As Test cricket prepares for its 2,000th fixture, between England and India at Lord's, AFP Sport looks back at some of its greatest matches: 1877: The first Test match sees Australia beat England by 45 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with Charles Bannerman scoring the first Test century. 1882: Australia beat England by seven runs at The Oval, with Fred Spofforth taking 14 wickets. The Sporting Times publishes a mock obituary of English cricket stating the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. The Ashes are born. 1948: Australia, set 404 to win in a day, beat England by seven wickets at Headingley with Arthur Morris making 182 and Don Bradman 173 not out. 'The Invincibles' go on to win the series 4-0. 1960: With many pundits fearing for Test cricket's future, Australia and the West Indies play out a thrilling tie in Brisbane secured by West Indies fielder Joe Solomon's brilliant direct hit run-out of Ian Meckiff. 1973: In a match disrupted by a bomb scare, 37-year-old Garry Sobers -- arguably cricket's greatest all-rounder -- scores 150 not out as West Indies hammer England by an innings and 226 runs. 1977: The Centenary Test, remarkably, produces exactly the same result as the first, with Australia beating England by 45 runs in Melbourne. Australia fast bowler Dennis Lillee takes 11 wickets in a match that features a breath-taking 174 from England's Derek Randall. 1981: "One of the most fantastic victories ever known in Test cricket history," according to former Australia captain Richie Benaud, commentating for BBC television, sees England, who had been made to follow on, beat Australia by 18 runs at Headingley. When Ian Botham comes out to bat in England's second innings, they are five wickets down and still 122 runs behind. Yet he makes a thrilling 149 and, with Australia set just 130 to win, fast bowler Bob Willis takes eight for 43. 1984: West Indies, in the midst of their domination of Test cricket, win 5-0 in England. For all the talk about their formidable fast bowling attack, they have some fine batsmen too, with opener Gordon Greenidge making an unbeaten 214 at Lord's as they chase down 342 in five and a half hours to win by nine wickets. 2001: India, following on, are all but down and out against Australia in Kolkata in 2001 until VVS Laxman, produces one of the great all-time innings to make 281 and share a superb stand of 376 with Rahul Dravid, whose 180 is a hugely impressive effort in its own right. Australia, set an unlikely 384 to win, are bowled out for 212, with off-spinner Harbhajan Singh taking six for 73. 2004: Australia have gone 16 years without losing a Test series at home and South Africa are a team that have always struggled against them since their re-admission to international cricket. Yet neither of those factors appears to count for much as the Proteas win the second Test in Melbourne by the crushing margin of nine wickets. South Africa's JP Duminy plays the innings of his life to make 166 but it is the sight of fast bowler Dale Steyn, who takes 10 wickets in the match, thrashing 76 that indicates the days of the all-conquering Aussies are coming to an end.

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As Test cricket prepares for its 2,000th fixture, between England and India at Lord's, AFP Sport looks back at some of its greatest matches:

Ten great Test matches

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Ten great Test matches

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