best team in world cricket right now

[Daemon]

I strongly disagree with this. Don't get me wrong, their fight was excellent, but at the conclusion of the England series I thought they were basically close to unbeatable at home with that recipe of Ashwin and Jedeja on those tracks, so I probably overestimated them slightly.

You have to feel Australia would beat them more comfortably in a 4 test series in Australia than vice versa, which I wouldn't have thought prior to this series. Credit must also very much go to Australia though.

Maybe that's the difference. I honestly didn't think that we were invincible mainly because of how meh England looked, plus that first test which we nearly dropped.

I'm thinking along the lines of how each player has grown since then. Rahul, Yadav, Saha, Jadeja, Pujara look like better players. Kohli was poor but I don't think he's regressed as a player or anything. Ditto with Ashwin who was struggling with injury. Vijay is a concern for sure.

 

[Spark]

England's weaknesses are much more obvious in the aftermath of this series. It's not like Australia were uniformly excellent and nor were India that much below their standard, but it does show how far before the nebulous but still real "good cricket" level England were for most of that series.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Maybe that's the difference. I honestly didn't think that we were invincible mainly because of how meh England looked, plus that first test which we nearly dropped.

I'm thinking along the lines of how each player has grown since then. Rahul, Yadav, Saha, Jadeja, Pujara look like better players. Kohli was poor but I don't think he's regressed as a player or anything. Ditto with Ashwin who was struggling with injury. Vijay is a concern for sure.

Yeah agree. Must remember that India won this series despite kohli having his worst series yet, Ashwin obviously fatigued and our best pacer, Shami, out injured.

While it may not have been as dominant a performance as the one against England, the way the team came back and how so many players stepped up in a huge way was very encouraging. The England series felt like business as usual... This felt like the team genuinely grew as a unit in terms of grit and depth.

 

[Zinzan]

England's weaknesses are much more obvious in the aftermath of this series. It's not like Australia were uniformly excellent and nor were India that much below their standard, but it does show how far before the nebulous but still real "good cricket" level England were for most of that series.

Can probably say the same thing about NZ, who also got belted. They traditionally score runs in India, even when they've sent decidedly average sides in the past.

 

[Zinzan]

Maybe that's the difference. I honestly didn't think that we were invincible mainly because of how meh England looked, plus that first test which we nearly dropped.

I'm thinking along the lines of how each player has grown since then. Rahul, Yadav, Saha, Jadeja, Pujara look like better players. Kohli was poor but I don't think he's regressed as a player or anything. Ditto with Ashwin who was struggling with injury. Vijay is a concern for sure.

Fair enough, perhaps I rated India in their own backyard better than you did.

 

[ImpatientLime]

Coming up for Mother India
According to the FTP
https://pulse-static-files.s3.amazo...d392/ICC-Future-Tours-Programme-2014-2019.pdf


2017
Away v WI - no tests
Away v SL - 3 tests
Host v Aus - no tests
Host v Pak - 3 tests (is this for reals?)

2017/2018
Away v SA - 4 tests
Host v SL - 3 tests
Asia cup
Away v Eng - 5 tests
Host v WI - 3 tests
Away v Aus - 4 tests
Away v NZ - no tests

heh that is brutal.

 

[StephenZA]

I think that this is the litmus test for India.. and this is probably best and most balanced team they have had to be truly competitve overseas. Also Eng/SA and Eng/Aus are going to have been beating each other up for awhile before and after...

 

[hendrix]

I have to say I think it's Australia at the moment.

 

[SeamUp]

Rahul
Vijay
Pujara
Kohli
Rahane

Probably that top 5 has the least question marks right now in world cricket. But for home conditions India's #6 isn't too bad, Saha is alright and Ashwin/Jadeja helps India bat deep. So along with their bowling line-up it does make them a difficult side to crack at home.

You look at SA, Australia, England and I don't think they know their batting pecking order for definite.

 

[Zinzan]

I have to say I think it's Australia at the moment.

Your rationale?

 

[Spark]

I have to say I think it's Australia at the moment.

Nah.

 

[harsh.ag]

Long time lurker, first time poster. I've been mulling over this one and I think it's a combination of factors.

a) Good first post

b) omg another HK based poster.

Deathscar, meet *****. He's the guy who will be responsible for all those notifications you're about to get.

 

[Zinzan]

Nah.

Yeah. they're not right now, but I do think they have the potential to be right up there in the not too distant future again.

 

[harsh.ag]

India's batting is the best at the moment, overall. Australia's bowling is slightly better than South Africa's now that Cummins is back and Abbott's retired and Steyn still being out.

How stupid is that South Africa's line up doesn't have ABdV and Abbott and Steyn and their best batsman on form is down at number 7. Absolute rubbish. All round stupid.

 

[Zinzan]

Following on from the conversation in the NZ/SA thread, it's hard not to think SA would be the best side if they weren't restricted by the quotas. The fact that they're 1 of the top 2-3 sides regardless of that is a minor miracle in it's own right & testament to their freakish talent, and the standard of their school-grade, club & domestic cricket.

 

[StephenZA]

Well obviously... even with quotas we are the best team in world cricket..

 

[Zinzan]

Well obviously... even with quotas we are the best team in world cricket..

You're actually not much more than a couple of really good series away.

 

[Daemon]

I think that this is the litmus test for India.. and this is probably best and most balanced team they have had to be truly competitve overseas. Also Eng/SA and Eng/Aus are going to have been beating each other up for awhile before and after...

This is what we said before the last time we left for all those tours.

Guaranteed Shami or Yadav will be injured. Ishant will play because the universe works that way. Catches in the slips will be dropped and Ashwin will go wicketless. Vijay will be out of form and Saha will return to spudness. Steyn will be back from injury and raring to go. ABdV comes back because he can't resist taking India on. Amla finds form in the one game his teammates fail in. QdK scores some heartbreaking 100s from 220-5. We lose wickets to Maharaj like we did to Moeen.

India can't win overseas. It's fated.

 

[Zinzan]

This is what we said before the last time we left for all those tours.

Guaranteed Shami or Yadav will be injured. Ishant will play because the universe works that way. Catches in the slips will be dropped and Ashwin will go wicketless. Vijay will be out of form and Saha will return to spudness. Steyn will be back from injury and raring to go. ABdV comes back because he can't resist taking India on. Amla finds form in the one game his teammates fail in. QdK scores some heartbreaking 100s from 220-5. We lose wickets to Maharaj like we did to Moeen.

India can't win overseas. It's fated.

^ That would well & truly be catching the NZ disease.... the only things you missed out were the losing every toss & rain spoiling any chances of victory.

 

[harsh.ag]

This is what we said before the last time we left for all those tours.

Guaranteed Shami or Yadav will be injured. Ishant will play because the universe works that way. Catches in the slips will be dropped and Ashwin will go wicketless. Vijay will be out of form and Saha will return to spudness. Steyn will be back from injury and raring to go. ABdV comes back because he can't resist taking India on. Amla finds form in the one game his teammates fail in. QdK scores some heartbreaking 100s from 220-5. We lose wickets to Maharaj like we did to Moeen.

India can't win overseas. It's fated.

This level of Gambhiring is just asking to be infracted. So tempted...

Good work.