Greatest On This Day Moments in Cricket History
Cricket history is filled with iconic moments that happened on specific dates. This guide celebrates some of the greatest 'on this day' moments in cricket — centuries, world records, World Cup victories and famous last days.
Cricket's 150 years of international history have produced countless memorable moments tied to specific dates. The 'on this day' tradition — celebrating historic events on their anniversary — is a beloved part of cricket culture on social media, radio broadcasts and cricket commentary. From Sachin Tendulkar's hundredth international century to the 2005 Ashes comeback at Edgbaston, these moments define the sport's collective memory.
January — February
January 26, 2001: VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid batted together for 376 runs in Kolkata against Australia, enabling India to win by 171 runs after following on — one of the greatest comebacks in Test history. January 10, 1948: Don Bradman's last Test century (173 against India at Adelaide) — he would never score a century again in international cricket. February 12, 2010: Sachin Tendulkar scored cricket's first 200 in ODI history (200* against South Africa in Gwalior), breaking through a barrier commentators had speculated about for years.
March — April
March 2, 2011: Yuvraj Singh took 5 wickets AND scored 57 runs against Ireland in the ICC World Cup, en route to his Player of the Tournament for the entire tournament. April 2, 2011: India won the ICC Cricket World Cup on home soil at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, defeating Sri Lanka by 6 wickets — MS Dhoni's famous six to win the World Cup with Sachin in the stands. April 27, 1994: Brian Lara scored 375 against England in Antigua, becoming the first person to hold the Test batting record and county batting record simultaneously.
August — September Ashes Moments
August 7-8, 2005: The Edgbaston Test — England beat Australia by 2 runs in what many consider the greatest Test match ever played. Andrew Flintoff consoling Brett Lee after the match became one of sport's most iconic images. September 12, 2005: England won the Ashes at The Oval — their first series win in 18 years — as hundreds of thousands lined the streets of London for the victory parade. September 7, 2007: Sourav Ganguly's farewell century at Lord's, which never came (he was dismissed for 8 in what turned out to be his final Test, an emotional match for Indian cricket).
Frequently asked questions
What is cricket's most famous day in history?
Different fans and different nations would give different answers, but globally, April 2, 2011 — when India won the ICC Cricket World Cup at home, with Sachin Tendulkar watching from the stands as MS Dhoni hit the winning six — is often cited as cricket's single most emotional and widely celebrated day. The match was watched by approximately 135 million viewers in India alone.
What was the 'Miracle at Headingley' in cricket?
The Miracle at Headingley refers to England's extraordinary 1981 Ashes Test at Headingley, Leeds, where England were following on (needing to bat again) and had barely avoided being asked to bat again at 135/7 — effectively 500/1 outsiders. Ian Botham (149*) and Bob Willis (8/43) then produced performances so extraordinary that England won by 18 runs. Ladbrokes had offered 500-1 against England winning; some Australian players had bet against themselves.