Rank the test sides

[honestbharani]

Australia doesn't need a spinner to save them. Apart from Murali, all the sides more or less have a spinner in the Hauritz caliber. There is little differentiating them on that point. Hussey may be gone soon enough but that's not a worry since we have good depth in batting. Ponting on the other hand looks awesome and looks like he can hit a purple patch again at any time.

SA just got beat by Australia in their own backyard so I don't think such a claim is so definite. Australia, SA and India are more or less of even strength. But in the next few years, I think India will have problems replacing Tendulkar and Dravid, while S.Africa will lose Kallis and even without Ponting most of the Aussie team at the moment will mature and start moving into their prime.

As I said, it all remains to be seen, but there is little difference between them. The way I see it, until a team beats Australia home and away or has a significantly better record overall than Australia should still be called the #1 side in the world, even if it is debatable.

Bhajji is Hauritz caliber.. Now I have heard it all..

 

[honestbharani]

They already have. Their batting depth is gash. Look at the situation with Dravid currently. He has been carried in the test side for 2 years, plus even brought back into the ODI team.

If he was AUS neither would have happened. If you remember what happened with Junior Waugh in 2002.

I love the way you speak as if you know everything about Indian cricket...

 

[honestbharani]

You're right, Mishra and Harbhajan are a step above. Harris, Swann and Vettori? Seriously, you're arguing the difference here as a difference between the sides? Not much difference between them if at all.




Your take on it, I disagree. I think their draw with India is impressive but with their win in Australia they had a loss against us at home too. England...puh.



Whether they are better is debatable, and that's my point. In terms of "who is #1" I just don't see it in that vein. Similarly, as Aus had to beat WIndies to truly take the title, I think the same has to be achieved with other teams if they are to take that crown.

Thsi is not boxing, mate.

 

[superkingdave]

Think if Pakistan were given the chance to play test cricket properly, they'd move above England.

 

[TT Boy]

Just can't rate Sri Lanka that highly. They only bat down to five.

 

[tooextracool]

Just can't rate Sri Lanka that highly. They only bat down to five.

That would be giving Paranavitana a lot of credit.

The way I see it, they have 4 quality batters in Dilshan, Samaraweera, Sangakkara and Jayawardhene and 3 of them have dodgy overseas records.

 

[TT Boy]

Para looks pretty decent and unlike a lot of their batsman, has scored heavily in South Africa with the A side. Think a big issue for Sri Lanka is that their quartet is comfortably over 30 and not much is coming through quickly. Kapugedera has been around the national side for coming on five years, still hasn't secured himself a place and they keep going back to the likes of Mubarak and Vandort.

 

[aussie]

I love the way you speak as if you know everything about Indian cricket...

Well that would be an incorrect interpretation of my knowledge on Indian cricket. I dont pretend to know anything more than what i do know - but what i do know i stand by it.

 

[tooextracool]

Thought Chamara Silva got a raw deal tbh, looked like he might have been something decent. But you are right, with the exception of Matthews, I havent heard of any youngster who is setting the domestic scene alight and that is a problem for SL for the future.

 

[weldone]

South Africa 122
X
X
Sri Lanka 119
India 119
X
X
Australia 116
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
England 105
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Pakistan 84
X
New Zealand 82
X
X
X
X
X
West Indies 76

[Bangladesh 13]

wow....Athlai ROCKS ...

 

[Uppercut]

Thought Chamara Silva got a raw deal tbh, looked like he might have been something decent. But you are right, with the exception of Matthews, I havent heard of any youngster who is setting the domestic scene alight and that is a problem for SL for the future.

I'm wondering what happened to Warnapura. Thought he looked great last I saw him, a poor series against Pakistan and he's vanished from the face of the earth.

 

[TT Boy]

He was very poor against Pakistan, just slogging blind.

 

[roseboy64]

Barring this current WICB-WIPA impasse, the WI could quite easily be number 6 now ahead of Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh. That is if other results remained the same i.e Pakistan losing against Sri Lanka and also had WI beat Bangladesh. True?

 

[Burgey]

Bhajji is Hauritz caliber.. Now I have heard it all..

He is in Australia tbf. Elsewhere the comparison is laughable imo.

 

[honestbharani]

Well that would be an incorrect interpretation of my knowledge on Indian cricket. I dont pretend to know anything more than what i do know - but what i do know i stand by it.

The thing is, you seriously have no idea.

 

[honestbharani]

He is in Australia tbf. Elsewhere the comparison is laughable imo.

Dunno.. Bhajji went alright in the recent series... Plus seems to have Punter's number.. I would settle for that from my spinner. Maybe I am wrong, but weren't his figures better than Murali's if you only take their last series in Australia?

 

[Burgey]

Dunno.. Bhajji went alright in the recent series... Plus seems to have Punter's number.. I would settle for that from my spinner. Maybe I am wrong, but weren't his figures better than Murali's if you only take their last series in Australia?

You may be right, though Murali in Australia is a bit like Ponting in India - neither have done well in those places.

I thought Harbhajan was a bit disappointing here last time, aside of course from getting Ponting out which is always a good thing for a visiting side. Then again, he was also playing as second spinner so missed out to Kumble when they only played one spinner.

 

[honestbharani]

You may be right, though Murali in Australia is a bit like Ponting in India - neither have done well in those places.

I thought Harbhajan was a bit disappointing here last time, aside of course from getting Ponting out which is always a good thing for a visiting side. Then again, he was also playing as second spinner so missed out to Kumble when they only played one spinner.

yeah.. and to be honest, I kinda think Mishra would be a better option in Aussie conditions than Bhajji if we are gonna play only one spinner... I agree reg. Bhajji being disappointing but his bowling was refreshing different in NZ ( at least his attitude towards bowling in test cricket) and if that continues, I expect better showing from him pretty much everywhere...

 

[Burgey]

Also, to be fair to him, it would be pretty understandable if he had some other, umm, issues on his mind for at least part of the last tour to Australia

 

[DingDong]

On their day Sri Lanka can beat anybody. But they can lose to anybody if it's not their day as well.