Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey
Top 5 Best Australia Test Matches Since 2000 | Australia Top 5 Best Test Matches Since 2000 | Best Australian Test Matches in 21st century
Test cricket, still considered the ultimate format in Australia, has dished up its fair share of memorable moments down under.
Australia have played 227 Test matches since 2nd January 2000. There have been countless golden moments, particularly from the golden era in the early-mid 2000s, that makes choosing the top five a difficult ask. So, let’s follow the below criteria:
- Match context: Did Australia have their backs against the wall, or go above-and-beyond to produce a great win?
- Series context: Was the series still alive?
- A match that will still be spoken of for years to come.
5. Australia v India, 1st Test 2014, Adelaide
This was no ordinary Test. Australia and the world was reeling from the tragic death of Phil Hughes, and many, understandably, wondered just how the Australians would cope mentally.
The Australians, to their credit, kept going about their work as best they could ahead of the rescheduled series against India. They knew they had to dedicate this match to their little mate. It is what he would have wanted. A great win against a great rival.
They delivered.
David Warner, Michael Clarke and Steve Smith hit first innings centuries. India, led by the superb Virat Kohli, hit back with 444. But, after Australia then set India 364 on a wearing Adelaide pitch, many then feared the worst as India, led by Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli, stormed to 242/2.
However, in the game that truly catapulted Nathan Lyon’s career to greater heights, Australia escaped with one of their most memorable wins in the most emotional of circumstances. The last eight Indian wickets fell for 73 – Lyon took six of them (seven in total) – to cap off a stunning Test match. One for the ages.
4. South Africa v Australia, 3rd Test 2014, Cape Town
The Proteas, ahead of Graeme Smith’s final Test, were rampant. Dale Steyn was irresistible in the previous Test in Port Elizabeth, bamboozling Australia with reverse swing to level the series. So, surely, no one could deny the perfect farewell for the legendary Smith.
Also read: Who makes South Africa’s Best Test XI since Readmission?
Enter David Warner and Ryan Harris. Warner scored two centuries, flaying the strong Proteas attack to all parts of Newlands. However, while he won Player of the Match, it was Harris’ incredible effort on the final day that is most remembered.
South Africa were hellbent on saving the Test (and series): four batsmen batted over 100 balls, Hashim Amla (109), AB de Villiers (228), Faf du Plessis (109) and Vernon Philander (105), while three others provided further resistance; JP Duminy (99), Kyle Abbott (89) and Dale Steyn (44).
But Harris, barely able to bend down to pick up a ball at gully due to a knee injury that required surgery, never gave in. In his mind, he had a Test series to win. 30 balls remained. Two wickets to win. Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander had batted 90 balls. But, Harris didn’t care. Despite having fluid causing bones to move in his knee, he continued to run in, and dismissed Steyn and Morne Morkel with two beautiful full deliveries that sent the Aussies into raptures.
The result may read that Australia won by 245 runs. Harris’ figures may read 25.3-15-32-4. But, no number could adequately portray the incredible effort of Ryan Harris in one of Australia’s most famous wins.
3. India vs Australia, 3rd Test 2004, Nagpur
No Test series win in India since 1969. Heartbreak three years earlier in Kolkata. The great Aussie side of the late 1990s and early 2000s had achieved just about everything, except a series win in India. They had to conquer the final frontier.
Also read: Top 5 Best India Test Matches Since 2000
So, after India pushed Australia all the way in Australia a few months earlier, the Aussies knew they would have to play their best cricket if they were to break the drought. Michael Clarke’s heroics on debut put them 1-0 up in the series, and after rain intervened in Chennai, victory in Nagpur would rewrite history.
That it did. Led by Damien Martyn’s superb first innings century, along with contributions from Darren Lehmann, Simon Katich and Michael Clarke once again, Australia put India under serious pressure with runs on the board. And, when you have great pace bowlers like Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie (who took nine wickets), you’re always a chance.
In the end, they were better than just a chance. Adam Gilchrist, standing in for the injured Ricky Ponting, held his arms aloft as all ran towards deep midwicket, where Damien Martyn caught Zaheer Khan. History was rewritten, and we had confirmation that this Australian side was indeed one of Test cricket’s greatest.
Also read: Top 5 Best India Test Matches Since 2000
2. England v Australia, 1st Test 2019, Edgbaston
“Than this? I could name you 15“.
It was one of the great quotes from Australia’s captain Tim Paine, when asked if there was a more intimidating ground in world cricket than Edgbaston. It riled the English up, and set the scene perfectly for the Ashes series ahead.
Truth be told, however, Edgbaston was not a happy hunting ground for Australia. Winless there since 2001, and with no series win in England since the same year, Australia started the 2019 Ashes as outsiders.
But, most significant was the return of banned trio David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft to the Test arena. And the England supporters let them know they felt. The atmosphere was rauscuous. It was intense. You had to have serious stomach to take all that in and focus on your game.
And Steve Smith did it best.
In his finest ever performance to date, Steve Smith turned boos into standing applause, as his twin centuries led Australia to a drought-breaking Edgbaston win. What made this performance most special was the predicament Australia were in on day one: 122/8 and on the brink of complete disaster to kick off an Ashes series. But, Smith stood firm, producing his finest century to date, of which the bowlers, led by Nathan Lyon, helped deliver a superb win for Australia against the odds.
Also read: Is Steve Smith the best batsman since Don Bradman?
1. Australia v England, 2nd Test 2006, Adelaide
Amazing Adelaide. What else could it have been?
England, holders of the Ashes after an all-time great series in 2005, were thrashed in the opening Test of the 2006/07 series.
So, they needed a bounceback in Adelaide. And, for much of the first three days, it was all England, playing from in front thanks to a first innings total of 551, followed by restricting Australia to 65/3. Surely, the worst result for England would be a draw. Not as good as win, but at least foothold in the series. Confidence. Something to build on.
Ricky Ponting’s century and the middle-lower order helped get Australia over 500 in reply. So, victory for England was out of the equation, but the draw would still be a good result. On the fifth morning, it looked all-but-certain, as they were just one down with a lead of over 100. Surely.
But don’t tell that to Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. Their greatness is emphasised by the fact that they never settled for the minimum. They wanted to achieve the impossible. And this was such a situation. With every wicket, England began to panic, and that’s all the legends needed as they smelt blood in the water. With 6/64 in 42 overs between them, along with Brett Lee’s superb 2/35, McGrath and Warne inspired an England collapse; all out for 129, leaving 168 for Australia to get in the final session.
Justin Langer’s strong swipe through midwicket in the second ball of the chase indicated Australia’s mindset. They weren’t going to let this one slip. As the crowd swelled as the evening drew near, the two Michaels – Hussey and Clarke – steered Australia home, with Hussey’s winning cover drive, etched in Australian cricket folklore for many-a-year to come.
Although there were still three Tests to play, the Ashes were all-but-decided. Skipper Andrew Flintoff walked off a dejected figure. So did his teammates. England went on to lose the next three Tests heavily, relinquishing the urn in the most disappointing way posssible – a 5-0 defeat.
So, there are CricBlog’s top five Australia Tests since 2000. Do any others come to mind for you? Have your say.
Thanks for reading!
Also read:
- Is Steve Smith the best batsman since Don Bradman?
- Top 5 Best India Test Matches Since 2000
- Who makes South Africa’s Best Test XI since Readmission?
