Two teams on the rise, IMO. Which one has a better chance to be number one and dominate the next few years in Test cricket ?
Zaheer Khan + Ishant Sharma = Stayn + NitiniI honestly believe that right now Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma are at least as good as Steyn and Ntini. Certainly they're far more reliable and better worth a bet in difficult seam-bowling conditions, though they're not as devastating-when-conditions-are-right as Steyn especially is.
And certainly Munaf Patel if his fitness was better would probably be better than Morne Morkel too.
Less sure about Sreesanth et al, never really rated him or any other (currently available) Indian seamer away from the above three. But SA don't exactly have seamers coming out of their ears either - Andre Nel's completely lost it of late, Zondeki has never terribly impressed me and the next in line appear to be bowlers who I don't really know a hell of a lot about. Though there's some lad who was apparently almost as good as Tim Southee at the u19 WC not so long ago who might be able to step-up to the plate in a year or two. Hopefully. But it's a far cry from the time when they had Donalds, de Villierses, Matthewses, McMillans, Pollocks, Kluseners, Terbrugges, Haywards and others, all within a few years of each other. The one advantage that they had then and have now is Kallis, of course, who's a pretty good bowler again at the moment having not been for a while.
Clearly, on a turning pitch Harbhajan Singh >>> Harris, and Mishra is of course a wristspinner, though not a classical one with a "gargantuan" Leg-Break delivery. On a non-turner, neither India nor South Africa's spinners should pose any problems to good Test batsmen. Imran Tahir currently appears to be doing his usual follow-a-good-season-with-2-crap-ones routine, but you never know, if he turns-out good, he might be SA's answer to Mishra.
Zaheer Khan + Ishant Sharma = Stayn + Nitini
Oh dear, more -happy idiots. 2 in 1 day.No doubt about that. Choke Africa's win in subcontinent has come on non spin conditions. Oh wait till they tour Sri Lanka and get thrashed by Murlli and Mandis.
Richard one is you, who is the second one?Oh dear, more -happy idiots. 2 in 1 day.
Richard one is you, who is the second one?
Not so sure yet.
The pessimist in me says India, but we did very well there in recent times.. Nice to see crickets order getting well and truly shaken upNot so sure yet.
Very good point, although I'm not sure how long murali has left as a fit and firing test class bowler.. Mendis I think is basically a very scary replacementSri Lanka gets no love? They beat India 2-1
Mendis + Murali is the Best Spin Duo in World Cricket and there batting is sold barring the last series vs Zimbabwe
Lanka's batting isn't really solid though. Sangakkara is obviously outstanding, Mahela Jayawardene is much better than he used to be, and in Vandort, Silva and Dilshan there are batsmen who've always had promise if not always deliverance. Prasanna Jayawardene's an OK-ish lower-order player but no more than that.Sri Lanka gets no love? They beat India 2-1
Mendis + Murali is the Best Spin Duo in World Cricket and there batting is sold barring the last series vs Zimbabwe