Michael Clarke hit 329* in the 2nd test against India in Sydney; he later became the first captain in test history to notch a triple and a double century in the same series by scoring 210 against India in Adelaide in the fourth test. © Gallo Images

David Warner (180) smashed the fastest test century by an opening batsman in the third test between Australia and India in Perth. Warner's 69-ball century was the joint fourth-fastest ever in tests. © Gallo Images

Australia crushed India by 298 runs in the 4th test to record a 4-0 series sweep. The series was not even closely contested as Australia won the 1st test in Melbourne by 122 runs and followed that with an innings and 68-run win in Sydney and an innings and 37-run triumph in Perth. © Gallo Images

Pakistan sealed an emphatic 71-run win in the 3rd test against England in Dubai, wrapping up a humiliating 3-0 series whitewash over the then world number one test team for their first-ever test cleansweep against England. Pakistan won the 1st test in Dubai by 10 wickets and the 2nd by 72 runs in Abu Dhabi. (Saeed Ajmal featured) © Gallo Images

New Zealand secured a sweep of every game of Zimbabwe's tour to the island, winning the one-off test, three ODIs and two T20s. Opener Rob Nicol (featured) starred in the 2nd ODI, plundering 146 off 134 balls, the fifth highest one-day international score by a New Zealander. © Gallo Images

Paceman Clint McKay (5-28) bowled Australia to a 16-run victory over Sri Lanka to capture the one-day international tri-series in the third final at the Adelaide Oval. The series also included India. © Gallo Images

India batting great and former skipper Rahul Dravid announced his retirement from international cricket in March, saying it was the right time to "move on" and make way for the next generation of players. Dravid (39) had scored 13 288 runs in 164 tests, including 36 hundreds. © Action Images

After waiting more than a year, India's Sachin Tendulkar finally became the first cricketer to score 100 international centuries during an Asia Cup one-day match against Bangladesh in March. He has scored 51 centuries in tests and 49 in one-day internationals. © Action Images

Pakistan claimed the Asia Cup with a thrilling two-run victory over a dogged Bangladesh in Dhaka. The visitors -- tournament winners in 2000 -- held Bangladesh to 234-8, agonisingly short of Pakistan's 236-9. © Action Images

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath claimed a match haul of 12 wickets as Sri Lanka condemned top-ranked England to their 4th consecutive test defeat in the series opener in Galle. The 34-year-old grabbed six wickets in each innings. It was only the 2nd win in 18 tests for Sri Lanka since the retirement of Muttiah Muralidaran in 2010. © Action Images

Ravi Jadeja claimed 5-16 as the Chennai Super Kings drubbed the Deccan Chargers by 74 runs in their IPL encounter at the Visakhapatnam Stadium. Jadeja's remarkable spell saw the Chargers rolled over for 119 inside 18 overs, as they failed miserably in their chase of CSK's massive 193 for 6. © Gallo Images

Kevin Pietersen smashed a maiden Twenty20 century to help the Delhi Daredevils move top of the IPL table after a comfortable five-wicket win over the Deccan Chargers in Delhi. He blasted nine sixes and six fours on his way to an unbeaten 103 from 64 balls as the hosts chased down their 158 victory target with five deliveries to spare. © Gallo Images

Chris Gayle had a superb IPL season for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. He scored 733 runs, which included seven half-centuries and produced a brilliant 128* against the Delhi Daredevils. He totalled 46 fours and an astounding 59 sixes. © Gallo Images

AB de Villiers played one of the greatest IPL innings ever seen as his sensational onslaught took the Royal Challengers Bangalore to a five-wicket win over the Deccan Chargers. RCB needed 69 off the last five overs. De Villiers stole the show with an astonishing innings of 47 not out off just 17 balls, with five fours and three sixes. © Gallo Images

Graeme Swann claimed a match haul of 10 wickets as England roared to a series-levelling win over Sri Lanka in the second and final test in Colombo to retain their number one ranking. Swann followed his four wickets in the first innings with six in the second. © Gallo Images

Paceman Thisara Perera (featured) bagged a career-best 6-44 and Tillakaratne Dilshan top-scored with an unbeaten 119 for his 13th one-day hundred off 139 balls, as Sri Lanka posted an easy 76-run win over Pakistan in the second ODI in Pallekele. © Action Images

Tino Best's astounding 95, the highest ever score by a test No 11, rocked England on the fourth day of the third test at Edgbaston. A West Indies' 10th-wicket test record stand of 143 -- the 3rd highest in all tests for the last wicket -- of 143 between Denesh Ramdin (107*) and Best took the tourists to 426 all out. © Gallo Images

England captain Andrew Strauss, who oversaw back-to-back Ashes wins over Australia and took England to the top of the test rankings, announced his retirement from professional cricket in August. Strauss played 100 tests and scored 7 037 runs at an average of 40.91 with 21 centuries. © Gallo Images

Prolific Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara stole the show with a hat-trick of International Cricket Council (ICC) awards in Colombo in September. The 34-year-old batsman-wicketkeeper was named Cricketer of the Year. He also won the Test Cricketer of the Year and People's Choice awards. © Action Images

Spinner Ajantha Mendis took a record six wickets for just eight runs as Sri Lanka humbled Zimbabwe in the opening match of the World Twenty20 in Hambantota. Mendis, 27, marked his international return after an eight-month injury layoff with the devastating haul to wreck Zimbabwe for 100 in 17.3 overs. © Action Images

Brendon McCullum blasted the highest-ever individual score in 20-over international cricket to set the ICC World Twenty20 alight as New Zealand claimed a comfortable 59-run win over Bangladesh in Pallekele. The veteran wicketkeeper plundered 123 off just 58 deliveries to help the Black Caps amass 191-3, before they restricted the Asian side to 132-8.

Marlon Samuels struck a crucial half-century to lead West Indies to the ICC World Twenty20 trophy after a 36-run win over Sri Lanka in the final in Colombo. Sri Lanka never looked in the hunt with the bat as they collapsed to 101 all out in 18.4 overs. Sunil Narine picked up 3-9. © Gallo Images

Azhar Mahmood produced a superb all-round performance to propel the Auckland Aces to an emphatic seven-wicket win against the Kolkata Knight Riders in their CLT20 match at Newlands. He took 3-16 and then finished on an undefeated 51 off 42 deliveries with three fours and two sixes. © Gallo Images

Michael Lumb smashed a magnificent unbeaten 82 as the Sydney Sixers crushed the Highveld Lions to win the Champions League Twenty20 by 10 wickets in Johannesburg. The Australians chased down the 122 victory target with 7.3 overs to spare. © Gallo Images

Ricky Ponting retired from international cricket in December. He scored 13 378 runs at 51.85 which included 41 centuries. He was the most successful captain in the history of the game, and will be remembered as an arch-competitor who ranks behind only Donald Bradman in the pantheon of Australian batsmen. © Gallo Images