*Official* India Tour of Australia 2018/19

[Victor Ian]

I can't believe Australia still has #1 on the table. Perhaps that is behind the dream slogan.

 

[stephen]

I can't believe Australia still has #1 on the table. Perhaps that is behind the dream slogan.

Tbf 2016/17 we had a "close" series loss 2-1 vs SA and stomped Pakistan 3-0. In 2017 we took a test from India in a 2-1 loss and went 1-1 with Bangladesh. In 2017-18 we stomped England 4-0 and went 1-3 vs South Africa. We lost 1-0 to Pakistan in 2018. For Australia to take the top ranking we'd have to stomp India 4-0. That's a record of 16-8 in the last two and a half years. Right now we're 12-8 since the 2016/17 season. 6 of those losses were away and only 3 of those wins were away. Going 9-2 at home definitely helps.

 

[stephen]

Except I can't count.

Australia have gone 8-2 at home and 3-6 away. If we win the 4 India tests we'll be 12-2 at home and 15-8 overall.

 

[srbhkshk]

I think Australia having a chance to go #1 makes a lot of sense, differences between the top 4-5 teams are minor anyway. I don't think they will come even close to winning it 4-0. 2-1 is a far better bet for mine, but they will deserve #1 if they do.

 

[Victor Ian]

Tbf 2016/17 we had a "close" series loss 2-1 vs SA and stomped Pakistan 3-0. In 2017 we took a test from India in a 2-1 loss and went 1-1 with Bangladesh. In 2017-18 we stomped England 4-0 and went 1-3 vs South Africa. We lost 1-0 to Pakistan in 2018. For Australia to take the top ranking we'd have to stomp India 4-0. That's a record of 16-8 in the last two and a half years. Right now we're 12-8 since the 2016/17 season. 6 of those losses were away and only 3 of those wins were away. Going 9-2 at home definitely helps.

Still. It's madness. As you say, it shows what a definitive home advantage can do for you.

It just amazes me that the table is so close and that India are still in range. Now all we need is for Cricket Australia to prepare pitches that help us and hinder India, prepare some horrid pitches and teams for the tour matches and slip in a bit of cow into the Indian meals.

 

[TheJediBrah]

SENA countries are more at a similar level to each other compared to Asian countries right now. And India don't play the best Asian opposition either so a big part of their domination is the lack of talent in countries with similar conditions.

Yeah I've analysed this before. India are in a very fortunate position in that no one is likely to even challenge them at home, because the other top 5-6 Test teams are for the most part non Asian (except Pak, who they don't play anyway) and will struggle in Indian conditions, whereas those familiar in Asian conditions (Sl, Ban, Afg) are crap teams, relatively speaking. They'll also tend to get easy "away" wins in other Asian countries for the same reason.

Compare that to Eng, SA, Aus, even NZ, and all teams are pretty challenging in each other's conditions.

 

[GotSpin]

Still. It's madness. As you say, it shows what a definitive home advantage can do for you.

It just amazes me that the table is so close and that India are still in range. Now all we need is for Cricket Australia to prepare pitches that help us and hinder India, prepare some horrid pitches and teams for the tour matches and slip in a bit of cow into the Indian meals.

Just pitches with bounce will be enough

 

[stephen]

Yeah I've analysed this before. India are in a very fortunate position in that no one is likely to even challenge them at home, because the other top 5-6 Test teams are for the most part non Asian (except Pak, who they don't play anyway) and will struggle in Indian conditions, whereas those familiar in Asian conditions (Sl, Ban, Afg) are crap teams, relatively speaking. They'll also tend to get easy "away" wins in other Asian countries for the same reason.

Compare that to Eng, SA, Aus, even NZ, and all teams are pretty challenging in each other's conditions.

Yep. The difference between playing in Asia vs playing outside Asia is huge. It's almost two different sports. India is dominant in Asia but no non-Asian country is dominant outside Asia.

 

[vcs]

Maybe Australia and England could take some tips from Zimbabwe on how to win in Bangladesh. It's not impossible for non-Asian teams to do well here.

 

[cnerd123]

Maybe Australia and England could take some tips from Zimbabwe on how to win in Bangladesh. It's not impossible for non-Asian teams to do well here.

The pitch Zimbabwe got was quite different tbf. Much better for batting. Was one of those slow attritional decks and I think Australia and England would have beaten BD handily in similar conditions. Especially if BD imploded in the first innings like they did against Zim

 

[Borges]

England are showing in Sri Lanka that they too can win in Asia. On a Galle pitch.

 

[h_hurricane]

Maybe Australia and England could take some tips from Zimbabwe on how to win in Bangladesh. It's not impossible for non-Asian teams to do well here.

The present Aus team would do well to compete against Bangladesh away let alone draw or win a test match there. Have been brutally exposed without Warner-Smith. Speaks much about the quality of cricketers coming out of first class matches. The likes of Hussey not getting a chance to play tests for a good part of his career, then taking to international cricket like fish to water seems like ages back. How times have changed.

 

[Burgey]

Isn't Gambhiring a term when you're well on top but you suggest you're not, as to not create any extra pressure upon yourselves? I remember the term (and I could be wrong here) coming out of the 2009 Indian tour to NZ, when India were ahead by **** tonnes in Wellington but Gambhir suggested NZ were still right in the running. About the same time as Jeetan Patel kept getting rolled out by NZ after day 3-4, generally when we were faced with a chase of 450-500+ and our off-spinner - who made a regular sideways shuffle to square leg with any sort of pace over 130km - explained how we were going to win the game and set a world record after being knocked over for 120 on a flat one earlier in the Test.

That’s pretty much it.

http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/cri...-but-my-team-can-t-win-thread-gambhiring.html

 

[GotSpin]

The present Aus team would do well to compete against Bangladesh away let alone draw or win a test match there. Have been brutally exposed without Warner-Smith. Speaks much about the quality of cricketers coming out of first class matches. The likes of Hussey not getting a chance to play tests for a good part of his career, then taking to international cricket like fish to water seems like ages back. How times have changed.

Yeah we'll take away India's two best batsmen and see how they fare overseas.

 

[Daemon]

Yeah we'll take away India's two best batsmen and see how they fare overseas.

What's that post got to do with India?

 

[Starfighter]

What's that post got to do with India?

h_hurricane's location I can imagine.

 

[TheJediBrah]

What's that post got to do with India?

It's a sensible comparison tbh. Both strong teams at home, who struggle away. He's right too. Take Kohli + next best batsman out for India and the recent tours to SA and England would look very ugly.

It's a much more relevant comment that this one, whose relevance I'm still trying to figure out:

Maybe Australia and England could take some tips from Zimbabwe on how to win in Bangladesh. It's not impossible for non-Asian teams to do well here.

 

[Daemon]

It's a sensible comparison tbh. Both strong teams at home, who struggle away. He's right too. Take Kohli + next best batsman out for India and the recent tours to SA and England would look very ugly.

It's a much more relevant comment that this one, whose relevance I'm still trying to figure out:

vcs was trolling obviously

GotSpin seemed hurt that someone from another nation attacked Australia though. Interesting stuff, I just wanted to know more about his feelings.

 

[TheJediBrah]

vcs was trolling obviously

GotSpin seemed hurt that someone from another nation attacked Australia though. Interesting stuff, I just wanted to know more about his feelings.

Maybe. Didn't really seem like an attack on Australia to me though. Just stating the obvious.

 

[h_hurricane]

Yeah we'll take away India's two best batsmen and see how they fare overseas.

Even if only Kohli is taken away, India will struggle big time. My point was that Australia's fall is so steep when compared to quality of cricketers produced by them just a decade ago. The asian teams struggle outside asia as much as non asian teams in asia. There is no absolute stand out team today like Aus was a decade ago. Having said that, it is fair to say that India is the best test team in the world because of the ability to maul all opponents in favorable circumstances(which no one else is as good) while also being only as abysmal as any one else abroad.