stephen
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Wake up to yourself.I think the recent series's vs South Africa were very instructional in several regards.
Maharaj fully shut down any talk of Lyon being the best spinner in the world. That after being comprehensively routed by Ashwin just a few months prior.
Kohli dominated a series dominated by ball while Smith folded against the same attack in much friendlier conditions. More importantly the 'best since Bradman' also exposed his (or rather was exposed by a not so friendly broadcaster) complete lack of character when he was found lying to the whole world about cowardly forcing a junior player to cheat on his behalf and then blubbing like a little girl when found out.
Even though India lost, they confirmed themselves as the rightful No.1 team by showing they can at least compete with any team in any conditions on equal footing, without resorting to whinging about the toss, the pitch and even the food. More than you can say about any other team in the world.
Kohli is excellent but Smith is better (at tests anyway). If you're holding a single series against a player, I'd remind you that Kohli averaged 9 in his home series vs. Australia last year.
I don't think anyone would seriously argue that India are not the rightful number one side right now. They're not dominant but they're impenetrable at home and lose less overseas than other nations. Their rating is seriously helped by only playing Asian sides who are little better than minnows. So the sides most likely to be competitive against them in friendly conditions are all weak. The SENA countries are much more competitive with each other in SENA conditions (that is to say conditions fit to play real cricket with fast bowlers and wrist spinners).
And the less you say about ball tampering the better. India were a side captained by the guy who introduced the world to match fixing and later worshipped a ball tamperer who they protected rather than punish. Smith's crime was really to try and deflect blame from that junior squad member into himself out of a misguided sense of loyalty.
And the man you seem to worship, Kohli, flat out lied in press conferences last time Australia toured India, saying he saw things during his innings that objectively didn't occur (it was easy to go through the footage, his innings weren't long).
There's a saying - people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Maybe you should learn what that means.