Best team since Waugh/ Ponting’s Australia?

[cricketsavant]

NZ are hard to beat in their backyard. If India play a series in NZ right now, NZ would be favorite.

Point I am making is yes current Indian batting suck balls.. But that doesn’t mean SA team is mediocre in their conditions. They have played some great cricket.

But the SA batting is horrendous. India's bowling line up is good but this needs to be a reality check for fans who were calling it all time great, better than x,y,z...9/10 the great pace bowling attacks of the past, WI 1980s, Pakistan mid to late 80s and early 90s, Aus late 90s and early 00s, SA themselves in late 00s and early 2010s would have annihilated batsmen averaging..what is it, 30 odd? Temba Bavuma is SA highest run getter out of active cricketers and has managed to average over 60 this series

I feel like the players have also bought into their own hype, apart from Shami who seems a decent bloke. The others want to roll up and roll over their opponents without adding nuance to their games or improving. Ashwin the same away bowler now that he was 10 years ago, Bumrah is still the same two trick pony:short ball, yorker, he was 4 years ago. It's not good enough.

 

[cricketsavant]

Twist in the tale? I doubt it, especially as my prediction of 2-1 is now going the other way Could be the saffers batting is so bad they are all out for 50 more runs lol

 

[The Sean]

That describes Ian Healy more than Boucher.

Tell me you never saw Healy keep without telling me you never saw Healy keep.

 

[TheJediBrah]

But the SA batting is horrendous. India's bowling line up is good but this needs to be a reality check for fans who were calling it all time great, better than x,y,z...9/10 the great pace bowling attacks of the past, WI 1980s, Pakistan mid to late 80s and early 90s, Aus late 90s and early 00s, SA themselves in late 00s and early 2010s would have annihilated batsmen averaging..what is it, 30 odd? Temba Bavuma is SA highest run getter out of active cricketers and has managed to average over 60 this series

I feel like the players have also bought into their own hype, apart from Shami who seems a decent bloke. The others want to roll up and roll over their opponents without adding nuance to their games or improving. Ashwin the same away bowler now that he was 10 years ago, Bumrah is still the same two trick pony:short ball, yorker, he was 4 years ago. It's not good enough.

Still think this is a bit harsh. Subcontinent/SENA conditions are so different it's a huge deal for India to win there and/or vice versa. Winning in Aus last summer has given Indian fans too high expectations IMO

 

[Tec15]

Tell me you never saw Healy keep without telling me you never saw Healy keep.

I saw him plenty. I especially remember him choking it away in tight situations, missing a stumping of Inzy in Karachi in 1994, dropping Lara in Bridgetown in 1999. Never as good as the Aussies fluffing him made him seem.

 

[subshakerz]

So, how good is this Indian team again?

 

[Chrish]

Sort of reminds me of last SA tour of Australia. Abdv had dropped out. Steyn got injured in the first game and they were left with three bowlers. On Australian side, Smith was scoring 100 every other inning. Voges was averaging 90 something. Warner and Khawaja were in peak form. Basically everyone thought it would be comfortable win for Australia.

But they were still beaten by SA in the end. Well played boys!

 

[Slifer]

...But the RSA series isn't over yet. All it'd take is one or two magical Bumrah deliveries and game on. India may yet pull this one out.

....nevermind....lol lol lol

 

[subshakerz]

I dont think it's an accident that the only time India scored 300 plus they won the test this series. Yes, we can criticize India for not defending sub-250 scores, but realistically they should have had the runs to close out SA in one of those tests they lost. India's bowling attack, for all its flaws, is still likely the best in the world, but their batting is and has always been suspect in swinging conditions. In fact, they are worse now than what they were in 2018 when in-form Kohli drove the batting.

Kohli himself commented on India's tendency to collapse which has cost them away series. It is the same point I have been making this whole thread.

Hopefully now we can conclusively say that Kohli's India aren't the best team since 2000s Australia.

 

[Xix2565]

Hopefully now we can conclusively say that Kohli's India aren't the best team since 2000s Australia.

No? I didn't suddenly drop their case just because they lost away before, this loss isn't suddenly the decisive answer to the question.

 

[subshakerz]

No? I didn't suddenly drop their case just because they lost away before, this loss isn't suddenly the decisive answer to the question.

Really? What will it take then?

 

[Flem274*]

Still think this is a bit harsh. Subcontinent/SENA conditions are so different it's a huge deal for India to win there and/or vice versa. Winning in Aus last summer has given Indian fans too high expectations IMO

yeah in some ways Australian conditions are the best in SENA for Asian batsmen, if you remove the usual Australian bowling attacks from the equation. England has constant movement, SA decks are the most likely to be truly vicious on a consistent basis and the NZ decks can be hard to interpret for a tourist.

 

[Xix2565]

Really? What will it take then?

An actual decline over the next few years in Test cricket both home and away. Where India aren't genuine competitors for WTC Final spots or the #1 ranking.

 

[subshakerz]

yeah in some ways Australian conditions are the best in SENA for Asian batsmen, if you remove the usual Australian bowling attacks from the equation. England has constant movement, SA decks are the most likely to be truly vicious on a consistent basis and the NZ decks can be hard to interpret for a tourist.

One reason why Sehwag did well in Australia but sucked in the rest.

Indian batsmen generally dont mind bounce, its the lateral movement that is tricky for them.

 

[Arachnodouche]

From being widely accepted as the best side in the world albeit a flawed one, India with this defeat are back in the muck with the other plebs. Have to earn their stripes all over again now afaic

 

[OverratedSanity]

From being widely accepted as the best side in the world albeit a flawed one, India with this defeat are back in the muck with the other plebs. Have to earn their stripes all over again now afaic

They're kind of best in the world by default because of NZ ****ing up against Bangladesh. Not best in the world on their own merit.

 

[Slifer]

India are still the best in the business, even with this loss. They've destroyed everyone at home and done what no other current team can ie beat Australia in Australia. I'd back India to beat everyone at home easily and beat everyone away with RSA and NZ excepted. Can't say the same for Australia, ditto NZ . Australia are unlikely to beat India away, no idea how they'd do in Pakistan, SL or RSA and they haven't won in England in almost two decades. NZ won't beat Australia anywhere, no chance in India and unlikely to win in RSA. Toss up at home vs RSA at home as well.

 

[subshakerz]

India are still the best in the business, even with this loss. They've destroyed everyone at home and done what no other current team can ie beat Australia in Australia. I'd back India to beat everyone at home easily and beat everyone away with RSA and NZ excepted. Can't say the same for Australia, ditto NZ . Australia are unlikely to beat India away, no idea how they'd do in Pakistan, SL or RSA and they haven't won in England in almost two decades. NZ won't beat Australia anywhere, no chance in India and unlikely to win in RSA. Toss up at home vs RSA at home as well.

Do you think they are better than Smith's SA? I also think they are best in the world atm mostly because of NZ and Bangladesh.

 

[subshakerz]

India are still the best in the business, even with this loss. They've destroyed everyone at home and done what no other current team can ie beat Australia in Australia. I'd back India to beat everyone at home easily and beat everyone away with RSA and NZ excepted. Can't say the same for Australia, ditto NZ . Australia are unlikely to beat India away, no idea how they'd do in Pakistan, SL or RSA and they haven't won in England in almost two decades. NZ won't beat Australia anywhere, no chance in India and unlikely to win in RSA. Toss up at home vs RSA at home as well.

Australia seem like a settled and strong side now but havent been tested away properly yet.

 

[_00_deathscar]

So, how good is this Indian team again?

Ask your mom.