Best test series of all time?

[I6MTW]

What is the general consensus on the best test series of all time? In terms of quality, competition, drama, legacy etc.

 

2005 Ashes would be up there.

 

Where does the 2025 ATT rank?

 

What about 2021 Border-Gavaskar?

 

2001 series?

[Ultimate_Game]

1. 2020-21 BGT series - stuff of miracles with the Adelaide comeback, Sydney resistance and probably our greatest Test at Gabba

 

2. 2001 Aus series - stopping the Aus juggernaut and coming back from the dead

 

3. 2018 BGT series - first win in Aus and should've won 3-1 but for rain in Sydney

 

4. 2025 Eng series - winning position in every game and deserved to win 3-1

 

5. 2021 Eng series - pace bowlers were the stars and won us the series. The last Test was added one year down the road and shouldn't really be part of the series.

 

[rkt.india]

BGT 2020-21 is the best test series I have watched and I am remember watching cricket at least since 1993 as a little kid, can't say anything about before that. 

 

BGT 2020-21 was magnanimous. Even God wouldn't predict India even drawing that series let alone draw after the humiliation of Adelaide, 36 all out, lowest test score ever, captain and the best batsman leaving after the first test, players kept getting injured, all of front line bowling attack in the hospital by the last test, winning at MCG, then drawing an improbable test at Sydney, and chasing 329 at Gabba on day 5 while needing to score 325 in 90 overs which had never happened before. Most importantly away from home.  BGT 2001, ashes 2005 were both won by home teams. 

Edited August 5, 2025 by rkt.india

[The Hound]

2021 BGT up there

 

2018 SA-AUS the sandpaper drama is memorable for me lol, also ABDV's last test series. 

 

2014 SA-AUS with Mitchell Johnson in peak form too. 

[Lone Wolf]

As per Yograj Singh.. "humne series nahi jung jeeti hai goron se"

 

[neel roy]

Add the 2017 India Aus home series as well. The Kohli Smith DRS gate brainfade series. The best home series in recent memory and all players like Pujara and KL have said so. Till last day we had no clue who will win. It was tied at 1-1 till bhuvi and umesh broke open the match for us in dharamsala. 

[rollingstoned]

I like the 2008 SA Aus series too which SA won. Those 2 have been involved in some very good contests recently, even the Sandpaper series in 2018.

[diga]

2 minutes ago, rollingstoned said:

I like the 2008 SA Aus series too which SA won. Those 2 have been involved in some very good contests recently, even the Sandpaper series in 2018.

if you are looking for drama, you should see the series where Warne was involved. 

 

For me it was BGT 2021 as it involved India... but if you want the drama for gamesmanship, batting & supreme bowling look at the Ashes 2005 or Aus-WI test series of 1998-99 where Lara single handedly hunted down Aus

[Chalks]

The last two Ashes series in England (both finishing 2-2) are up there. In 2019, Steve Smith returned from his sandpaper ban with a monster series, Jofra Archer arrived in Test cricket with a bang, the Ben Stokes heroics at Headingley. Then the "BazBall" series in '23, where the four tests that were played to a result all could have gone either way (and that's not even mentioning everything that went on within the series).

[goose]

here's a question. are you prepared to pick a series you didn't win? im guessing virtually nobody on this forum would do that which fair enough but it's a cultural point of difference. cultures change mind you

 

 

[putrevus]

Not even close, bowling and pitches were just awful.Any guy who held bat even half decent wound up scoring runs.

 

Totally one sided series where bat dominated the ball.

[Lord]

We don't rate our home series highly.

 

2017 BGT, 2024 Eng series, 2016 Eng series were all epic

[Lord]

49 minutes ago, putrevus said:

Not even close, bowling and pitches were just awful.Any guy who held bat even half decent wound up scoring runs.

 

Totally one sided series where bat dominated the ball.

Karun, Sai still failed with the bat. As did Pope,Stokes with occasional flashes

[Forward Defence]

8 hours ago, Lord said:

We don't rate our home series highly.

 

2017 BGT, 2024 Eng series, 2016 Eng series were all epic

2016 was a drubbing. 2024 was also not that close, other than maybe a couple of games.

2017 was a better series but it can be argued that the pitches had a little too much influence on game quality. 2001 is still the gold standard as far as Indian home series go.

Now with Ashwin gone we might get to see stiffer contests at home.

 

[Forward Defence]

The thing about the 2005 Ashes is that almost everybody was able to showcase their talents be it batting or bowling. 2021 BGT was equally compelling in terms of drama but there were quite a few non performers. Leading men like Kohli, Rohit, Lyon, Starc, Warner, Shami etc had very little impact on the series. Not the case with Ashes 2005 where everybody performed. Maybe not Gillespie

[rkt.india]

9 hours ago, putrevus said:

Not even close, bowling and pitches were just awful.Any guy who held bat even half decent wound up scoring runs.

 

Totally one sided series where bat dominated the ball.

Still 4 out of 5 games had results. All games went into day 5. It's probably one of the best test series if not the best. Most pitches had enough for bowlers to remain in the game. Probably had the best pitches in the last five years or so. Test lasting five days and producing result is the best pitch, not where tests end in 3 days.

[Gollum]

45 minutes ago, rkt.india said:

Still 4 out of 5 games had results. All games went into day 5. It's probably one of the best test series if not the best. Most pitches had enough for bowlers to remain in the game. Probably had the best pitches in the last five years or so. Test lasting five days and producing result is the best pitch, not where tests end in 3 days.

Spinners bowled <10 overs in last test, no wicket. 38 wickets to pacers, 1 runout. Had it been the other way round in Nagpur or Pune, our pitch would get demerit points. 

[Suhaan]

10 hours ago, putrevus said:

Not even close, bowling and pitches were just awful.Any guy who held bat even half decent wound up scoring runs.

 

Totally one sided series where bat dominated the ball.

Kohli would have failed here as well finishing with sub 30 batting average 

[singhvivek141]

Personally for me...Australia BGT series of 2020-21 was pinnacle. Also, I mostly enjoy Auzzie conditions more than English or SA.

 

One big advantage with Auzzie conditions is my office starts in the later half, so is able to catch good amount of action. English test series, I was mostly lurking scorecard every now and then.

[Suhaan]

For me 2001 BGT

2021 BGT

2005 Ashes

2017 BGT

2004 BGT(home)