How would you rank the greatest test teams of all-time?

[mr_mister]

i'm gonna say Cronje's SA just because they were absolutely going toe to toe with Taylor and Waugh's Australia during that period. If you're nearly equal to the second ever greatest test team you must be a pretty solid team yourself

 

[trundler]

i'm gonna say Cronje's SA just because they were absolutely going toe to toe with Taylor and Waugh's Australia during that period. If you're nearly equal to the second ever greatest test team you must be a pretty solid team yourself

This but Imran's Pakistan

 

[The Sean]

i'm gonna say Cronje's SA just because they were absolutely going toe to toe with Taylor and Waugh's Australia during that period. If you're nearly equal to the second ever greatest test team you must be a pretty solid team yourself

Cronje's South Africa played six Tests against Australia - all Taylor's, not Waugh's - and won one of them.

And that was a dead rubber.

 

[subshakerz]

Cronje's South Africa played six Tests against Australia - all Taylor's, not Waugh's - and won one of them.

And that was a dead rubber.

It was close though. In the 96 series in SA, Australia managed to get home by 2 wickets in the second test to take the series with each side dominating the other tests. In the 97 series in Australia, SA nearly won the last test to draw the series but dropped some key chances and couldn't finish the job.

Taylors and Cronjes teams were close, except the former were mentally tougher and had Warne.

 

[mr_mister]

Cronje's South Africa played six Tests against Australia - all Taylor's, not Waugh's - and won one of them.

And that was a dead rubber.

they also beat SL and thrashed the WI in series 98 and 99, 2 sides who australia then went onto to draw and lose to in series in 99

I know Australia were better, but SA were close enough on their heels to justify a high ranking in this

 

[subshakerz]

they also beat SL and thrashed the WI in series 98 and 99, 2 sides who australia then went onto to draw and lose to in series in 99

I know Australia were better, but SA were close enough on their heels to justify a high ranking in this

Plus winning in Pakistan and India. Cronje's side is underrated, but Smith's side is better based on their batting strength.

 

[subshakerz]

I am calling it for Chappell's Aus which moves ahead to No.6 of all-time teams.

1. Lloyd's WI
2. Waugh's Aus
3. Invincibles
4. Hutton's England (mid-1950s)
5. Worrell's WI (Early 1960s)
6. Chappell's Australia (mid-1970s)

We are selecting Test Team No.7 of the all-timers from the below options. I expect to see one of the SA sides move next.

Benaud's Australia (Late 1950s)
South Africa (late 60s)
Illingworth's England (Early 70s)
Imran's Pakistan (late 80s)
Cronje's SA (mid-late 90s)
Akram's Pakistan (mid-late 90s)
Vaughn's England (Mid-2000s)
Dhoni's India (late 2000s)
Strauss's England (Early 2010s)
Smith's SA (Early 2010s)
Kohli's India (Late 2010s)
Williamson's NZ (Early 2020s)

 

[Daemon]

Smith’s SA

 

[honestbharani]

Smith's SA

 

[Line and Length]

Illingworth's England (Early 70s)

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Late 60s-70 Saffas

 

[271 & 16/166]

Benaud's Australia

 

[morgieb]

Smith's SA

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I don’t quite get the presence of early 70’s England under Illingworth. We won the Ashes in Australia, but lost home series to India and West Indies, had very fortunate home wins over New Zealand and Pakistan and retained the Ashes with a drawn series at home. Illingworth missed the winter tour of the SC where we lost in India and a turgid drawn series in Pakistan under Tony Lewis.

 

[Line and Length]

I don’t quite get the presence of early 70’s England under Illingworth. We won the Ashes in Australia, but lost home series to India and West Indies, had very fortunate home wins over New Zealand and Pakistan and retained the Ashes with a drawn series at home. Illingworth missed the winter tour of the SC where we lost in India and a turgid drawn series in Pakistan under Tony Lewis.

Undefeated in 26 Tests '68-'71

 

[HookShot]

Illingworth’s XI

01. Geoff Boycott
02. John Edrich
03. Tom Graveney
04. Colin Cowdrey
05. Ken Barrington
06. Basil D’ Oliveira
07. Alan Knott
08. Ray Illingworth
09. John Snow
10. Derek Underwood
11. Bob Willis
12th Dennis Amiss

 

[AndrewB]

Barrington didn’t actually play any Tests under Illingworth.

 

[HookShot]

Barrington didn’t actually play any Tests under Illingworth.

They played together in the 1968 Ashes at the beginning of England’s longest ever unbeaten streak; so good enough for the bush.

Lloyd’s WI, Bradman and Ponting’s Australia, Kohli’s India: Test cricket’s best unbeaten streaks

When it comes to the debate over the greatest Test sides of all time, consistency over a period of time is the definitive marker to compare.

scroll.in

Scorecard - 1968 England v Australia - 4th Test - 25/07/1968 - Headingley, Leeds - Test No. #640

Test Cricket - Scorecard: 1968 England v Australia (The Ashes) - 4th Test - 25th July, 1968 - Headingley

www.howstat.com

 

[TheJediBrah]

i'm gonna say Cronje's SA just because they were absolutely going toe to toe with Taylor and Waugh's Australia during that period. If you're nearly equal to the second ever greatest test team you must be a pretty solid team yourself

Unless you're talking about ODIs, this wasn't the case at all

 

[mr_mister]

They weren't winning a lot but they were consistently having close matches with us. Compared to what we were doing to other teams, save for the odd Lara or Laxman ATG innings, they were close to our level