Most Popular/Important Test Series'?

Okay, so lets try and rank which tours are the most popular and most important to Test cricket. Which Series leaves us all gasping for breath due to the magnitude of discussion points?

1. The Ashes (obviously, many things in the Cricketing world regarding Eng and Aus are built around this series)
2. India vs Pakistan (Neighbouring rivalries never fail to deliver drama and intensity, whether it be in the sweltering heat of Chennai or the close humidity of Karachi, this is massively hyped and talked about amongst many members of the Sub continent and worldwide)
3. Australia vs India (massive talking points in the last series, both teams portrayed a heated rivalry on both home and away legs of the tour)
4. South Africa vs Australia (a pendulum series where both teams produced results in every test outing, showing either sides power in different playing departments. There were more twists in the SAF/Aus series than a J.R.R Tolkien novel)
5. England vs India (When England actually turn up they can usually sprout a surprise victory, note: Mumbai 2006; but usually India dominate under the heated Indian conditions (with spinners) or acclimatise to English conditions with fast swing bowlers)
6. West Indies vs Australia (back when West Indies dominated, this would be one of the most talked up series of the year, especially when the dominating fast bowlers from the Windies would land on Australian soil, ready to bowl fast, cause damage and ask questions later)
7. South Africa vs England (many tours between the two teams have shown awesome skill from either side, and usually contains some awe-inspiring batting and bowling)
8. Pakistan vs England (usually an exciting series, containing quality from both sides, but somehow always gets marred by controversy whether its ball tampering allegations, slow over-rates or poor umpiring)
9. New Zealand vs Sri Lanka (an underdog series, but can usually surprise all with the test cricket from both sides, its almost like Australia vs India, but on a smaller scale)
10. Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe (a battle of the minnows, who knows what could happen)


Obviously, this is just something I've put together in about 30-40 minutes. When I get more time I shall probably chop and change many of these.

Probably get people uttering (any tour with our team in it is the best)

The most important test series is the one that matters to your country the most at the time.

If you're English (or Taff) it'll be the Ashes, if you're Indian it'll be Pakistan.

There is no 'most important series'

To some Australian's theres only the Ashes and the rest are fillers.

DJ_Smerk wrote:To some Australian's theres only the Ashes and the rest are fillers.

I'm sure to most, the Saffer & Indian series rank a close second (even if they have better teams than us atm)

For England, I rank Ashes as 1 followed by a Saffer series at 2.

1. The Ashes.
.
.
.
.
a distance ... then
.
.
.
.
.
.
nothing else.

Obviously Ashes is number 1 (for me), I always tend to enjoy England V Saffers and until recently WI V England has always been fun.

Guernsey v East Surinam should be raised to Test status.

ind v aus has produced the best cricket over the last 10-11 years and some great memories, controversy, everything. imo this is the marquee series of our time.

the ashes have been a damp squib everytime apart from 2005.

india pak 1999, 2004 were classics. but the rest were boring run fests.has lost its appeal somewhat.

eng sa has been a good keenly contested series since about 98. pretty evenly balanced too.

aus sa - again one sided apart from 2008.

pak eng gets a mention because it throws up controvery almost every time.

ind eng is too one sided, india has not lost a series since 96.

aus sl has been decent - sanga innings, SL have done well at home, the mumu factor.

Ash wrote:ind v aus has produced the best cricket over the last 10-11 years and some great memories, controversy, everything. imo this is the marquee series of our time.

the ashes have been a damp squib everytime apart from 2005.

Though India have not been number 2 for most of that time. And it would still be the Ashes that Aus would least like to lose.

As I said, 'most important series' doesn't exist.

Involving India ...
Ind vs Aus followed by Ind vs Pak/SA.

Other ...
Aus vs SA, Ashes and Aus vs SL.

From a Australian view point

1. Ashes, the whole history and tradition

2. Aus vs Saffies Close hard fought cricket

3.Aus vs India, see above throw in a sub continent sook

4.Aus vs Pak, see point 3 minus the close hard fought cricket

5.Aus vs NZ, Trans tasman rivalries, although it is like taking candy from your baby brother

6. Aus vs WI, In the 70's,80's the Windies were the pinnacle of world cricket now a mere shadow of the glory days.

7. Aus vs SL, Only real interest is CBER

8. Aus vs Bangladesh, Bangles actually showing some signs of improvement in there game..still a landslide to Aus (in most cases)

9. Aus vs Zimbabwe..Robert Mugabe All-Stars are a perpetual basket case

Merlin wrote:1. The Ashes.
.
.
.
.
a distance ... then
.
.
.
.
.
.
nothing else Whoever we are playing next.

fixed

You have to have some interest in the offseason

Okay, I'll rephrase, which is the most talked about series?


I think the one's I've put up in my 10, show a majority of tours which we can't stop discussing. Apart from the bottom two, especially the Zim/Ban tour which we barely cover...

The Ashes and India-Pakistan stand so far ahead of every other series it's not funny.

The reason for this is that these contests are always big no matter how badly the sides are going. During the 1990s England were craptacular and the Aussies were the best in the world. It didn't matter. The Ashes was still the Ashes.

India and Pakistan will always be a grudge match no matter where the sides are ranked.

Australia v The West Indies was a very important series for a long time, but it's lost its sparkle now that the W'Indies are useless. So the Ashes and India/Pakistan take up the first two spots, the rest of the list depends a lot on the performance of teams at the time.

any series involving a pomgolian loss is enjoyable

in recent times the best quality and most engrossing series for cricket fans everywhere must surely have been saffies v oz

DJ_Smerk wrote:Okay, I'll rephrase, which is the most talked about series?

I depends on how many racial slurs the Indian team throws and how much they sook.

taips...watched a docco on grdens last night ...this episode was devoted to saffie gardens...do you live in cape town?...looked beautiful...also had a segment on the dragonback (dont know the right spelling) it also looked terrific...made me think of visiting SA in next 12 months ago

horace wrote:taips...watched a docco on grdens last night ...this episode was devoted to saffie gardens...do you live in cape town?...looked beautiful...also had a segment on the dragonback (dont know the right spelling) it also looked terrific...made me think of visiting SA in next 12 months ago

You on the kero?

Nah, I'm up on the highveld, best climate in the world.

meant 'or so'...nah wish i was on the kero...also had a segment on an amazing garden on the high veldt...the dragonback moutains loked spectacular...our climate in melbourne is considered the 8th wonder of the world...4 seasons in one day..

prolly will do some fishing over there too...the show really inspired me

horace wrote:meant 'or so'...nah wish i was on the kero...also had a segment on an amazing garden on the high veldt...the dragonback moutains loked spectacular...our climate in melbourne is considered the 8th wonder of the world...4 seasons in one day..

prolly will do some fishing over there too...the show really inspired me

Got you now. You mean the Drakensberg.

Sea, river or dam fishing?

Be careful visiting gardens Horrie ...Someone may mistake you for compost

hehehe . . . MB in fine form

of course you two only need to talk at the plants and they will grow.

taips...mainly sea- offshore, used to do a bit of rock fishing but am not nimble enough nowadays..but also fishing from canoes in rivers - was thinking of a zambesi trip

horace wrote:of course you two only need to talk at the plants and they will grow.

taips...mainly sea- offshore, used to do a bit of rock fishing but am not nimble enough nowadays..but also fishing from canoes in rivers - was thinking of a zambesi trip

Pleanty sea fishng here. So up to Zimbo on a house boat?

horace wrote:of course you two only need to talk at the plants and they will grow.

taips...mainly sea- offshore, used to do a bit of rock fishing but am not nimble enough nowadays..but also fishing from canoes in rivers - was thinking of a zambesi trip

They scrapped the African Queen decades ago h ... so it won't feel the same for you.