Which was the best 5 test series ever?

[Harsh Thakor]

To me a 5 or 6 test series does true justice to contests ,particularly between champion teams.Sadly,the absence of a full 5 test series between South Africa and Australia robbed the cricket world of a spectacle in recent years,particularly in 2010.The games literally went down the wire. The series that I selected at the top of my list was the 1977 series between West Indies and Pakistan- a clash of the titans.The world of cricket witnessed one of it's most fierce contests reminiscent of a boxing bout between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.It posessed competitiveness at it's very zenith with 2 powerful teams. West Indies had just revived their cricket with a spectacular 3-0 margin win in England in 1976.Pakistan had just drawn aseries in Australia,who were rated the best team in the world.Pakistan had the strongest batting line -up in the world with Majid,Sadiq,Zaheer,Javed,Asif,Mushtaq and Wasim .West Indies had batting stars like Viv Richards,Clive Lloyd and Greenidge in addition to their great pace battery. In the 1st test one witnessed the sensation of a Hollywood thriller with the ebb and flow continuously changing.Pakistan scored 435 and West Indies recovered from 167-5 to reach a total of 421.In the 2nd innings Pakistan were tottering at 158-9 before a record last wicket partnership between Wasim Raja and Wasim Bari.Needing 306 to win West Indies crashed from 142-1 to 217-8 and finally to 254-9.The match had the twists and turns of a Hollywood epic.Dubious umpiring decisions cost Pakistan a win but in the end test cricket wa sthe winner. West Indies won the 2nd test at Trinidad by 6 wickets and were on coarse for wining the 3rd test at Georgetown before an amazing Pakistani rearguard fightback.250 run sin the arrears in the 1st innings a record 2nd wicket partnership between Zaheer Abbas and Majid Khan laid the base for Pakistan savaging a draw. In the 4th test Mushtaq Muhammad gave one of test cricket's all -time great all-round performances scoring 121 and 56 and capturing 8 wickets.It was a performance of Soberesque dimensions which gave Pakistan a comprehensive win to square the series at 1-1. The teams came to Kingston to what wast he equivalent of a final bout in a boxing chgampionship.There was nothing between the teams but the Pakistani morale had been greatly boosted with their sensational draw and win.After scoring 280 on fast Kingston wicket many gave Pakistan the edhe.However the WEst Indian spirit was ressurected with their pace battery and they shot Pakistan for a mere 198.In the 2nd innings the West Indies batted like soldiers in a victory matcxh.Set a target of 442 to win Pakistan lost by 140 runs with Asif Iqbal playing one of test crickets best innings in a 4th innings losing cause.His dazzling strokeplay set seal to a series which exhibited some of test cricket's finest performances. Few series have contained such spectacular performances from both sides in batting and bowling.Colin Croft's 8-29 at Trinidad,Imran Khan's -6-80 at Kingston,Wasim Raja's 117 at Barbados,Clive Lloyds 151 at Barbados,Gordon Greenidge's century in Trinidada.Majid Khan's 167 at Georgetown and above all Mushtaq Muhammad's spectacular all-round performance in Trinidad will be etched in memories of cricket fans for ever.The innings and spells named not only exhibited great skill but played a great role in shaping the team's fortunes and the state of the game.Morally Wasim Raja was the batting star of the series averaging above 57.Few batsmen have played the pace battery better than Wasim in 1977.We also witnessed glimpses of talent of Haroon Rashid who battered Garner and Roberts to score fifties.I can't forget Haroon stroking sixes of Garner. Arguably 2-2 would have been the fairest result with bad umpiring costing Pakistan a win in the 1st test .However , overall it was great for the game that both teams went in at 1-1 to make the final game at Kingston,a thriller.What lost it for Pakistan was that they were jaded at the end playing 3 tests in Australia and 4 in the Carribean.The series played a major role in shaping West Indian Cricket.Considering the tracks were suited towards batting Pakistan on paper should have won the series. Close on the heels of the 1977 Pak-West Indies series was the 1960-61 series between West Indies and Australia .It won a victory for test cricket and again morally 2-2- would have been the fairest result.The 1st test was like an epic novel with continuous twists and turns and ending in an enthralling climax of a tie.The 2nd test was won by Australia and West Indies came to the very brink of victory in the 3rd test before the Australian last pair hung on for over an hour.The Calypsos won the 4th test.In the final test the series was decided with Australia coming home by 3 wickets.No series was ever played in better spirit.The batting of Sobers,Kanhai and Worrel and the bowling of Alan Davidson and Richie Benaud stood out.The pendulum continuously swayed one way or the other. The next best series to me was the 1977-78 series between India and Australia which ended 3-2 in favour of Australia.Australia won the 1st test by a slender margin of 16 runs and the 2nd test by a mere 2 wickets.India came back spectacular winning the 3rd test by over 200 runs and the 4th test by an innings.In the final test with the series level at 2-2 India faced a mammoth target of 493 to win the game in the 4th Innings.At 415-6 India looked on it's way to achieving the highest ever 4th innings target in a win,but eventually fell short by 47 runs.The final test was an epic.With a bit of luck the result of the series could well have been 4-1 in India's favour as India came very close to winning all the games they lost in the rubber.The series had overtones of an epic ,with the deciding final game being a true classic.Vishwanath and Gavaskar batted at their best superbly blending technical skill with artistry while Bedi.Chandra,and Prasanna were devastating. Other great 5 test series where the rubber was clinched in the final test was in 1936-37 by Bradman's Australian sin a home Ashes series and in the 1992-93 Frank Worrel trophy. One laments on the fact about why such spectacular contests like between West Indies and Pakistan in 1988 ,India and South Africa in 2011,or South Africa and Australia in 2010 or 2013 were not full 5 test series.Only a series of five tests does justice to a contest. My best 5 test series in order 1.West Indies-Pakistan in 1977 2.West Indies-Australia in 1960-61 3.India-Australia in 1977-78 4.Ashes of 1936-37 5.1992-93 Frank Worrel Trophy

[tweaker]

I have not seen others

[Cricket_Hacker]

Ashes 2005 /close

[GoldenSun]

2005 Ashes even though we got beat.. The 1977-78 tour of Australia was arguably India's greatest opportunity to win in Australia after being down 0-2 in the series. They showed serious mettle and lost narrowly at Adelaide.

[adi B]

2005 ashes

[adi B]

2002 India west Indies :agree: