best team in world cricket right now

[Bahnz]

It almost seems like asking who the best team in the world is pointless at this stage. I'm not sure whether it's the influence of limited overs cricket on techniques, or whether home conditions are being gradually exaggerated, but watching a sub-continent side go to Eng/Nz/Sa/Aus and vv, it almost looks like they're playing a completely different sport. Like how a great Rugby League player will switch to Union and just looking irredeemably ****. I'm not sure if we can say more than India are fairly evidently the best of the sub-continent teams, and South Africa are the best of the 'western' teams.

 

[Zinzan]

Apart from perhaps the great Windies & Australian sides, and even the odd SA side in the last 20 years, few non-SC sides travel well in the SC & few SC teams travel well to SA/NZ/Aus/Eng. This phenomenon is nothing new is it?

I feel quite confident is saying India are number 1 atm, no question in my mind.

 

[Burgey]

England have been emphasing their dropped catches.. far too much, forgetting that India have actually dropped more chances than them.. (and some much easier ones too!).

As HB rightly said, it's just that India have created far more opportunities, so dropped catches have hurt somewhat less.
Fewer batsmen have been allowed to go on to get 100 after a dropped chance.
But, ftr, the previous two English century-makers were both dropped on 0. Mooen Ali & Keaton Jennings.

But that's probably why England are (and should) be focusing on their dropped chances. If you're touring in conditions where you aren't in your comfort zone and don't play well, you need to be taking the chances which come your way because more than likely you won't be creating as many chances.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Apart from perhaps the great Windies & Australian sides, and even the odd SA side in the last 20 years, few non-SC sides travel well in the SC & few SC teams travel well to SA/NZ/Aus/Eng. This phenomenon is nothing new is it?

I feel quite confident is saying India are number 1 atm, no question in my mind.

The great Aussies, if you mean the Warne/McGrath era, were beaten in India (1996/7 and 1997/8).

 

[Bahnz]

Plenty of recent examples of strong teams having the qualities to overcome home advantage. England during their 2010-2012 high water mark (and likewise in 2004-2006). South Africa obviously for much of the last decade (and especially the last 5 years until Steyn finally broke down). India during their 2008-2010 peak. These were all teams that definitely deserved the title of best team in the world, even if they weren't unbeatable. Don't really see that with any teams currently. Maybe India will surprise the next time they head overseas, but I kinda doubt it.

 

[Zinzan]

Plenty of recent examples of strong teams having the qualities to overcome home advantage. England during their 2010-2012 high water mark (and likewise in 2004-2006). South Africa obviously for much of the last decade (and especially the last 5 years until Steyn finally broke down). India during their 2008-2010 peak. These were all teams that definitely deserved the title of best team in the world, even if they weren't unbeatable. Don't really see that with any teams currently. Maybe India will surprise the next time they head overseas, but I kinda doubt it.

It's a fair point, but right at the moment since we're not seeing that travel from any side, surely you then have to take note of the one side that's head and shoulders above any other on their home track atm, and that's India.

 

[Bahnz]

It's a fair point, but right at the moment since we're not seeing that travel from any side, surely you then have to take note of the one side that's head and shoulders above any other on their home track atm, and that's India.

Yeah that's probably true, but I just don't think its particularly useful in terms of judging whether they're the best team in the world (though it is indicative that they're the best in their 'conference'). I'm pretty sure if South Africa currently had a non-stop run at home against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India they'd be similarly dominant.

 

[stephen]

Australia should stop offering bowling decks to South Africa at home. Playing them at the WACA and Bellerive is gifting Philander wickets. They would be much less competitive without Steyn on the SCG and in day matches at Adelaide.

Similarly we should make India play at the Gabba, the WACA and in Tasmania. We'd are more of a true representation of their abilities then. But we gift India with the SCG, MCG and Adelaide and still beat them.

What happens when Australia go to South Africa and beat them at home again?

Our subcontinental woes aside, outside South Africa, when was the last time we were beaten at home? When was the last time we lost in South Africa?

Fortress Australia is just as hard for non-South African tourists as India.

The fact is that India, Pakistan, South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia and even Sri Lanka all are extremely strong in the right circumstances and extremely weak elsewhere. It's genuinely only the West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe who are poor at the moment.

It's a very entertaining time for test cricket.

 

[Zinzan]

I know there's talk of tests possibly returning to Pakistan again, but man how good would an India and Pakistan series being played in England be atm? By atm I mean in England's cricket season of course.

I think with the recent improvement of Shami, B Kumar and Ishant, it would be a cracking series. And I don't think they'd struggle to fill the grounds either. More so than when Pakistan and Aust played in England a few years back.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I know there's talk of tests possibly returning to Pakistan again, but man how good would an India and Pakistan series being played in England be atm? By atm I mean in England's cricket season of course.

I think with the recent improvement of Shami, B Kumar and Ishant, it would be a cracking series. And I don't think they'd struggle to fill the grounds either. More so than when Pakistan and Aust played in England a few years back.

Schedule it in July. I wouldn't want to see a repeat of the Sri Lankans at Chester-le-Street in May, freezing their bollocks off.

 

[Slifer]

Australia should stop offering bowling decks to South Africa at home. Playing them at the WACA and Bellerive is gifting Philander wickets. They would be much less competitive without Steyn on the SCG and in day matches at Adelaide.

Similarly we should make India play at the Gabba, the WACA and in Tasmania. We'd are more of a true representation of their abilities then. But we gift India with the SCG, MCG and Adelaide and still beat them.

What happens when Australia go to South Africa and beat them at home again?

Our subcontinental woes aside, outside South Africa, when was the last time we were beaten at home? When was the last time we lost in South Africa?

Fortress Australia is just as hard for non-South African tourists as India.

The fact is that India, Pakistan, South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia and even Sri Lanka all are extremely strong in the right circumstances and extremely weak elsewhere. It's genuinely only the West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe who are poor at the moment.

It's a very entertaining time for test cricket.

Disagree with some of what u said. India is utterly dominant at home but imo there are not that bad away. India actually could've very easily drawn their test series away to South Africa and NZ. They also took a live test of of England in England and though they lost in Oz, they weren't humiliated. BTW, it's not Indias problem what pitches Oz chooses to play them on.

Oz are dominant at home but not to the extent as india. Oz are piss poor in sc whereas India are decent away, in no series would i say India were utterly humiliated.

Based on all that, I'd still stick with the idea that India are the team to beat, followed by RSA. The rest are chasing these 2.

 

[smash84]

Disagree with some of what u said. India is utterly dominant at home but imo there are not that bad away. India actually could've very easily drawn their test series away to South Africa and NZ. They also took a live test of of England in England and though they lost in Oz, they weren't humiliated. BTW, it's not Indias problem what pitches Oz chooses to play them on.

Oz are dominant at home but not to the extent as india. Oz are piss poor in sc whereas India are decent away, in no series would i say India were utterly humiliated.

Based on all that, I'd still stick with the idea that India are the team to beat, followed by RSA. The rest are chasing these 2.

weren't India getting totally smashed in England after winning the first test?

 

[stephen]

Disagree with some of what u said. India is utterly dominant at home but imo there are not that bad away. India actually could've very easily drawn their test series away to South Africa and NZ. They also took a live test of of England in England and though they lost in Oz, they weren't humiliated. BTW, it's not Indias problem what pitches Oz chooses to play them on.

Oz are dominant at home but not to the extent as india. Oz are piss poor in sc whereas India are decent away, in no series would i say India were utterly humiliated.

Based on all that, I'd still stick with the idea that India are the team to beat, followed by RSA. The rest are chasing these 2.

The pitches Australia serves up to its tourists tend to be the pitches that best suit the strengths of the tourists. That's why India always gets the roads and turning tracks. CA want to make sure that India don't get rolled in 3 days at the WACA.

If we stopped doing this wed start seeing more convincing wins by Australia at home.

India probably are better than Australia at the moment but it isn't by a wide margin at all. Very few teams are winning away series right now except to the west indies and Bangladesh/Zim.

The current ICC ratings are probably a fair assessment of each team. <20 points between 1st and 7th, with Bangladesh and the west indies far behind and Zim even further behind.

 

[TheJediBrah]

The pitches Australia serves up to its tourists tend to be the pitches that best suit the strengths of the tourists. That's why India always gets the roads and turning tracks. CA want to make sure that India don't get rolled in 3 days at the WACA.

If we stopped doing this wed start seeing more convincing wins by Australia at home.

I was just about to say this in response to your previous post. While I don't think it's been a deliberate act to help touring teams, its definitely worked out that way quite a lot recently.

I've been of the opinion for a while that we should just prepare wickets purely to our strengths and opposition weaknesses, as a lot of other countries do as a matter of course.

 

[Flem274*]

The pitches Australia serves up to its tourists tend to be the pitches that best suit the strengths of the tourists.

is this why ashwin was turning it square last he toured Australia?

 

[honestbharani]

But that's probably why England are (and should) be focusing on their dropped chances. If you're touring in conditions where you aren't in your comfort zone and don't play well, you need to be taking the chances which come your way because more than likely you won't be creating as many chances.

Yes Burgey but that is different from saying " few silly mistakes in the field is why we are losing this badly".

 

[Daemon]

weren't India getting totally smashed in England after winning the first test?

Drew the first and won the second. Completely rekt in the last three.

If only we were able to cross the line in Joburg and Wellington :'(

 

[honestbharani]

weren't India getting totally smashed in England after winning the first test?

Nope drew the first test then won at Lords then started to get smashed after Jadeja dropped THAT catch. See, if it was not for that "silly" mistake we would have won that series. ?

 

[Daemon]

Was a silly mistake to not have a 2 match series tbh

 

[smash84]

Drew the first and won the second. Completely rekt in the last three.

If only we were able to cross the line in Joburg and Wellington :'(

Nope drew the first test then won at Lords then started to get smashed after Jadeja dropped THAT catch. See, if it was not for that "silly" mistake we would have won that series. &#55357;&#56841;

tbf all I remember of that series is Ishant getting batsmen out on short balls in the test at Lords and then India getting spanked by Root and Co in the remaining 3 matches.