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Images of the decade I

Images of the decade I

<b>June 2000:</b> The decade began with a scandal so shameful it shook the roots of the game. Hansie Cronje's admission that he took bribes from bookmakers to provide information and fix matches exposed the extent of the corruption that had beset the game. Cronje was banned for life, and died in 2002 when the cargo plane in which he was travelling crashed.
June 2000: The decade began with a scandal so shameful it shook the roots of the game. Hansie Cronje's admission that he took bribes from bookmakers to provide information and fix matches exposed the extent of the corruption that had beset the game. Cronje was banned for life, and died in 2002 when the cargo plane in which he was travelling crashed.•AFP
<b>December 2000:</b> In Karachi the predictions went awry and the critics ate their words when, in near darkness, England achieved an extraordinary victory in a compelling climax to the tour. It was their first Test win in Pakistan in 39 years, Pakistan's first Test loss at the National Stadium, and a match that will remain in the memory for the circumstances in which Nasser Hussain led his team to it, with Graham Thorpe paving the way.
December 2000: In Karachi the predictions went awry and the critics ate their words when, in near darkness, England achieved an extraordinary victory in a compelling climax to the tour. It was their first Test win in Pakistan in 39 years, Pakistan's first Test loss at the National Stadium, and a match that will remain in the memory for the circumstances in which Nasser Hussain led his team to it, with Graham Thorpe paving the way. •Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
<b>July 2002:</b> The Natwest Series final at Lord's was one of the most thrillingly topsy-turvy limited-overs internationals ever played. Centuries by Marcus Trescothick and Nasser Hussain took England to 325, and when Sachin Tendulkar fell with India's score at 146 for 5, it looked like the hosts would take the title with ease. But Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif added 121 runs for the sixth wicket; Kaif scored an unbeaten 87 and India won by two wickets, with three balls to spare. Sourav Ganguly, who had scored a half-century, ripped his shirt off on the dressing-room balcony, to lead the wild celebrations.
July 2002: The Natwest Series final at Lord's was one of the most thrillingly topsy-turvy limited-overs internationals ever played. Centuries by Marcus Trescothick and Nasser Hussain took England to 325, and when Sachin Tendulkar fell with India's score at 146 for 5, it looked like the hosts would take the title with ease. But Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif added 121 runs for the sixth wicket; Kaif scored an unbeaten 87 and India won by two wickets, with three balls to spare. Sourav Ganguly, who had scored a half-century, ripped his shirt off on the dressing-room balcony, to lead the wild celebrations.•Getty Images
<b>March 2003:</b> Australian captain Ricky Ponting lifted the World Cup after his side beat India in the final in Johannesburg. Ponting played a captain's innings to deliver Australia their third title. His 140, the highest individual score in a World Cup final at the time, and his leadership through the tournament completed his ascent from under-achieving Tasmanian devil to cornerstone of Australian dominance.
March 2003: Australian captain Ricky Ponting lifted the World Cup after his side beat India in the final in Johannesburg. Ponting played a captain's innings to deliver Australia their third title. His 140, the highest individual score in a World Cup final at the time, and his leadership through the tournament completed his ascent from under-achieving Tasmanian devil to cornerstone of Australian dominance.•Reuters
<b>January 2004:</b> Steve Waugh walked out to a thunderous ovation for his final Test innings. It wasn't a full stadium - Yabba's Hill, the most raucous part of the SCG - was virtually empty, but at 27,056, it was a record fifth day at Sydney. The match, against India, had been consigned to a draw for the whole of the last hour, and had turned into a farewell party. Waugh scored 80 and the series was drawn 1-1.
January 2004: Steve Waugh walked out to a thunderous ovation for his final Test innings. It wasn't a full stadium - Yabba's Hill, the most raucous part of the SCG - was virtually empty, but at 27,056, it was a record fifth day at Sydney. The match, against India, had been consigned to a draw for the whole of the last hour, and had turned into a farewell party. Waugh scored 80 and the series was drawn 1-1.•Chris McGrath/Getty Images
<b>March 2004:</b> The stadium was virtually desolate, and Virender Sehwag's bat resounded as he constructed an epic that laid the foundation of a historic victory, India's first in Pakistan in 21 Tests spread over 49 years. Sehwag hit 309, India's first triple-century, going from 295 to 301 with a roundhouse blast over wide long-on off Saqlain Mushtaq to etch himself in history. It was India's most exciting player of the decade at his best.
March 2004: The stadium was virtually desolate, and Virender Sehwag's bat resounded as he constructed an epic that laid the foundation of a historic victory, India's first in Pakistan in 21 Tests spread over 49 years. Sehwag hit 309, India's first triple-century, going from 295 to 301 with a roundhouse blast over wide long-on off Saqlain Mushtaq to etch himself in history. It was India's most exciting player of the decade at his best.•Scott Barbour/Getty Images
<b>October 2004:</b> Under stand-in captain Adam Gilchrist, Australia beat India in the third Test by a massive 342 runs, to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. Not only were India outplayed, their spirits were shattered, as all their gains of the last three years looked set to come undone. It was a great win by one of the greatest sides of all time, and they made it look easy.
October 2004: Under stand-in captain Adam Gilchrist, Australia beat India in the third Test by a massive 342 runs, to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. Not only were India outplayed, their spirits were shattered, as all their gains of the last three years looked set to come undone. It was a great win by one of the greatest sides of all time, and they made it look easy.•Getty Images
<b>August 2005:</b> A humdinger for the ages. In the most thrilling of Test matches, England held their nerve to snap a last-wicket stand and win by two runs. As the nation celebrated, Andrew Flintoff went across to console the valiant-but-vanquished. He put an arm around Brett Lee in what came to be one of the defining images of the decade.
August 2005: A humdinger for the ages. In the most thrilling of Test matches, England held their nerve to snap a last-wicket stand and win by two runs. As the nation celebrated, Andrew Flintoff went across to console the valiant-but-vanquished. He put an arm around Brett Lee in what came to be one of the defining images of the decade.•Getty Images
<b>January 2006:</b> His captaincy has its share of critics and Australia lost the Ashes twice under his watch, but there was no better Australian batsman this decade than Ricky Ponting. He churned out runs, marked several individual highlights - the double effort in his 100th Test at the SCG was magnificent - and helped Australia regroup after the 2005 Ashes with an amazing streak of 20 wins in 21 Tests, including the 5-0 demolition of England in 2006-07 to regain the urn in the most emphatic way.
January 2006: His captaincy has its share of critics and Australia lost the Ashes twice under his watch, but there was no better Australian batsman this decade than Ricky Ponting. He churned out runs, marked several individual highlights - the double effort in his 100th Test at the SCG was magnificent - and helped Australia regroup after the 2005 Ashes with an amazing streak of 20 wins in 21 Tests, including the 5-0 demolition of England in 2006-07 to regain the urn in the most emphatic way.•Getty Images
<b>October 2000:</b> The only major tournament New Zealand won in the decade was the ICC Knockout Trophy in Nairobi. Chris Cairns, who only played in two of New Zealand's four matches, scored an unbeaten hundred in the final as New Zealand chased 265 to beat India. New Zealand reached the Champions Trophy semi-finals in 2006, the World Cup semi-finals in 2007, the World Twenty20 semi-finals in 2007 and 2009 and the Champions Trophy final in 2009.
October 2000: The only major tournament New Zealand won in the decade was the ICC Knockout Trophy in Nairobi. Chris Cairns, who only played in two of New Zealand's four matches, scored an unbeaten hundred in the final as New Zealand chased 265 to beat India. New Zealand reached the Champions Trophy semi-finals in 2006, the World Cup semi-finals in 2007, the World Twenty20 semi-finals in 2007 and 2009 and the Champions Trophy final in 2009.•Tom Shaw/AllSport UK Ltd
<b>March 2001:</b>Kolkata 2001 will be remembered as one of the greatest Tests ever, for an astonishing Indian recovery that provided several records and led to only the third victory in Test history for a side that had followed on. VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid's partnership of 376, an Indian fifth-wicket record, dispelled India's troubles and paved the way for the win. They batted together for 104 overs, including the whole of the fourth day, when they added 335 in 90 overs.
March 2001:Kolkata 2001 will be remembered as one of the greatest Tests ever, for an astonishing Indian recovery that provided several records and led to only the third victory in Test history for a side that had followed on. VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid's partnership of 376, an Indian fifth-wicket record, dispelled India's troubles and paved the way for the win. They batted together for 104 overs, including the whole of the fourth day, when they added 335 in 90 overs.•AFP
<b>January 2003:</b> Off the last ball of the second day's play in the final Ashes Test in Sydney in 2003, Steve Waugh produced a stroke that completed, in his own words, "the Cinderella story". On his home ground, after becoming only the third batsman to make over 10,000 Test runs, the Australian captain drove the final ball of the day, from Richard Dawson, to the cover boundary to complete his 29th Test hundred, equalling Sir Donald Bradman's record. However, England won the Test by 225 runs.
January 2003: Off the last ball of the second day's play in the final Ashes Test in Sydney in 2003, Steve Waugh produced a stroke that completed, in his own words, "the Cinderella story". On his home ground, after becoming only the third batsman to make over 10,000 Test runs, the Australian captain drove the final ball of the day, from Richard Dawson, to the cover boundary to complete his 29th Test hundred, equalling Sir Donald Bradman's record. However, England won the Test by 225 runs.•Getty Images
<b>August 2003:</b> Makhaya Ntini became the first South African to take 10 wickets at Lord's in the 2003 Test there. Ntini took 5 for 75 on the first day as England were bundled out for a paltry 173, and repeated the dose in the second innings with 5 for 145. South Africa won massively, inflicting on England their biggest-ever first-innings deficit.
August 2003: Makhaya Ntini became the first South African to take 10 wickets at Lord's in the 2003 Test there. Ntini took 5 for 75 on the first day as England were bundled out for a paltry 173, and repeated the dose in the second innings with 5 for 145. South Africa won massively, inflicting on England their biggest-ever first-innings deficit.•Getty Images
<b>March 2004:</b> A scriptwriter could not have penned Shane Warne's comeback better. Australia, with their backs firmly to the wall after the first two days, powered their way back into the opening Test as Warne, back after a 12-month drugs ban, polished off Sri Lanka's tail in the first innings and Matthew Hayden, the Man of the Match, set Australia on course for a massive lead. Warne then took centerstage on the final, action-packed, day as he ripped through Sri Lanka's batting and rushed to the magical 500-wicket landmark as Australia recorded a famous win.
March 2004: A scriptwriter could not have penned Shane Warne's comeback better. Australia, with their backs firmly to the wall after the first two days, powered their way back into the opening Test as Warne, back after a 12-month drugs ban, polished off Sri Lanka's tail in the first innings and Matthew Hayden, the Man of the Match, set Australia on course for a massive lead. Warne then took centerstage on the final, action-packed, day as he ripped through Sri Lanka's batting and rushed to the magical 500-wicket landmark as Australia recorded a famous win. •Getty Images
<b>April 2004:</b> Ten years after his 375, Brian Lara returned to Antigua and regained the Test record by scoring 400 not out against England. West Indies had been walloped 3-0, and Lara, by now 34 and captain, was under intense pressure to avert a whitewash. With barely a false stroke, he became the first man to regain the top spot, hitting 43 fours and four sixes on his way to the first Test quadruple-century.
April 2004: Ten years after his 375, Brian Lara returned to Antigua and regained the Test record by scoring 400 not out against England. West Indies had been walloped 3-0, and Lara, by now 34 and captain, was under intense pressure to avert a whitewash. With barely a false stroke, he became the first man to regain the top spot, hitting 43 fours and four sixes on his way to the first Test quadruple-century.•Getty Images
<b>February 2005:</b> The biggest change to the game, and the most radical and lucrative, was the advent of Twenty20 cricket. Starting with the domestic Twenty20 Cup in England and picked up by other boards, Twenty20 gathered steam and now owns a sizeable chunk of the international calendar. History was made when New Zealand, sporting retro flannel and hairdos, played the first international Twenty20 against Australia in Auckland.
February 2005: The biggest change to the game, and the most radical and lucrative, was the advent of Twenty20 cricket. Starting with the domestic Twenty20 Cup in England and picked up by other boards, Twenty20 gathered steam and now owns a sizeable chunk of the international calendar. History was made when New Zealand, sporting retro flannel and hairdos, played the first international Twenty20 against Australia in Auckland.•Hamish Blair/Getty Images
<b>September 2005:</b> The summer of 2005 was the scene of arguably the best Test series ever, which ended with England winning back the Ashes after 18 years. England's victorious cricketers were feted as national heroes by tens of thousands of cheering Londoners who turned out to cheer them as they paraded through the streets of the capital in an open-top bus.
September 2005: The summer of 2005 was the scene of arguably the best Test series ever, which ended with England winning back the Ashes after 18 years. England's victorious cricketers were feted as national heroes by tens of thousands of cheering Londoners who turned out to cheer them as they paraded through the streets of the capital in an open-top bus.•Getty Images
<b>May 2002:</b> The first in a series of events that would ultimately culminate in Pakistan losing hosting rights for international cricket. The New Zealand team left Pakistan after a bomb exploded outside their Karachi hotel, causing the tour to be cancelled just prior to the second Test. On his return home, New Zealand's captain Stephen Fleming struggled to hold back tears.
May 2002: The first in a series of events that would ultimately culminate in Pakistan losing hosting rights for international cricket. The New Zealand team left Pakistan after a bomb exploded outside their Karachi hotel, causing the tour to be cancelled just prior to the second Test. On his return home, New Zealand's captain Stephen Fleming struggled to hold back tears.•Photosport
<b>February 2003:</b> One of the abiding memories of the 2003 World Cup was the protest by Andy Flower and Henry Olonga against the Mugabe regime during Zimbabwe's opening match in Harare. Knowing there would be no way back once they took a stand, Flower and Olonga went ahead and wore black armbands to mourn "the death of democracy" in the country.
February 2003: One of the abiding memories of the 2003 World Cup was the protest by Andy Flower and Henry Olonga against the Mugabe regime during Zimbabwe's opening match in Harare. Knowing there would be no way back once they took a stand, Flower and Olonga went ahead and wore black armbands to mourn "the death of democracy" in the country. •Reuters
<b> December 2003:</b> In Adelaide, a perfect square-cut from Rahul Dravid sealed an epic. After five breathless days it was difficult to decide what was more confounding: Just how had Australia managed to lose after scoring 556 by the second afternoon? Or how had India managed to win after being 85 for 4 in reply? Australia's inability to stick to their guns on the fourth day cost them the match, but it was as much a triumph of India's spirit, exemplified by none better than Dravid, who was on the field for most of the five days, batting 835 minutes and scoring 305 runs.
December 2003: In Adelaide, a perfect square-cut from Rahul Dravid sealed an epic. After five breathless days it was difficult to decide what was more confounding: Just how had Australia managed to lose after scoring 556 by the second afternoon? Or how had India managed to win after being 85 for 4 in reply? Australia's inability to stick to their guns on the fourth day cost them the match, but it was as much a triumph of India's spirit, exemplified by none better than Dravid, who was on the field for most of the five days, batting 835 minutes and scoring 305 runs.•Getty Images
<b>March 2004:</b> Steve Harmison took 7 for 12 as England bowled West Indies out for an embarrassing 47 - their lowest Test score - at Sabina Park, in a four-match series England won 3-0 to end 36 years of hurt. Harmison finally came of age, taking the cheapest seven-wicket haul in Test history in a performance described by his captain as "one of the greatest spells by an England bowler".
March 2004: Steve Harmison took 7 for 12 as England bowled West Indies out for an embarrassing 47 - their lowest Test score - at Sabina Park, in a four-match series England won 3-0 to end 36 years of hurt. Harmison finally came of age, taking the cheapest seven-wicket haul in Test history in a performance described by his captain as "one of the greatest spells by an England bowler".•Ben Radford/Getty Images
<b>September 2004:</b> West Indies beat England in the Champions Trophy final at The Oval, a match that ended in near-darkness. From the depths of 147 for 8, Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw set about forging an unbeaten eighth-wicket stand of 71 that at first irritated England, then alarmed them, and ultimately left them resigned to their fate.
September 2004: West Indies beat England in the Champions Trophy final at The Oval, a match that ended in near-darkness. From the depths of 147 for 8, Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw set about forging an unbeaten eighth-wicket stand of 71 that at first irritated England, then alarmed them, and ultimately left them resigned to their fate.•Getty Images
<b>June 2005:</b> Bangladesh pulled off one of the biggest upsets in history as they beat Australia by five wickets in an extraordinary match in Cardiff. Mohammad Ashraful was the hero, making his first one-day hundred at a run a ball, and he added 130 in 23 overs with Habibul Bashar to put them on course for a win everyone had thought impossible.
June 2005: Bangladesh pulled off one of the biggest upsets in history as they beat Australia by five wickets in an extraordinary match in Cardiff. Mohammad Ashraful was the hero, making his first one-day hundred at a run a ball, and he added 130 in 23 overs with Habibul Bashar to put them on course for a win everyone had thought impossible.•Getty Images
<b>September 2005:</b> Four months after Greg Chappell became India coach, Sourav Ganguly was sacked as captain and dropped from the team. Chappell suggested that Ganguly should step down from the captaincy and Ganguly made the coach's views public at a press conference during the first Test between India and Zimbabwe. After months of acrimony and covert mudslinging between the two, Ganguly returned to the side, while Chappell quit at the end of the 2007 World Cup.
September 2005: Four months after Greg Chappell became India coach, Sourav Ganguly was sacked as captain and dropped from the team. Chappell suggested that Ganguly should step down from the captaincy and Ganguly made the coach's views public at a press conference during the first Test between India and Zimbabwe. After months of acrimony and covert mudslinging between the two, Ganguly returned to the side, while Chappell quit at the end of the 2007 World Cup.•AFP
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