Your best current test team is..

[Pratters]

Not buying that India is the best test team in the world atm. Apart from Ashwin, our bowling isn't great. Ishant has been terrific off late but whatever. It's either England or Australia. Probably England. Definitely not South Africa with it's team in a bit of a transition right now. I would put Pakistan in the mix too, have been solid over the past few years. And no, it's not the Kiwis but I'll add them as they are not a bad team either.

Your choice?

 

[91Jmay]

Depends who is playing at home out of Aus/India/Eng.

 

[Stefan9]

There is no outright nr 1 atm. Think england and aus are the best equipped to be nr1 but will have to see.

 

[smash84]

Not buying that India is the best test team in the world atm. Apart from Ashwin, our bowling isn't great. Ishant has been terrific off late but whatever. It's either England or Australia. Probably England. Definitely not South Africa with it's team in a bit of a transition right now. I would put Pakistan in the mix too, have been solid over the past few years. And no, it's not the Kiwis but I'll add them as they are not a bad team either.

Your choice?

I think Pakistan will get exposed badly when they travel outside of UAE/SC. I don't rate india top either.

Other than that I think it has to be Eng or Aus. Would have gone with NZ maybe half a year back but they didn't impress in the tour of Aus. Having said that Aus were pretty poor in India and UAE.

England despite losing 2-0 in the UAE actually ran Pakistan close and ccould have even won the series if Yasir hadn't been taking steroids or a few sessions had gone their way

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I think we may well be number 1 by September but I don't regard us as a number 1 side given the many flaws still in the side. The bowling looks much stronger than 12 months ago with the emergence of Wood and the rebirth of Finn but the batting still has problems. We have no opening partner for Cook (still) and while Stokes and Bairstow have have been superb of late you get the feeling they both will be feast or famine players. I think Compton will stay in the side almost by default as he is one player capable of soaking up pressure and deliveries and giving the strokemakers lower down a platform.

Would this England side beat any of the top sides of the last 10-15 years? Not a chance yet we are possibly/probably going to be ranked number 1 in a matter months or number 2 and will have beaten the number 1 in the last series we played against them. Will admit we have potential to improve though and us and Australia have a higher ceiling than most from where we are now.

 

[Athlai]

Well a fit South Africa is the obvious answer.

 

[social]

I would have said Pakistan before Yasir got done for drugs as they have a really good attack

Every team has major deficiencies even if some are only apparent in foreign conditions

IF (and it is probably the biggest if in the history of cricket) Australia ever gets to field a fully fit attack of Starc, Patto, Cummins, Marsh & Lyon, they will be horrible to face in any conditions

 

[TheJediBrah]

There is no outright nr 1 atm. Think england and aus are the best equipped to be nr1 but will have to see.

pretty much this. If Australia can start winning in India and/or England it will be them easily but the last few tours they've been terrible.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Well a fit South Africa is the obvious answer.

Not with that batting it isn't even if Steyn and Philander got fit and firing again.

 

[hendrix]

I think England are now a clear nudge ahead of everyone else.

Approaching a complete bowling attack. Finn's return from the abyss has been welcome. Moeen and Stokes complement each other nicely.

Root + Cook are top class, and the rest of the batsmen are at least serviceable. James Taylor could become very good, as could Stokes.

 

[Jono]

It's India cos the rankings say its so. No arguing

Kaptain Kohli is King of Kricket

 

[TNT]

I voted NZ because they won the spirit of cricket award and that's important in cricket.

 

[vcs]

How the hell are India No. 1?

England No. 1, Pakistan/NZ/Australia No. 2 for me. Hard to evaluate Pakistan properly given they haven't played much away from home.

 

[OverratedSanity]

We're the undisputed, completely deserving number 1, bitches. Deal with it

 

[Black_Warrior]

Well all those 6 teams are really closely matched and have major weaknesses to go with their areas of strength.

Having said that, if I had to pick a team, it would be England simply for the fact that they seem adapt better than the rest when playing overseas.
England have in the last few years won in India, South Africa, drew in Sri Lanka and New Zealand, and ran gave Pakistan a tough fight in UAE.

Their bowlers seem to have the right skillset to be able to adapt in away conditions better than Australia or India.

New Zealand is close too but their failure to adapt in Australia goes against them, but they do have a decent overseas record too among the rest.

So it's

England
New Zealand/South Africa
Australia//India/Pakistan

If Australia win in New Zealand next month, they will replace them at number 2 for me.

 

[morgieb]

I will say a lot of England's better away results (this series notwithstanding - and even then Australia, who most dismiss as being poor away from home won there) came back when their side was a fair bit stronger overall, so I'm not sure how much I'd take into account their series win in India (I suspect if they were to play there tomorrow, India would win fairly comfortably) as evidence of a strong away record. Remember it was only 12 months ago they drew against the West Indies.

I reckon New Zealand's away record looks the best in recent times. Best overall....tricky one. All six sides have a case. India's away form worries me, especially in conditions where Ashwin is nullified to a certain extent. Pakistan have rarely played outside of Asia in recent times and were exposed the last time they did. Australia's batting seems to go to **** outside of flat decks and their bowling has struggled on slow decks. England look to be improving but there are certain parts of that side I don't really rate. New Zealand's batting seems to be overly reliant on Williamson and their bowling has gone backwards since the World Cup IMO. And South Africa's batting reminds me of Australia's these days and just look out of nick.

I'd probably take Australia on a bouncy deck, India in Asia, and probably England if it's swinging. Neutral...I'll actually say England. But their side is probably the least convincing out of all "best current Test sides" in history.

 

[Flem274*]

England for the away record, but the next few years will probably see a bit of an arm wrestle and whoever the rankings say is #1 will continue to be moaned about as not being as good as the 80s West Indies.

 

[Black_Warrior]

I will say a lot of England's better away results (this series notwithstanding - and even then Australia, who most dismiss as being poor away from home won there) came back when their side was a fair bit stronger overall, so I'm not sure how much I'd take into account their series win in India (I suspect if they were to play there tomorrow, India would win fairly comfortably) as evidence of a strong away record. Remember it was only 12 months ago they drew against the West Indies.

Very good points and here's the thing though. This sort of argument and point can be applied across every team and this is just a natural inevitability when you have such closely ranked teams. Things change very fast.

A year ago they lost to West Indies which does not even look like a test team now.

Sri Lanka who no one rates won in England.

South Africa won in Australia where everyone gets mauled.

You're always gonna have this sort of scenarios which is why we won't have a long term best team.

We can only make a short term assessment and right now based on the last 6 months, England seem to be the better side as they have won at home, won away and the one away loss, they put up a very strong show.
How long this will last? Who knows.
I don't see this England team winning in India this year unless Panesar gets back his 2012 form.
I also don't see this team win the Ashes in Australia with the batting so heavily reliant on Cook and Root and Stokes to an extent. Of course if Taylor and Compton emerge in the next 12 months as solid players, the equation changes.

India have mostly home series this year which I expect them to win so should gain a lot of points this year.

New Zealand-Australia series will be fascinating and if NZ lose, they will go down a notch in the top 6.

Pakistan I expect to struggle in England but their bowling might be able to win them a game or two. But that is too early to tell. They will struggle in Australia for sure though because they totally at sea when facing pace or bounce.

South Africa - Funnily enough, the only team that can be a long term best team is South Africa if Amla, AB and Faf start firing at their best and Steyn is fit with Morkel, Rabada and Piedt. They have the right skills to adapt in overseas conditions. Whether that will happen or not who knows.

 

[NZTailender]

Lol at people putting England at one. Win a series in SA - which is a good feat - suddenly makes everyone forget they only managed to draw a series in the WI, lost to Pakistan 2-0, draw with NZ 1-1 at home and 3-2 over Aus. They're about as Number 1 as New Zealand or Australia. They're the best team to have recently won a Test series, that's it.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Lol at people putting England at one. Win a series in SA - which is a good feat - suddenly makes everyone forget they only managed to draw a series in the WI, lost to Pakistan 2-0, draw with NZ 1-1 at home and 3-2 over Aus. They're about as Number 1 as New Zealand or Australia. They're the best team to have recently won a Test series, that's it.

I think that's exactly what most people are saying.