I agree with that.They just got beaten at home by SA. Great teams don't lose at home.
Not really, they have 2 series coming up but we have potentially this win followed by double headers against New Zealand and Australia which I fancy us to win. Do that and we may go above them anyway whether we deserve to or not. Clearly SA and England are the top 2 sides and personally i'd say that SA are better than us but the fixtures coming up mean we may go above them.The South Africans would have to run into serious problems as well for that to happen given that we don't play them, so it'd rather detract from the achievement.
I rate this England side more than most (was one of the only people to tip an England series win here for example) but they are not a great side. I think you're just using the word a bit differently to how we typically do here though.I agree with that.
Sorry, let me contextualise what I meant.
I am not suggesting this England side is one of the best ever. They aren't a great West Indies or Australia. I mean they are great in terms of this era.
I still believe that the SA series, England were all over the shop mentally though. I am not convinced it is as simple as saying SA are far better than England.
Yeah don't think anyone really thinks England are a 'great' side.They just got beaten at home by SA. Great teams don't lose at home.
A similar England side drew 1-1 with SA in SA not too long ago.It's so depressing that it has been less than 2 years since this side went to South Africa and were in a winning position in the third test before a Kallis masterclass ended the awesomely competed series in a draw. Tendulkar, the then best batsman in the world, was absolutely amazing against some top class bowling and Laxman played one of the best knocks I've seen to win us a game (96 and 43 in a game where no-one else scored a 50).
I shudder to think what will happen if go there now considering that they've just beaten England away and India has gone 0-4 0-4 1-3 since then.
Forgetting the two final wicket draws iirc?A similar England side drew 1-1 with SA in SA not too long ago.
India are done. Some of their highly rated batsman just don't possess the patience for Test cricket and dare I say it, lack technique.
If India were interested in Test cricket, the likes of Pujara, Kohli etc would be arranging to play in England/Australia etc to learn how to deal with different conditions. They aren't bothered. India is solely focused on the money and if it isn't sorted out soon, losing at home will become far more regular than in any previous era.
yeah. it's guys like gambhir/sehwag, tendulkar and dhoni who are under scrutiny as they haven't done anything SIGNIFICANT for a long time.Pujara and Kohli are the least of India's worries, surely.
True, but at least they represent the future - it's too late for the likes of Sehwag and Dhoni to bother with county cricket. And why would they, or Sharma who could be very effective in CC, bother when they can make far more in a few weeks in IPL than in a whole season in England?Pujara and Kohli are the least of India's worries, surely.
They didn't win those games.Forgetting the two final wicket draws iirc?
South Africa outplayed Eng in 3 games to 1
The elder statesmen of Indian cricket are too set in their ways to go abroad and improve. The next generation are the chaps that should be doing it.yeah. it's guys like gambhir/sehwag, tendulkar and dhoni who are under scrutiny as they haven't done anything SIGNIFICANT for a long time.
the guy is claiming the english side to be 'great'.They didn't win those games.
Yeah, good point, well made.They didn't win those games.
No one is doing that.the guy is claiming the english side to be 'great'.
india will play fewer and fewer tests in the future.The elder statesmen of Indian cricket are too set in their ways to go abroad and improve. The next generation are the chaps that should be doing it.
India worked hard to lose the reputation of having a soft underbelly in the 80's. The next generation unless it sorts itself out and stops the obsession with 20/20 slogging is going to go a long way to reinforcing that same perception.
Where will India win abroad again ? Honestly ? Zimbabwe ?