best team in world cricket right now

[Gob]

Based on results it has to be SA. They've still only lost one away series in like 12 years

Estraya is a strange one. Losing to SA at home i don't mind but 3 zip to SL was ****ing diabolical. But they have a team with some very good players and funny enough some of those defeats actually played a big part in getting rid of the non performing players.

 

[akilana]

Who was SA's best bowler that series? Abbott, who probably wouldn't have even played if Steyn was fit.

I genuinely think SA didn't really lose much with Steyn out, and possibly was even a good thing for them. It definitely worked out for them.

They won the first test with one bowler down. How does the best bowler in the world getting injured in the middle of a test work out good for SA? You are arguing for the sake of it.

 

[akilana]

Oh just forgot you were judging him based on one spell he bowled on the evening.

 

[TheJediBrah]

They won the first test with one bowler down. How does the best bowler in the world getting injured in the middle of a test work out good for SA? You are arguing for the sake of it.

wut? do you know what happened in the series? Worked out pretty well lol

 

[akilana]

wut? do you know what happened in the series? Worked out pretty well lol

You said losing the best bowler in the world was a good thing for them. They had only 3 bowlers to work with in the first test and had to call up their reserved 4th choice bowler for the remaining tests. That is hardly a good thing.

 

[akilana]

Yeah they bowled so much better on day 2.

The South African series feels so long ago now. We've had huge changes to our team and I honestly think that the current lineup would be much more competitive.

Also we should stop giving South Africa favorable pitches. Make them play Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide instead of giving them the WACA and a Bellerive green top.

The previous two tours were played roads though.

 

[Daemon]

You said losing the best bowler in the world was a good thing for them. They had only 3 bowlers to work with in the first test and had to call up their reserved 4th choice bowler for the remaining tests. That is hardly a good thing.

It's not a good thing, but he's saying it worked out just fine because they somehow won the test he got injured in and then Abbott came in and blew them away.

From what TJB said:

I genuinely think SA didn't really lose much with Steyn out, and possibly was even a good thing for them. It definitely worked out for them.

I think the bolded is disputable, but I don't think you can argue that it all worked out in the end.

 

[Furball]

Based on results it has to be SA. They've still only lost one away series in like 12 years

No

 

[Gob]

No

Yes

 

[smash84]

India are ridiculously good at home. Few teams have had such dominant runs. Is their overseas weakness bad enough to offset their home awesomeness? Definitely not. While SA are great away they are not as dominant as india are at home and SA, for some reason, are just not that great at home. Until recently i would have said SA but i think currently its India

 

[Slifer]

It certainly isnt Australia, they have lost 3 of their last 4 series ( 2 in which they were smashed). I've read people say their team has changed but tbh outside of Smith their batting is woeful overseas, bowling attack still has a lot to prove.

 

[stephen]

I don't anyone can say Australia with a straight face. They are closer now but India are well and truly number 1 right now.

 

[Zinzan]

I think we're getting back to the stage where it's pretty hard to separate the top 3-4 sides again.

I was waxing lyrical about India prior to the Aust series, since although they'd been ordinary on the road, to me they looked so invincible at home, that gave them the edge overall. They did well to win that Aust series 2-1 in the end, but having watched a large portion of it, it could quite easily been a draw/or even an Aust series win. They just didn't look as dominant as they had done. If I was forced to pick a no.1 side, it would still probably be India, but I get the feeling Australia/SA are not going to be far away.

All said, I don't actually think SA were particularly impressive versus NZ either.

If Australia can play anywhere near as well in the SC in the near future and can get over their boogie team SA at home, I think they'll be no.1 in the not too distance future and may just hold on to it for a while.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I don't anyone can say Australia with a straight face. They are closer now but India are well and truly number 1 right now.

After the way Australia kept up with them in completely foreign conditions?

**** no. Don't know who it is but it certainly isn't India. Wait until they win a series outside of Asia, or at least are competitive.

 

[Howe_zat]

I've said it before and I'll say it again

I find it weird how people will still insist on measuring by some other metric than winning matches

It's India guys

so yeah

i could just quote myself but repetition is boring so here's a video

 

[Daemon]

You don't say "I could just quote myself but..." and then go ahead and quote yourself anyways

 

[Slifer]

After the way Australia kept up with them in completely foreign conditions?

**** no. Don't know who it is but it certainly isn't India. Wait until they win a series outside of Asia, or at least are competitive.

India are rightfully number one. Australia may have kept up for a test and a half but they still lost. Australia has now lost 3 of their last 4 series and their batting is incredibly fragile away. India is literally unbeatable at home; same can't be said for any other team. So as of right now, not the future or 2 years ago India are rightfully #1

 

[Zinzan]

India are rightfully number one. Australia may have kept up for a test and a half but they still lost. Australia has now lost 3 of their last 4 series and their batting is incredibly fragile away. India is literally unbeatable at home; same can't be said for any other team. So as of right now, not the future or 2 years ago India are rightfully #1

Don't buy this anymore. They could have easily lost that series, and they did lose a Test, which makes them far from unbeatable, especially 'literally' so.

 

[Slifer]

I meant series wise they are unbeatable at home. And they could've also won 3-1 but in the end they won 2-1 which is what matters. Australia cannot be number one based on any recent results.

 

[Zinzan]

I meant series wise they are unbeatable at home. And they could've also won 3-1 but in the end they won 2-1 which is what matters. Australia cannot be number one based on any recent results.

I know you meant series, and I wouldn't go as far as saying India were undeserving of the win either. but it was close, and Australia could have actually taken it with a bit of luck and slightly better application at key moments.

Meanwhile, in the NZ and Eng series, India genuinely did look like they were ' literally unbeatable' at home. Big difference.