India: Deserved of No. 1?

[SJS]

The ranking system in cricket has never been perfect. Cricket fans, players and media who embraced so enthusiastically all these years need to look at themselves and not at India when they castigate the system. Such systems are never perfect and should not be expected to be but one cant pick and chose when to use the ranking system to bolster one's opinions and when to discard it as useless when it is in disagreement with one's own in-built ranking. Thats all that needs to be said of those discussing the ranking system so vigorously all of a sudden since India came to the top.

The ranking systems just have a glamour value in the modern times and they have to be understood as that. The fact that Safina was on top of the women's tennis rankings for a few months doesn't make her the best player in the world but for some players to decry the rating system's merits on this basis but lovingly hog all accolade's when they are feted worldwide as number one is nothing short of dubious standards.

Coming back to India. Yes they are close to being the best team in the world. If they were undisputedly the best we would not be discussing this subject. The fight for the top spot is close and that means there is no clear cut best team as of today.

What I would like to think as an Indian, even if we were clear number one in the world is that I wish this had come before Australia lost the majority of its top players in a very short span of time. After that the first place was up for grabs since South Africa's bowling resources, barring Steyn, are not great. Unfortunately all over the world teams are struggling. Pakistan's attack is showing great potential but their batting is at about its lowest ebb in recent times.

I am glad India are number one but I am not delirious with joy. It was the same with Sehwag's innings the other day. It was an amazing knock for its ferocity but it wasn't his greatest knock because of the quality of the bowling and the conditions underfoot.

India's number one position has to be seen in that context. The same would, of course, be true if South Africa leap frogged over India iin the next month or two.

Lets not give the ranking systems too much importance, one way or the other.

PS: Did anyone know that by the same ranking system India were number one twice before this in 1972-73 and in 1974. At least that is what thisshows.

Well I was an enthusiastic 23 year old cricketer then and trust me we never ever thought India were number one and we did not need any ranking system either.

 

[aussie]

'Don't take rankings literally' | Bowl at Boycs | Cricinfo Talk | Cricinfo.com. Haaaa, timely

 

[aussie]

I don't think we will ever have an as good middle order as we have now but I think we will do just fine. A lot of talent and the skepticism by many is highly misplaced. I have faith in the following batting line up in 2 years time -

Gambhir
Vijay
Badrinath
Sehwag
Laxman
Yuvraj

with a strong bench as well including Rohit Sharma who has a lot of talent.

Then you will have to replace Laxman in 3-4 years time and I am sure a player will come up by then possibly Rohit Sharma or Raina (who I believe will sort out his bouncer issues ultimately... he has improved in recent times).

If as an Indian you have faith fair enough, its your team. But i'm going by history & i wont be convicned of them until they actuall perform in tests. Unlike AUS i cant the raw Indian talent & FC performances as clear guide as to how they may go in tests TBH.

 

[Zinzan]

'Don't take rankings literally' | Bowl at Boycs | Cricinfo Talk | Cricinfo.com. Haaaa, timely

Haha, was thinking of posting this too, bet me to it. Best form Boycott's been in for ages

 

[G.I.Joe]

Harsha Bhogle puts things in perspective for Boycott. India must celebrate and move on | Opinion | Cricinfo Magazine | Cricinfo.com
Boycott would do well to stop expecting the #1 spot to be occupied by a dominant team like the West indies or Australia. 30 years of unipolar dominance has given many people a warped view of what the #1 spot means.

 

[Sir Alex]

Harsha Bhogle puts things in perspective for Boycott. India must celebrate and move on | Opinion | Cricinfo Magazine | Cricinfo.com
Boycott would do well to stop expecting the #1 spot to be occupied by a dominant team like the West indies or Australia. 30 years of unipolar dominance has given many people a warped view of what the #1 spot means.

"But I am a little concerned at the state of denial in some parts of the world, with the continued devaluation of India winning in India. This is not accompanied by a similar attitude to Australia winning at home, or for that matter South Africa or England doing so. India's winning streak has not been due to financial jugglery, which is a convenient myth in itself, but due to good cricket. To assign other reasons - and what a pity that is being attempted - is to undermine players of extraordinary pedigree."

"Isn't it ironic, though, that for a country accused of devaluing the game, India are struggling in Twenty20 cricket but are atop the summit of the most traditional form of the game? Maybe there is a story there."

It is a nice article by Harsha.

 

[Cruxdude]

India has now asked SA to play 2 tests and 3 odis instead of the 5 odis planned. If this works out it would be great.

 

[Zinzan]

Harsha Bhogle puts things in perspective for Boycott. India must celebrate and move on | Opinion | Cricinfo Magazine | Cricinfo.com
Boycott would do well to stop expecting the #1 spot to be occupied by a dominant team like the West indies or Australia. 30 years of unipolar dominance has given many people a warped view of what the #1 spot means.

Nah, you're trying to make something out of nothing, Boycott was fairer about it than you're making out, he said he had no particular problem with India being rated no. 1, just said these rankings shouldn't always be taken literally.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Nah, you're trying to make something out of nothing, Boycott was fairer about it than you're making out, he said he had no particular problem with India being rated no. 1, just said these rankings shouldn't always be taken literally.

Nah, thats a rounabout way of saying that you'll determine the validity of the rankings based on your own perception of matters from time to time. Numbers are meant to be taken literally, we aren't talking calculus or Mohammad Yousuf's ( or Vettori's?) average here. If a team wins by 3 runs, it means they won by 3 runs. It doesn't mean that the scoreboard shouldn't be taken literally, and that the other team might have actually won, if it pleases you so.

 

[jeevan]

Haha, was thinking of posting this too, bet me to it. Best form Boycott's been in for ages

Boycott's glossing over a major thing here - when that arbitrary someone at ICC comes up with a ranking it is based on the performance against all teams home and away over several years. It isnt like they draw a lottery or base on last months performance.

He has relatively a smaller point in that there are cases where Aus vs Eng is five games but India vs SL is 3 games for e.g. that go into the same rankings. This sounds more a gripe on FTP rules than an objective critique of the ranking system.

His last point about the next 11 months is a bit silly - if (as the ICC rankings are) their ranking is based on past performance over the last 4-5 years why should that be a basis to deny recognition the team because their administrators had messed up scheduling for the next few months? Again a gripe on the administration of the game being mixed up with the quality of a team.

 

[jeevan]

Harsha Bhogle puts things in perspective for Boycott. India must celebrate and move on | Opinion | Cricinfo Magazine | Cricinfo.com
Boycott would do well to stop expecting the #1 spot to be occupied by a dominant team like the West indies or Australia. 30 years of unipolar dominance has given many people a warped view of what the #1 spot means.

Good on Harsha for making three points.

- Wasnt achieved in a few weeks to be dismissed as a statistical anomaly.
- Couldnt have been done without a collection of bowlers taking 20 wickets everywhere, give those men their due.
- Now move on everyone.

 

[aussie]

Harsha Bhogle puts things in perspective for Boycott. India must celebrate and move on | Opinion | Cricinfo Magazine | Cricinfo.com
Boycott would do well to stop expecting the #1 spot to be occupied by a dominant team like the West indies or Australia. 30 years of unipolar dominance has given many people a warped view of what the #1 spot means.

HA. Well i know alot of people have said odly over the years that Australia dominating the game has been unpopular. But this is FIRST time i'm hearing the Windies dominance for 19 years was unpopular, no way man..

 

[Pratters]

India has now asked SA to play 2 tests and 3 odis instead of the 5 odis planned. If this works out it would be great.

Great news. India favorites for the series but I would love to see Morkel rip through the top order once or twice.

 

[aussie]

"But I am a little concerned at the state of denial in some parts of the world, with the continued devaluation of India winning in India. This is not accompanied by a similar attitude to Australia winning at home, or for that matter South Africa or England doing so. India's winning streak has not been due to financial jugglery, which is a convenient myth in itself, but due to good cricket. To assign other reasons - and what a pity that is being attempted - is to undermine players of extraordinary pedigree."

"Isn't it ironic, though, that for a country accused of devaluing the game, India are struggling in Twenty20 cricket but are atop the summit of the most traditional form of the game? Maybe there is a story there."

It is a nice article by Harsha.

Key historical difference with AUS & SA dominating at home is that they unlike IND (until the Ganguly era began) who for the majority of your 70+ year history have been, Tigers @ Home - ***** cats on tours. AUS & SA have won everywhere historically. So no comparison.

Secondly maybe IND recent T20 has been poor. But they got argubably the best T20 in the world, just had a bad T20 WC IMO. Still very much on of the favourites for the tournament next year in WI.

Nah, thats a rounabout way of saying that you'll determine the validity of the rankings based on your own perception of matters from time to time. Numbers are meant to be taken literally, we aren't talking calculus or Mohammad Yousuf's ( or Vettori's?) average here. If a team wins by 3 runs, it means they won by 3 runs. It doesn't mean that the scoreboard shouldn't be taken literally, and that the other team might have actually won, if it pleases you so.

Ha, oh dear. As Zinzan said, you making something out of nothing yo. Go grab a cold beer of something son..

 

[aussie]

Great news. India favorites for the series but I would love to see Morkel rip through the top order once or twice.

Not so fast. If SAs bowling attack find it feet vs ENG & get backs that quality 5-man attack that made them the best team in the world up until this march, then IND batsmen are in toruble. Plus my oh so hated theory on Sehwag's technique will be up for proof, this is a BIG 2 test

 

[Pratters]

Indian batting in India is one of the strongest. I think South Africa is a superior team but at home, India start favorites.

 

[Pratters]

Plus my oh so hated theory on Sehwag's technique will be up for proof, this is a BIG 2 test

If Sehwag makes runs, they don't count automatically as the tracks become flat

 

[Cruxdude]

Key historical difference with AUS & SA dominating at home is that they unlike IND (until the Ganguly era began) who for the majority of your 70+ year history have been, Tigers @ Home - ***** cats on tours. AUS & SA have won everywhere historically. So no comparison.

Well you seem to discount the fact that sub continent teams have more of an adjustment to make when playing in Australia, SA and England. While the conditions in these places were not drastically different from each other. I am not saying India was a great team. We were crap but the fact that the other teams were better of abroad earlier is because the conditions are not so different between them.

 

[Pratters]

Overseas teams don't have a great record in the subcontinent either once subcontinent teams have raised their bar. Only in the last decade (like India abroad) it has changed.

 

[Pratters]

Also, it is a bigger adjustment to make to play to the rising delivery than the one keeping low.