2011 best (and worst) moments in cricket...

What a year it has been for cricket... India winning the World Cup, England taking number 1 Test side this year, England taking the Ashes for the first time in Australia since 1986, spectacular shows in the World Cup and so much more. So what's better than to relive them... so sit back and check these moments out that livened this year's cricket and made 2011, one of the great years to remember in cricket...

Courtesy of ESPN Cricinfo

Let's go back to the start of the year in January where England won the Ashes series 3-1 in Sydney by beating Australia to win the Ashes in Australia for the first time since 1986

Now to the Cricket World Cup and what a tournament it was... plenty of brilliant moments. From Kevin O'Brien making the fastest century in World Cup cricket to that 6 by Dhoni to finish the tournament. Here's montage in courtesy of BBC Sports to reflect what a successful and entertaining tournament this year's World Cup gave.

Too much? Not quite. England only had a simple equation to be Number 1 Test side in the world. Win and it's theirs. And boy did they do it in style... Here's the highlights on how England finished off India to claim that Number 1 spot.

Zimbabwe we are off to next and after 6 years without Test cricket due to the state of the country then, Zimbabwe won their first Test against Bangladesh by 130 runs to show the world what they have missed... Here is the highlights of that winning day for them...

IPL and Champions League Twenty20 have been big hits to audiences... well not in India but great action. Since there were lots of matches and a lot of copyright infringements, we can't show the best moments of these tournaments but we suggest you visit the Indian Times YouTube channels to see highlights of all the games.

Zimbabwe were the team to astonish and surprise as well as it looked like they could beat New Zealand a full Test member side for the first time after a century charge by Brendan Taylor but it all fizzled out to ended agonisingly close to a win to miss out by 34 runs. But this was the Test by some experts that began to show the full capability of excitement in Test cricket. For us, it definitely did... unfortunately not many countries were able to see it so unfortunately no videos were available but here's a picture for a thought...

But cricket has also been the year to forget as well as the spot-fixing trial tarnished the reputation of cricket as 3 Pakistan players have been sentenced to jail after their involvement in the spot-fixing scandal during Pakistan's tour of England in 2010.

Australia were humiliated in this moment (to be exact for 18 overs) after a manic day in Newlands after South Africa also crashed into 96 all out. Also this was the 3rd ever time in Test history that 3 innings have been played in a day. What a manic innings this is now and Australia were 21-9 at one point... just saying.

India looked to be in good progress to get a whitewash for the third ever time in their Test history against West Indies but when it came to the last ball of the match with 2 to win, let's say... things didn't go to plan...

Virender Sehwag at his best now against the West Indies in the 4th ODI in their ODI series to break the world record for the most runs in an ODI Innings and the fastest double century in an ODI and boy, it's stunning.

Finally, a moment Aussies can forget about when New Zealand wiped the Aussies out when they agonisingly lost to the Kiwis by 7 runs in a thrilling end to this brilliant Test match and to prove Test matches still have excitement when needed...