Matches or series when your team astonished you in a good way

[honestbharani]

rest of the series was more along the lines of how I expected it would go.

****ing Jaddu dropping Cook. Ash would have caught that.

 

[Starfighter]

Don't think I've had any from Australia during the time I've been watching, at least in tests.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Don't think I've had any from Australia during the time I've been watching, at least in tests.

Yeah, generally always expected them to win. The one I can think of was the Sok 12-for Test. Still remember I was off my face at a BBQ on the day they won it, casually checked the scores and thought "huh, weird" then forgot about it for a few days.

 

[Starfighter]

The one I can think of was the Sok 12-for Test.

That would be one. Other than that Australia has tended to be predictable and generally veering toward the bad side when not.

 

[sunilz]

That would be one. Other than that Australia has tended to be predictable and generally veering toward the bad side when not.

2014 SA series 2-1 ??

 

[sunilz]

Border gavaskar 2020/21 first by miles obviously

Honourable mentions:

2001 v Australia

3 wins in SL (01 Kandy chasing a big score vs peak Murali, 08 Galle against Murali Mendis and 2010 when VVS chased a big score down) were all massive surprises to me. Especially the first two because we usually got owned by Murali every other time plus Sachin and VVS were absent for Kandy.

2014 Lords was a shock because of how inexperienced the team was and the fact that they were send in to bat on arguably the greenest pitch in half a century, rest of the series was more along the lines of how I expected it would go.

2015 SL series 2-1 .
Didn't expect us to win series after horror show at Galle.

 

[Starfighter]

2014 SA series 2-1 ??

We'd tended to do well in SA at the time.

 

[TheJediBrah]

2014 SA series 2-1 ??

Nah expected them to win that at the time

 

[Bahnz]

Going back into the distant past, New Zealand drawing 2-2 with South Africa in 1961 was a pretty stunning over archievement. Not the greatest SA team, but they had some real quality in the Pollock-Adcock new ball partnership and Colin Bland was a fine batsman - certainly all three were better than any of the players in the NZ side.

In more recent times the 2011 Hobart test win was pretty stunning, and in terms of good feels the 2012 win against Sri Lanka is pretty high up there, especially because it was the first time the likes of Williamson and Southee helped to lead NZ to a test win.

 

[Heboric]

1992 Test series draw, SA vs Aus... the 2nd 'Vinnige Fanie ' test!

Oh yes that series and Darrel Hair , that series was the poster child for the need of neutral umpires.

Ill add series wins in Pakistan and Sri Lanka - cant remember the dates

 

[ankitj]

The Border Gavaskar trophy 2020-21 has raised the bar for what can be considered astonishing.

 

[stephen]

The West Indies tour of 1995 was probably the last time I was astonished by Australia in a test series. I had grown up understanding that the West Indies were an unstoppable beast of a side who would never concede their crown. Every time someone great retired, someone new would step up. Lara had just replaced Viv a few short years earlier after all. And Curtley was Curtley. We were never going to beat them on their home turf.

And then we did. Forever.

 

[TheJediBrah]

The West Indies tour of 1995 was probably the last time I was astonished by Australia in a test series. I had grown up understanding that the West Indies were an unstoppable beast of a side who would never concede their crown. Every time someone great retired, someone new would step up. Lara had just replaced Viv a few short years earlier after all. And Curtley was Curtley. We were never going to beat them on their home turf.

And then we did. Forever.

And they've never recovered. The state of modern WI cricket is purely due to Australia living rent-free in their heads of every person living in that chain of islands.

 

[Ashwinashwath]

The 2003 Australia tour which they huffed and puffed and drew the series after went took lead. Ganguly showed great leadership skills.