadly that team never stepped up for various reasons to the mighty AUS that time around.

AUS in SRI 2004:

While most pundits regarded conquering IND as the final fronteir for that great AUS team, for me their whitewash in SRI before the triumph in India later that year was even more special.

SRI probably didn't have the crowd factor that India had, but facing Murali in on SRI pitches to me was always more difficult that Kumble in India at the peak of their powers.

In each test of this series AUS was behind & had to dig out every inch of their resources to come from behind to topple SRI & they did it remarkably well. No others series during the glory years of 95-2007 did AUS have to fight so hard to win a series, that alone makes it the my # 1 favourite series for AUS ever.

 

[shravi]

Pakistan vs India (2004): A lot of build-up to this series and the ODI series was very closely fought with some thrilling matches up there with the best I have seen. The test series was also exciting and it was great watching a young Irfan Pathan bowling at pace with banana swing. Also, Balaji's smile is an enduring image of this series.

World Cup 2011: Dhoni's winning shot will be engrained in my brain for my life. It was so exhilarating, fulfilling and relieving to see India win this World Cup.

Champions Trophy 2013: Probably the series I hold closest to my heart. A young side that played an enterprising brand of cricket away from home. Conquered everything that was put in front of them.

Australia vs India (2008-09): It was fantastic watching Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan walk all over the Australians. I had such high hopes for Ishant Sharma at this point.

There are also other series with individual matches such as Galle 2008 (vs SL), Durban 2010 (vs SA), Johannesburg 2006 (vs SA) Perth 2008 (vs AUS), Kanpur 2008 (vs SA), Kolkata 2010 (vs SA), etc.

will post more as I think of them

 

[ved_]

I'd say the Twenty-20 World Cup 2007. It was a delight watching India win it, with none of the big 5.

 

[surendar]

Some of my favorites,

Sharjah 1998, India/NZ/Aus ODI series - This stays as my best series which India pulled a victory out of nowhere with the lonely man doing everything in qualifer & finals. Yes, Sachin Tendulkar!

India in WestIndies, 2002 - Though India lost this series, this goes down in my memory for Anil Kumble to get wicket of Lara with broken jaw which none expected it coming.

Bangladesh Independence Cup, 1998 - These days 300+ runs chase are easy, while those traditional days/rules had them very classy. This(300+ chase) goes down in my memory of one of best close finishes/thrillers with Kanitkar getting boundary in delivery before final ball.

Ofcourse, World Cup 2011 - Definitely historic one for the most courageous leader of Indian team.

 

[vaibhavtewatia]

These teams might not be the best, but exciting for sure.

England team in Ashes 05. Cricket at it's best! No one knew this was coming from the English! Aussies used to play at a different level, only until Jones, Harminson,etc. hit them hard. Only a few series have been this exciting.

England team in India 2012. Loads of respect for this team. Many have come here and gone without tasting the curry, but this English team stands out apart, making India succumb in their own web of spin.

Cricket was so much good even until 6 years ago.

 

[War]

For ODI's, ENG 3-3 draw in India 2001/02 was particularly cool, Flintoff taking off his shirt in the final ODI win @ Mumbai was big.

Although AUS didn't get to the final the 2001/02 VB series with AUS/SA/NZ was very exciting.

Of AUS hat-trick of world cup triumphs, the 1999 win remains the pinnacle especially given they were not as strong as their 2003 & 2007 teams & the fact that S Africa & PAK were stronger teams in 99.

 

[Ohm]

ICC Twenty 20 world Cup and Australia-India-Sri lanka tri-series in January 2008.

 

[Addy]

Pakistan in Australia ODI Series 2002 - which we won 2-1 against the strong Australian team. Loved to see Young Shoaib Akhtar steaming in and shattering the stumps.

Sharjah Cup in late 90s and Early 2000s. They were delight to watch!

 

[War]

Pakistan in Australia ODI Series 2002 - which we won 2-1 against the strong Australian team. Loved to see Young Shoaib Akhtar steaming in and shattering the stumps.

Ye one of thew few home ODI series AUS lost during the glory days. Akhat's 5/25 @ Brisbane was one the best spells i've seen. He was bowling the speed of light that night.

 

[shravi]

India vs West Indies 2013: Just added this one. Haven't cried after a cricket match in a long time (2003 WC Final, but I was like 10 then). I never thought I would, but I've been crying ever since the match was over. That speech...

 

[playkid12]

Australia in India 2001: Laxman and Dravid, nuff said.

Natwest Series India and Sri Lanka in England 2002: I will never forget this series. Sachin scored a few centuries, Dravid saved so many matches for India, and that final was unforgettable with Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif pulling it off, but not before an amazing start by Ganguly and Sehwag.

World Cup 2003: The greatest batsmen that India has produced were in this, and they were doing amazing. Bowling by Srinath and Zaheer was so good too. And Sachin was at his best.

World Cup 2011: Obviously.

Champions Trophy 2013: I loved it because Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja finally blossomed. It was a signal that it was time for Sachin Tendulkar to retire - that it was finally a good time.

Edit: India WI 2013: Top of my list. Can't believe I didn't think of this first. I guess I haven't accepted that its over yet.

 

[surendar]

India vs West Indies 2013: Just added this one. Haven't cried after a cricket match in a long time (2003 WC Final, but I was like 10 then). I never thought I would, but I've been crying ever since the match was over. That speech...

Same here. it's just not only us with the tears but the main man himself! This would go down as my unforgettable series as well.

 

[Cricketman]

Australia in India 2001. Faint memories of watching it live but still get chills watching replays.

NatWest 2002

India tour of England in the same year, lots of memorable innings from Sachin, Dravid, Ganguly, key performances from Kumble too.

India v Pak 2004

India tour of Austraila 2003/4. Dravid's heroics at Adelaide, Laxman continuing to torment the Aussies, Ganguly at the Gabba, Tendulkar's will and determination after a poor series in Sydney (240 without a single cover drive!), India really performing well abroad against the mighty AUSTRALIANS. Was fantastic to watch and I think this was the beginning of a marked change in Indian cricket after the mediocrity of the 90s and the promise of the early 2000s.

World Cup 2003, fantastic run until the final. Tendulkar 98 probably my favorite innings ever. Dominating performances by our fast bowlers. Crushing defeat in the final to one of the greatest, probably closest to invincible teams in all of sport.

India in Australia 2007/8. Despite monkeygate and all the other scandals, some cracking cricket played between two strong sides. Sacrificed weeks of sleep to watch every day of every test that series.

2011 World Cup

2013 India v West Indies. I have a Sachin sized hole in my heart, far too many emotions. For as long as I have lived, everything in my life has been in a constant state of change except one thing - Tendulkar batted at 4 for India. As cheesy and cliche as it sounds, Tendulkar for me, like for a lot of other Indians, is more than just a sportsman but is almost like a part of family. I have grown up with him.

Seeing someone else's name in that spot is really going to take some getting used to.

There's plenty more as well. I think the most memorable matches have been the ones where we held our own against the best team of the generation, the Aussies.

 

[ferg512]

For me its probably the 2011 Aus and 2012 SL test series. The first tests of both series weren't particularly memorable but it probably made the next tests so much more impressive because no one gave us a chance.

 

[vaibhavtewatia]

Australia in India 2001: Laxman and Dravid, nuff said.

Not enough
32 wickets in three tests by Harbhajan, including a hat trick, first by an Indian in tests. Snapping Ponting all the five times he batted ( 4 times on a duck I suppose ).