Best Test Centuries in Australia since 2000

[Spikey]

the fact is in that match, Dizzy's 47 got the crowd more excited than Sachin's 241

 

[honestbharani]

Anyways my point was simple. It was not a innings great enough to be mentioned in lists such as this. Sachin himself has played much better quality knocks on tougher pitches against tougher bowlers in more difficult circumstances post 2000. His innings at Sydney in 2008 new years' test along with Laxman's were some of the finest batting I have had the privilege of watching, ever.

 

[Compton]

I think Vaughn and Ben Stokes are both unlucky not to make the list.

 

[Spark]

Eh, Stokes's innings was good, but very much irrelevant to the match/series result.

 

[adub]

I'd definitely rate Vaughan's SCG ton though. 4-0 down and facing a 1 run deficit after having Australia completely on the ropes and on a pair. A failure and Australia likely swamp them and sweep the series. Instead he attacked and took us apart. Sure no McG and Warne, but Dizzy, Lee, Bichel and MacGilla at the SCG isn't the sort of attack you usually take for 450+ declared in the 3rd innings. Absolutely match winning innings and full of great batsmanship. Deserved end to a very good series by him.

And I'd mentioned Gilly's ton in the same game before. It and Vaughan's get forgotten in all the emotion over Tugger (because SRW really, really needed runs in that match), but what a knock that was. When Waugh got out first over day 3 Australia were still 121 behind on the first innings and Gilly was still in the 40s. Bich went for 4 and Bing a duck and Australia were still 95 behind. Diz came in and did his thing of just keepin em out and Gilly went to town like few ever could. Vaughan spread the field to give Gilchrist the single, but Gilly being Gilly was havin none of that. He just kept hitting outrageous fours despite the field or was happy to swat one to the fence when the field came in at the end of the over and let Gillespie face the next over. He hit one incredible four off Caddick where Andy has dug in a bouncer late in the over so high as to be in real danger of a wide call to give Gilly nothing to hit and have Dizzy on strike next over. So Gilly swats it to the wide mid on boundary with a tennis overhead smash. As you do. When you're the most destructive batsman of your generation and it's your day. Eventually Dizzy also joined the fun and made a really handy 31* including a six but that was after Gilly went. In exactly 120 balls Gilly and Dizzy added 82 runs, which doesn't sound like much until you realise Diz faced 76 of those 120 balls and scored 18. Gilchrist smashed 64 off 44 balls against a field set to prevent boundaries and give him a single and did it without a single six. I still rate it as probably only second to his maiden ton, but probably his most audacious ton (and this is Gilchrist we're talking about here). Absolutely unbelievable batting.

So the pressure Waugh was under and the fairy tale of scoring his ton with a four on the last ball of the day (we were all glued to our TV's for it and the whole country cheered) makes the memory of that ton so emotional, but two even better centuries were scored the next day and hardly anyone remembers.

 

[mr_mister]

maybe better from a technical standpoint, but nothing can compare to the drama of Waugh's and that's what I watch sport for. I'll never forget that last ball ton, sitting cross legged in front of my TV in the January heat, a few months before starting High School. Good times. Everyone knew his career was over if he failed

 

[Furball]

That description of Gilchrist's ton reminds me of one of Flintoff's best against South Africa. Turned a scores level 8 down situation into a 100 run lead in partnership with Harmison where Harmison literally scored 1 run in the partnership.