best team in world cricket right now

[Zinzan]

Wait wasn't that because NZ wanted to play their own Boxing Day fixtures at home? That's certainly the case for SA.

Not that I was aware, but I wouldn't put it past our small minded, short-term focused NZC outfit if that was the case.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I'd have rather had the Kiwis for a five test tour than the Aussies in that year. That was 2015 before McCullum had retired, and we'd been inundated with Ashes since they moved the previous two together because of the world cup (2013, 2013-14). Still, it is always nice to regain them and was particularly enjoyable seeing them skittled out for 60.

 

[honestbharani]

I thought England host RSA first this year because of the Champions Trophy happening and they want the best summer months for the more marketable series. Hence Windies getting second go. Also, don't Windies have a home series in the same time that England play RSA in England?

 

[Furball]

It's weird alright, do sides really get higher ratings (TV revenue) playing the Windies these days? NZ got only 2 tests the last couple of visits to England and the last 1-1 in particular, you couldn't split the sides... yet the disbolical Windies not only get 3, part get the later tour of the summer, as you say normally reserved for the main tour of the year.

This saying nothing about the Windies getting the boxing day test over NZ in 2015. Unless they're scheduling these things literally 5 years or more in advance, I just don't get it.

I would definitely have given South Africa 5 Tests this summer.

New Zealand have just drawn the short straw in terms of scheduling, Australia are (rightly) never not going to get 5 Tests so you're stuck with 2 Tests as long as you keep touring with them.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I thought England host RSA first this year because of the Champions Trophy happening and they want the best summer months for the more marketable series. Hence Windies getting second go. Also, don't Windies have a home series in the same time that England play RSA in England?

Sounds plausible but it still represents a break from tradition from an English perspective.

What has also happened is the early one day stuff has pushed the tests further up so the 1st Test against South Africa will not commence to early July, and the 1st against West Indies will not commence until mid August. Normally it is a mid-May start for the first Test of the first series, and an early July start for the second.

They have still chucked on a load of pointless one day stuff at the end of the Tests though!

 

[S.Kennedy]

Four tests is the new five for all except the ashes. The sad thing about four tests is when it is 2-2 and you lack the decider like the Pakistan series; I do not suppose four tests is so bad if the series is fairly one-sided.

 

[Bijed]

Yeah, the Pakistan series last year deserved a decider, as did the NZ tour they ear before (though that was only a 2 match series). Of course, it's entirely possible the 5th match is a draw and doesn't solve that problem as such, but it'd still feel more complete.

Also agree with your second point. I'm probably just being biased and bitter because it ended up going so horrendously, but would anyone have been too gutted if the 5th test vs India hadn't happened? (except Karun Nair, of course). I was pretty detached from the series at that point, fair enough if Indian fans enjoyed it though.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Yeah, the Pakistan series last year deserved a decider, as did the NZ tour they ear before (though that was only a 2 match series). Of course, it's entirely possible the 5th match is a draw and doesn't solve that problem as such, but it'd still feel more complete.

Also agree with your second point. I'm probably just being biased and bitter because it ended up going so horrendously, but would anyone have been too gutted if the 5th test vs India hadn't happened? (except Karun Nair, of course). I was pretty detached from the series at that point, fair enough if Indian fans enjoyed it though.

I'd turned off by then and was watching the Australian/Pakistani Test, although, as a glutton for punishment I ended up watching the highlights.

That is the thing: you cannot predict any of this stuff. The two Ashes whitewashes for instance - especially the 2013-1 4 one. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. With this, I think most people predicted an Indian victory but some (me for one) predicted a slightly more competitive series with England maybe picking up one Test and there being a couple of draws. I predicted a 3-1 or 2-0 Indian victory, or if England really performed out of their skins, a 2-1 Indian victory. Rajkot was as close as it got to being this really (and that was the first test!).

In actual fact it still ended up being a better English result than what Vaughan predicted. Vaughan was predicting a whitewash (and indeed looked a bit silly after Rajkot).

 

[S.Kennedy]

Incidentally, Sambit on this subject,

2016 in review: Editor-in-chief Sambit Bal reviews the year | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

He basically summarises what most have been talking about: India, great at home, crap abroad; Pakistan, great at home, unpredictable abroad. S.A, great abroad, iffy at home - the rest also having a marked home advantage, etc.

 

[Bijed]

I'd turned off by then and was watching the Australian/Pakistani Test, although, as a glutton for punishment I ended up watching the highlights.

That is the thing: you cannot predict any of this stuff. The two Ashes whitewashes for instance - especially the 2013-1 4 one. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. With this, I think most people predicted an Indian victory but some (me for one) predicted a slightly more competitive series with England maybe picking up one Test and there being a couple of draws. I predicted a 3-1 or 2-0 Indian victory, or if England really performed out of their skins, a 2-1 Indian victory. Rajkot was as close as it got to being this really (and that was the first test!).

In actual fact it still ended up being a better English result than what Vaughan predicted. Vaughan was predicting a whitewash (and indeed looked a bit silly after Rajkot).

Vaughan in incorrect prediction and looking silly shocker.

Your right though about hindsight. Going into the series, it was reasonable to think that we might only be 2-1 down going into the 5th test and so there would be a drawn series to play for. In the event, of course, we were already beaten, didn't really fight and probably just wanted to go home. It's a rare thing that a series pans out in a away close to exactly how you imagine it would beforehand.

 

[Motorwada]

Last time you played four in SA we whitewashed you...

??? We've never been whitewashed in SA.

This is the last 4 match series we played there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_cricket_team_in_South_Africa_in_1992–93

 

[vcs]

Long Test series recently have ended up in the visiting side falling away horribly towards the end (Ashes 2013-14, India in England 2014, England in India 2016). Test cricket can be really draining when you're competing hard most of the time but still getting beaten over the course of 15 long sessions. In England's case, they had 7 back to back Tests in Asia. That was always going to take a toll.

 

[Spark]

Long Test series recently have ended up in the visiting side falling away horribly towards the end (Ashes 2013-14, India in England 2014, England in India 2016). Test cricket can be really draining when you're competing hard most of the time but still getting beaten over the course of 15 long sessions. In England's case, they had 7 back to back Tests in Asia. That was always going to take a toll.

Not really a good example, this one.

 

[vcs]

Why?

 

[Spark]

Why?

"Falling away" implies they were competitive in the first half of the series aren't they weren't, really, first day aside.

 

[vcs]

Yeah, that's true. Australia's attack was operating at a pretty amazing intensity in that series. My point was England were completely broken by the end.

 

[Furball]

Johnson broke England day 2 at Brisbane and they never recovered.

 

[vcs]

Think there's a bit of hindsight there. Coming in as favourites and 3 time Ashes holders, they wouldn't have given up hope till it was over. By the last two Tests, they were done, yeah.

 

[SeamUp]

Australia's 4-test tour of South Africa will be the first 4-test series since 69/70 between the two teams.

The tests will be in March/April 2018 and PE, CT, Durban & Joburg have got the tests.

Centurion obviously getting one v India in place of PE most probably. The two Bangladesh tests are in Bloem and Potch.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Australia's 4-test tour of South Africa will be the first 4-test series since 69/70 between the two teams.

The tests will be in March/April 2018 and PE, CT, Durban & Joburg have got the tests.

Centurion obviously getting one v India in place of PE most probably. The two Bangladesh tests are in Bloem and Potch.

Thankfully we won't have Abbott to deal with this time