Are India the second best team in the world?

[Manee]

However, how long can it last? Tendulkar, Dravid, Kumble and Ganguly can't go on forever and they really need to make the most of it whilst this side is at its peak over the next two or so years.

Dravid going means Laxman can go to number three where he is one of the best number three batsmen of all time. Obviously though, having the bring in the extra batsman will still have a toll.

Tendulkar and Ganguly will be harder to replace in the middle order. So much so that I think that India should possibly look to play Ganguly, Dravid and to a lesser extent Tendulkar in less ODIs as to prolong their Test careers. Tendulkar has said that he has no problem recovering from Tests and that ODIs are the issue. Although I rate him as the greatest ODI batsman who I have seen, I think that it is a sacrifice worth making whilst the ODI team falter (yet the T20 team succeed) and the Test team succeed.

As for Kumble, I think that he is irriplacable. Whether Chawla, Bhajji or Ojha can step up to premier spinner remains to be seen but they will not be as good as Kumble.

 

[Jono]

I'm hoping Tendulkar gives away the ODI game after the CB series here in Australia.

Wouldn't mind if Ganguly and Dravid did too, but Tendulkar I'd like to see hang the boots up for sure.

 

[Craig]

The ability of the bowlers to get the ball to move away from the batsmen is a good sign. If you have that skill you can pretty much do well in most places.

Anyway in hindsight you can see why India won though, after the "What-he said" farce between Bhajji and Symonds, really brought them a lot closer as a team. As I said, use it as fuel for the Test, not as jest fuel back to India.

 

[pasag]

So much so that I think that India should possibly look to play Ganguly, Dravid and to a lesser extent Tendulkar in less ODIs as to prolong their Test careers. Tendulkar has said that he has no problem recovering from Tests and that ODIs are the issue. Although I rate him as the greatest ODI batsman who I have seen, I think that it is a sacrifice worth making whilst the ODI team falter (yet the T20 team succeed) and the Test team succeed.

Yeah, as sad as it would be to see such brilliant ODI players go, it should certainly be done to prolong their Test careers.

 

[Prince EWS]

I'm hoping Tendulkar gives away the ODI game after the CB series here in Australia.

Wouldn't mind if Ganguly and Dravid did too, but Tendulkar I'd like to see hang the boots up for sure.

Yeah, I'd like to see all three retire from ODIs immediately if it'd prolong their test careers. Sure, they are all very good to great ODI batsmen, but it's a sacrafise worth making IMO, especially when you consider that the Indian ODI team isn't in great stocks anyway and could probably do with a makeover of sorts.

 

[Protean]

Yeah they probably are second. Really looking forward to seeing SA play them!

 

[Jono]

Love to know who the people who voted 'no' think are second best.

It could only really be South Africa or Sri Lanka. Unless they just believe there's no clear 2nd.

 

[The_Bunny]

I think England have the ability to be second best again, if they ever get their best team on the park for a few matches in a row.

But It has to be India at the moment for me.
Though I think the Series vs England deserved 1-1

 

[Craig]

Well New Zealand do have a fair Test cricket this year, and if they can say fit (a bif IF) and keep a similar side they will do a lot better. But Bond is gone now, but with all the injuries he has had, they should be able to play well without him by now. Obviously his presence makes a big difference, but they should be capable of surviving without him.

 

[Matt79]

Sachin, Dravid and Ganguly retiring from ODIs makes sense as they are unlikely to last til the next WC, and the 20/20 Championship showcased a lot of the good young limited overs talent India has coming through. It would give the next generation a chance to establish themselves internationally before the turnover in the Test team began in earnest.

It will be sad to see Sachin in particular hang up the pyjamas, but worth it if it means we get to see him bat in Tests for an extra year or two.

 

[Manee]

About three years ago, I don't think that anyone in their wildest dreams would have thought that India would have 5 pace bowlers of Test standard.

 

[jeevan]

About three years ago, I don't think that anyone in their wildest dreams would have thought that India would have 5 pace bowlers of Test standard.

Actually 3 years or so ago was when we had Nehra, Agarkar (Adelaide 2003 on everyone's mind) and Balaji (quite hot with Pathan) in addition to Zaheer & Pathan. The first 3 dropped off due to injury, form & inconsistency.

A year and half ago, when Munaf was turning out to be flaky, Pathan just dire and Zaheer still working on his fitness - that was the true wilderness (with Sree & RP showing up just in time). And five years ago, also what you say is probably correct.

There was a false dawn ~ 4 years ago (WC2003 also had India sport a good pace attack), and here's to hoping that this one does not turn out like that.

 

[Unattainableguy]

@ those voting yes

Anyway, I don't think there's any difference in #2 and like #7 ranked sides, it takes one bad/good series to switch the rankings so for me no clear #2. But I'm sure no team with their best pacer being someone like Irfan Pathan can ever be 2nd best.

 

[jeevan]

@ those voting yes

Anyway, I don't think there's any difference in #2 and like #7 ranked sides, it takes one bad/good series to switch the rankings so for me no clear #2. But I'm sure no team with their best pacer being someone like Irfan Pathan can ever be 2nd best.

Well there is some difference. Made easy to see due to the official #2 team having toured Australia just over a month before India.

SL took 4,5,2 wickets in their 3 bowling innings (averaging over a hundred)
India took 10,7,10,7,10,10 in their 6 bowling innings (probably averaging in the high 30's/low 40's)

SL top score was 410, despite that innings from Sanga
India top score was 532 despite Dravid being horribly out of form.

Pathan was/is not the first choice pacer by any measure. It is injuries to the first squad (Zaheer, Sree and Munaf) that gave him an opening. And winning at Perth despite not having the pick of fast bowlers is all the more reason for the team to be higher rated.

 

[chalky]

Top 3:

1.Australia
2.South Africa
3.India

I think India are comfortably ahead of South Africa who are very overrated at no 2 in the world.

For me their batting is quite poor apart from Kallis (who is obviously exceptional) & Prince who is solid. The top 3 are especially weak with Smith & Gibbs having huge techncal flaws, Amla looks like the poorest test no 3 this side of Runako Morton & whoever bats there for Bangladesh. Even the South African Commentators pointed out that Kallis can't always rescue South Africa from 20 for 2 or 30 for 3.

Their seam bowling is strong but I wouldn't say it is significantly better than India's, Sri Lanka's or England's to cover their weak batting

My rating

1 Australia
2 India
3 Sri Lanka
4 England
5 South africa
6 New Zealand
7 Pakistan
8 West Indies

 

[Glacier]

South Africa have Kallis and that probably makes them better then India I feel. Even though all the batsmen are performing consistently theirs no one that really stands out as was the case a few years back when Dravid and Tendulkar were piling on the runs.

 

[ColdSnow]

Sachin, Dravid and Ganguly retiring from ODIs makes sense as they are unlikely to last til the next WC, and the 20/20 Championship showcased a lot of the good young limited overs talent India has coming through. It would give the next generation a chance to establish themselves internationally before the turnover in the Test team began in earnest.

It will be sad to see Sachin in particular hang up the pyjamas, but worth it if it means we get to see him bat in Tests for an extra year or two.

No way Tendulkar should go...he has been playing since 1989 and is the longest surviving guy in cricket currently. It would break my heart to see him go as I have grown up watching him.

 

[Jono]

@ those voting yes

Anyway, I don't think there's any difference in #2 and like #7 ranked sides, it takes one bad/good series to switch the rankings so for me no clear #2. But I'm sure no team with their best pacer being someone like Irfan Pathan can ever be 2nd best.

Lol @ the fact that the last team to beat Australia in Australia was... India.

Pakistan have come there since, NZ, South Africa, Sri Lanka, England and WI. And you say there's no difference than #2 and #7, when in fact the difference between WI and NZ compared to India is quite large. Both of those teams at this current moment don't have a hope of challenging Australia, let alone doing it in Australia.

Yet India are the only team that can do it. They're second best. And Pathan is actually India's 4th best pace bowler, and he just won India a test vs. Australia. That suggest India's depth is going alright hey.

No Mohammad Sami anyway.

 

[jeevan]

Lol @ the fact that the last team to beat Australia in Australia was... India.

Pakistan have come there since, NZ, South Africa, Sri Lanka, England and WI.

Yet India are the only team that can do it. They're second best. And Pathan is actually India's 4th best pace bowler, and he just won India a test vs. Australia. That suggest India's depth is going alright hey.

No Mohammad Sami anyway.

Going into this test, sixth, actually. In recent months Zaheer, Sreesanth, Munaf, RP and Ishant have all been selected ahead of Pathan in the test team more than once. This match may change that pecking order a bit.

 

[Debris]

Lol @ the fact that the last team to beat Australia in Australia was... India.

Pakistan have come there since, NZ, South Africa, Sri Lanka, England and WI. And you say there's no difference than #2 and #7, when in fact the difference between WI and NZ compared to India is quite large. Both of those teams at this current moment don't have a hope of challenging Australia, let alone doing it in Australia.

Yet India are the only team that can do it. They're second best. And Pathan is actually India's 4th best pace bowler, and he just won India a test vs. Australia. That suggest India's depth is going alright hey.

No Mohammad Sami anyway.

I assume you mean they were the last to win a test match. Series was a draw.

Last team to beat Australia in Australia was the West Indies.