The 15 greatest Test series of the 21st century

The list features Sri Lanka’s thrilling 1-0 win over England in 2014, the 1-1 drawn series in the West Indies in 2018, and Australia’s 3-0 sweep in Sri Lanka in 2004 – dubbed “the closest clean sweep” in Test history.

The list features Sri Lanka’s thrilling 1-0 win over England in 2014, the 1-1 drawn series in the West Indies in 2018, and Australia’s 3-0 sweep in Sri Lanka in 2004 – dubbed “the closest clean sweep” in Test history.

The 2014 series saw both matches decided in the final over, with Angelo Mathews’ men clinching a dramatic victory at Headingley. The 2018 tour of the Caribbean was marked by high drama, including a ball-tampering controversy and Sri Lanka’s fightback in the decider under stand-in captain Suranga Lakmal. The 2004 series featured Sri Lanka taking first-innings leads in all three matches, only for Ricky Ponting’s Australians to fight back each time for victory.

15. Bangladesh (1) v England (1), 2016/17

Bangladesh fielded three debutants at Mirpur. One of them, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, took 6-80, but Ben Stokes’ (4-26) devastating reverse swing got England a 45-run lead. Chasing 286 after Shakib Al Hasan got 5-85, Bangladesh slumped to 140-5 before Mushfiqur Rahim and Sabbir Rahman added 87. Sabbir (64) kept the chase on, taking Bangladesh to 263-8 before Stokes struck twice in three balls to mop things up. At Mirpur, Tamim Iqbal’s 114 and Mehidy’s 6-82 helped Bangladesh set 273, but England looked largely untroubled at 100-0 at tea on the third day. In the astonishing session that followed, Mehidy (6-77) and Shakib (4-49) bowled them out for 164 long before stumps.

14. Sri Lanka (0) v Australia (3), 2004

It feels bizarre to include a clean-sweep in this list, but then, this was probably the closest clean sweep in the history of Test cricket. Sri Lanka led in the first innings every time (though the lead kept reducing, from 161 runs in the first Test to 91 in the second to six in the third), but through exceptional batting against spin – they hit six third-innings hundreds in the series – Australia overcame the deficit every time to put up sizeable targets that turned out to be beyond the scope of the hosts. Muttiah Muralidaran (28 wickets) pipped Shane Warne (26) in the end, but the performances of their teammates tilted the series in the tourists’ favour.

13. Australia (0) v New Zealand (0), 2001/02

Sometimes you do not need a result to produce a great contest – or two. Four days into the Brisbane Test, a draw seemed the only possible result. But Stephen Fleming declared 199 behind on the last morning, and Steve Waugh took up the challenge, setting the tourists 284 in 57 overs. New Zealand stayed in the hunt until the end, pacing the chase brilliantly with an eye on the clock even after they became 51-3. In the end, it took Glenn McGrath’s metronomic precision to keep them at 274-6.

The second Test was hit by rain, but at Perth, four New Zealanders smashed hundreds. The tables turned, and this time they set a target of 440 and took out Justin Langer for a duck. But Australia went for the chase and, as the runs came, Ian Robinson turned down two extremely close appeals that might have turned the course of the Test. They eventually finished on 381-7. New Zealand did not end Australia’s home streak, they came close to beating a full-strength Australia in Australia.

2. Pakistan (1) v New Zealand (2), 2018/19

New Zealand’s first away (neutral, technically) series win against Pakistan since 1969/70 began with a cliffhanger. Chasing 176, Pakistan seemed safe at 130-3 before Neil Wagner had Asad Shafiq caught behind with an uncharacteristic pitched-up ball. That triggered a collapse, and Pakistan needed 12 when last man Mohammad Abbas joined Azhar Ali. Then followed an agonising phase, where Azhar managed a single (and nothing more) off seven consecutive overs. In the eighth, Ajaz Patel trapped him LBW: Azhar reviewed, but was given out on umpire’s call.

Yasir Shah hit back with 14-224 in the second Test to help Pakistan win by an innings. In the third, Pakistan secured a 74-run lead and had New Zealand at 60-4, but Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls got hundreds to help them set a target of 280. Pakistan caved in.

11. West Indies (1) v Sri Lanka (1), 2018

The West Indies won the first Test by 226 runs, but it was from the second Test that things began to happen. Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal made a first-innings unbeaten hundred before being accused of ball-tampering. Sri Lanka refused to take field and Chandimal pleaded not guilty, but was banned for a Test. Amidst all this, Shannon Gabriel returned 13-121, the best match figures by a fast bowler since 2001. Chasing 296, the West Indies became 64-4 when Shai Hope, having retired hurt, returned to resist for nearly two hours alongside Kraigg Brathwaite. The wasted time, combined with rain in the final session, stopped Sri Lanka in their tracks when they needed only five wickets.

But the series was far from over. The hosts prised out a 50-run lead in the decider, but spearheaded by stand-in captain Suranga Lakmal, Sri Lanka bowled them out for 93. Jason Holder (5-41) then reduced Sri Lanka to 81-6 before the Pereras – Dilruwan and Kusal – saw them through.

10. South Africa (1) v England (2), 2004/05

The inaugural edition of the Basil D’Oliveira Trophy marked England’s first Test series win in South Africa in 40 years. Coming off a streak of seven consecutive wins at home, England won the first Test easily after Andrew Strauss made 126 and an unbeaten 94. In the next game, they had a remarkable turnaround in the second game, overcoming a 193-run lead to set a target of 378 as three men got hundreds. Their bowlers – the quintet would help them regain the Ashes in a few months’ time – got the seventh wicket with nine overs left before tea, but could strike only once more.

Buoyed by the draw, South Africa won the third Test by 196 runs to square the series. Strauss and Marcus Trescothick both got hundreds, but the star of England’s 77-run triumph was Matthew Hoggard: he followed a marathon 34-2-144-5 in the first innings with 7-61 to seal a 77-run win. In the fifth, South Africa left the declaration for too late: despite being 31-4, England comfortably played out time.

9. India (2) v Australia (1), 2016/17

It took twin 6-35s by Steve O’Keefe and a masterclass of a hundred by Steve Smith for Australia to thrash India by 333 runs on a rank turner at Pune in less than three days. At Bengaluru, too, Australia got a 87-run lead. Then, chasing 188, they reached 67-2 before R Ashwin ran through them with 6-41 to square the series.

But Australia were not done. On a slow turner at Ranchi, they reached 451 and had India at 328-6 before hundreds from Cheteshwar Pujara and Wriddhiman Saha pushed India to safety. It was India’s turn to push for a win, but they never accelerated in time, and could pick up only four wickets in the third innings. The teams were separated by only 32 runs in the decider at Dharamshala, but once Umesh Yadav was done with his early blows, Australia simply caved in against Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja and lost by eight wickets.

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