Three horse race to be the best team in the world?

[Dissector]

You are referring to South Africa at home or away?

Because the one against South Africa away was a greentop.

Home in Calcutta. Out of those six wins the batsmen played a big role in three and didn't do anything too special in the other three. Seems a pretty reasonable effort from the bowlers.

 

[Teja.]

That's not been really true in the last six months. The batting didn't do anything special in the two wins against Australia or the win in Sri Lanka. It was the bowlers who put India in a winning position in each game.

In addition to that, Their batting almost failed them as well when their bowlers put them in a winning position in the first test against Oz.

 

[Cevno]

Prior scored 53* and it was as flawless as any innings from an English/South African batsman that tour (failed in one inning last time). Prior's record against Murali in SL is quite good and hes racked up a fair amount of runs on A tours to the subcontinent.

Bell has had his own problems, though that has nothing to do with his ability against spin. He has scored runs in SL against Murali and is a good player of spin.

Cook averages in the 40s in both India and SL. Its a bit harsh to say that he's ordinary against spin based on his dismissals to Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma.

The averages in Srilanka are often used as a indicator of how they played Murali. It is completely incorrect.

Some of their pitches are so flat where even Ravindra Jadeja can score a double and boost his average against Murali.
It is what they did on the not flat pitch that ultimately matters.(Galle etc..)

Prior and cook are decent against spin, Bell i am not sure. But none are in the kallis ,Amla,Hayden bracket in terms of playing spin in India and that is what you require to have a chance of winning here ,specially a whole series rather than a fluke match.

 

[Cevno]

That's not been really true in the last six months. The batting didn't do anything special in the two wins against Australia or the win in Sri Lanka. It was the bowlers who put India in a winning position in each game.

True. Though the batting has played it's part ,the bowlers have also played a very important part in the success.

And those were not exactly flat tracks. I don't think you can classify 300 or 400 score first tracks that have scores of 200 around in the second innings as flat tracks. They are good tracks.

 

[Hit Wicket]

Prior and cook are decent against spin, Bell i am not sure. But none are in the kallis ,Amla,Hayden bracket in terms of playing spin in India and that is what you require to have a chance of winning here ,specially a whole series rather than a fluke match.

Oh, they're not great players of spin, after all? I was looking forward to seeing three excellent players of spin tour India after Gooch, Gatting, and Hick did in '93.

 

[Cevno]

Btw ,when was the last time Westindies came to India?

They are coming to India in november to play 3 tests after a long long time.

I think was their last tour the one where Chanderpaul scored big runs? 2001/02? Wow.

 

[Ruckus]

Who do people think will be the next team to dominate as much as the Windies and Aus have done? And when do you think it will happen?

 

[centurymaker]

Oh, they're not great players of spin, after all? I was looking forward to seeing three excellent players of spin tour India after Gooch, Gatting, and Hick did in '93.

Either team can win in any given match.
Now then, when are you going to get sober?

 

[centurymaker]

Who do people think will be the next team to dominate as much as the Windies and Aus have done? And when do you think it will happen?

Probably australia again in 5 to 10 years time.

 

[Teja.]

Who do people think will be the next team to dominate as much as the Windies and Aus have done? And when do you think it will happen?

England in 18 months time if Tremlett stays fit and hungry

 

[Dissector]

Who do people think will be the next team to dominate as much as the Windies and Aus have done? And when do you think it will happen?

Probably won't be India soon unless someone like Kapil Dev bursts out of nowhere right in time for the England series. England fans seem to be hoping it will be their side over the next few years but regardless of what happens in the India series I don't think it will happen and they wll be disappointed just like after 2005.

So I have no clue but if I had to pull out a wild guess, it would be either India or Australia in 5-10 years.

 

[Dissector]

BTW some interesting stats. Over the last one and a half years, India has played 13 tests against top 5 sides: SA, Australia and SL. They have taken 20 wickets 8 times, with 7 wins. Over that same period, England has played 14 tests against SA and Australia and their much vaunted bowling lineup has taken 20 wickets, 6 times with 6 wins.

 

[Cevno]

England in 18 months time if Tremlett stays fit and hungry

Really?

Can't see that happening to be honest myself,at all.

 

[Ruckus]

Probably australia again in 5 to 10 years time.

Hmmm...I don't think so. We have some decent younger prospects, but I doubt anything that would be capable of dominating world cricket. Although in 10 years time anything could happen.

England in 18 months time if Tremlett stays fit and hungry

England might be able to take the no.1 ranking, but even with a full strength attack I don't think they'll be able to be dominant. Their batting isn't good enough, and tbh even though they have a very well-rounded attack, I don't think their bowling is either. A dominant side pretty much will always have at least one exceptionally good bowler (someone who can average sub-25 over their career).

Probably won't be India soon unless someone like Kapil Dev bursts out of nowhere right in time for the England series. England fans seem to be hoping it will be their side over the next few years but regardless of what happens in the India series I don't think it will happen and they wll be disappointed just like after 2005.

So I have no clue but if I had to pull out a wild guess, it would be either India or Australia in 5-10 years.

I dunno, if I was to put my money on one team it would have to be India. Even though key members of their stellar batting line-up will retire soon, they have some pretty promising batsmen coming through. They just need to find some genuinely good pace bowlers - maybe a task harder than it sounds.

 

[Teja.]

England might be able to take the no.1 ranking, but even with a full strength attack I don't think they'll be able to be dominant. Their batting isn't good enough, and tbh even though they have a very well-rounded attack, I don't think their bowling is either. A dominant side pretty much will always have at least one exceptionally good bowler (someone who can average sub-25 over their career).
.

Tremmers has the potential to do that for the next 3-4 years, IMHO. Particularly if English tracks continue to have something for the bowlers.

 

[vcs]

I don't think a truly dominant team will come around for a while. When was the WI period of dominance unofficially considered to end... late '80s? It then took around 10 years for Australia's dominant team to take shape. Even though they unofficially dethroned WI when they won there 2-1 in '95, it wasn't until around '99 when they went on that 16-match winning run that they became truly dominant.

 

[Howe_zat]

BTW some interesting stats. Over the last one and a half years, India has played 13 tests against top 5 sides: SA, Australia and SL. They have taken 20 wickets 8 times, with 7 wins. Over that same period, England has played 14 tests against SA and Australia and their much vaunted bowling lineup has taken 20 wickets, 6 times with 6 wins.

I'm not going to look up the stats, but can safely tell you that England took 20 wickets in Perth and lost.

 

[Hit Wicket]

I don't think a truly dominant team will come around for a while. When was the WI period of dominance unofficially considered to end... late '80s? It then took around 10 years for Australia's dominant team to take shape. Even though they unofficially dethroned WI when they won there 2-1 in '95, it wasn't until around '99 when they went on that 16-match winning run that they became truly dominant.

That was the first series WI lost in 15 years, so can't really say their domination ended before that. There were a few drawn and close series but they did not lose a single series since NZ (1980), which was marred by umpiring. In 1978 they lost to India, but that was a Packer debilitated side, and before that in Australia when Richards needed to see a shrink.

 

[honestbharani]

South Africa are a pretty formidable team. I'd say their batting line-up is every bit as strong as India's, but Steyn and perhaps Morkel aside, their bowling looks pretty pedestrian. England are workmanlike but have very few weak links, good reserves, and have an exceptional team spirit and resilience. All in all, it's hard to split the three.

If England and India were to play a Test series in India instead of playing in the WC, India would of course be favourites. But I just don't understand the bullish "I can't see how England could win a Test match here" talk coming from some of the Indian fans on this forum. England have a strong and balanced team and shown themselves capable of winning Tests anywhere, and well capable of winning against the odds.

The 2-Test mini-series in December 2008 showed that England were capable of scoring runs and taking wickets in India. Sure, they lost at Chennai but that was having played themselves into a winning position, setting India 387 to win. A team which sets targets like that will win more games than it loses. And in my view England are now a stronger team than they were back in 2008.

England v India in England will be an interesting series. I'd have England as favourites in English conditions, but whoever wins it will be close. And if we do win, the hubris of one or two of the Indian fans would make that quite a sweet victory.

PS I have to admit, the battle for World No 1 really doesn't get my pulses racing as perhaps it should. I'm an unashamed Ashes saddo.

lol.. Z, you are yet to see some of the hubris sprouted around by a couple of English fans in the thread about what Gough said.. That would be the context for the hubris shown by some of the Indian fans here.


BTW, who exactly in CW have been saying England can't win a test in India.. Juz out of curiousity...

 

[Hit Wicket]

BTW, who exactly in CW have been saying England can't win a test in India.. Juz out of curiousity...

Me!