Which team is currently the best, in 2023?

[SillyCowCorner1]

Be a boring next two years if the final is already decided

just play another one at the end of this ashes

or scrap it and let india and Aussies play each other home and away to the end of time to be world champs

only chance to be world champions as England are world champs in both white ball forms and that’s a fact

They need to travel each other's country via ships for this to happen!

 

[Slifer]

Australia 2-0 up now. Still think England is in the mix? I don't.

 

[Shady Slim]

still think that it's full strength india but with every passing week where full strength india isn't actually a thing i become more and more inclined to say that it's australia

 

[honestbharani]

I think its Australia for this cycle for sure. They didn't embarass themselves in the subcontinent like they usually do. I guess it is kinda odd to claim a team to be in the best in the world when they lost both home and away to another side but it is the issue always with test cricket because we are taking at least 2 years of results into account for these things.

In a way, its good that we have a WTC cycle to go by. Its not perfect but it does give decent context for us to time-frame performances.

 

[Spark]

India's fast bowling seems to have fallen away a bit over the last year or so, it isn't quite getting the job done as it was. That was really the bedrock of their #1 status so I think it's fair enough to reassess if that's the case.

 

[Burgey]

Still think it's India until Aus beat them, either at home or away.

Also, when talking about the improvement in the Australian team in the past couple of years, one of the biggest factors has unquestionably been Alex Carey. His keeping has improved out of sight, to the point where he really loses nothing by comparison with the so called "best glove man in the country" Tim Paine, and his batting is so much better than Paine that the comparison isn't even worth making imo.

 

[OverratedSanity]

The biggest problem India have had is continuity. Their best bowler by far (bumrah) and their two best batsmen by far (Pant, Rohit) have missed a ****ton of games. And obviously they went through that ridiculous sequence of 10 tests last year with 5 different captains (!). They have other issues as well but this lack of availability in an environment that already has had a change of long term captain/coach regime has been a cluster****.

 

[Burgey]

Thing they still have going for them though is they're so hard to beat at home, despite those things you've mentioned. It means they'll always be at least in the discussion for top spot if they win a few series away from home, and tbh that's fair enough imo.

 

[Nintendo]

Thing they still have going for them though is they're so hard to beat at home, despite those things you've mentioned. It means they'll always be at least in the discussion for top spot if they win a few series away from home, and tbh that's fair enough imo.

The ability to play jadeja-axar-ashwin at 7-8-9 without losing out on bowling is such a big boon.

 

[honestbharani]

Depends on how long Ash is fit though. And unless Kuldeep turns out to be amazing in tests, we will struggle for a good 2nd spinner. I do hope in future we are able to line up with Washy, Axar and Kuldeep as our spin trio if and when Ash-Jaddu does retire. Add Siraj and maybe another good seamer to the mix, and we should have a decent bowling line-up.

And maybe Shaw, Jaiswal, Gill will be a very good top 3 too.

Let me do a @Shri here and take a stab at what our future XI may look like if our 35+ guys retire.

Shaw
Jaiswal
Gill
Shreyas
Pant
Hardik (??)
Washy
Axar
Kuldeep
Siraj
Arshdeep (??)

I am not thrilled about the 3 lefties in procession there from 7-9 but otherwise its a decent line-up for tests, I feel.

 

[TheJediBrah]

The ability to play jadeja-axar-ashwin at 7-8-9 without losing out on bowling is such a big boon.

It's a gift as well as a curse. Because all 3 are primarily bowlers the selectors invariably leave 1 or 2 of them out unless it's a dustbowl, and they sit on the bench for mediocre batsmen or, currently, mediocre seamers.

 

[Himannv]

Depends on how long Ash is fit though. And unless Kuldeep turns out to be amazing in tests, we will struggle for a good 2nd spinner. I do hope in future we are able to line up with Washy, Axar and Kuldeep as our spin trio if and when Ash-Jaddu does retire. Add Siraj and maybe another good seamer to the mix, and we should have a decent bowling line-up.

And maybe Shaw, Jaiswal, Gill will be a very good top 3 too.

Let me do a @Shri here and take a stab at what our future XI may look like if our 35+ guys retire.

Shaw
Jaiswal
Gill
Shreyas
Pant
Hardik (??)
Washy
Axar
Kuldeep
Siraj
Arshdeep (??)

I am not thrilled about the 3 lefties in procession there from 7-9 but otherwise its a decent line-up for tests, I feel.

Don't Shami and Bumrah make the cut anymore?

 

[honestbharani]

Don't Shami and Bumrah make the cut anymore?

Shami is in the 30+ category and Bumrah is never fit.

 

[Himannv]

Shami is in the 30+ category and Bumrah is never fit.

Ah, I thought you meant 35+. Carry on then.

 

[CartyDurham]

The format is a mess and hard to follow. Wouldn’t care if England never won it to be honest. It’s just a money making exercise for the icc

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

India has the most talent but the selection policies and preparation for away series leaves a lot to be desired .

 

[rtramdas]

India has the most talent but the selection policies and preparation for away series leaves a lot to be desired .

well said .... the fact that a proven failure like Pujara kept playing on and on till 103rd test is a testimony to what you said.
His country wise record is pathetic to say the least. And this 'test only ' batsman occupied the most important 1 down position
added salt to injury . No wonder he was in the team thru out because of his high political connections.

Another one was Rahane. He too was far from adequate despite being a test format player only.
Rohit , Rahul too were given chances after chances despite proven inadequate after a while.

Compare this batting line up to 2000 era - Sehwag,Gambhir,Dravid,Sachin, Ganguly,Laxman,Dhoni - 6 of these batsmen were 2 format batsmen with adequate longevities , while Laxman was a master test specialist But those days bowling was not that stronger.
In 2010s bowling got much stronger , because of the arrival of a freak in Bumrah . . But the selectors got it all wrong in batting so much so that India could only produce a lone quality all format batsman in Kohli .This, despite having 2 quality all rounders in Jadeja & Ashwin tells a lot about how the selectors got it all wrong when it came to building a quality 'all format all conditional batting unit'

 

[Adorable Asshole]

well said .... the fact that a proven failure like Pujara kept playing on and on till 103rd test is a testimony to what you said.
His country wise record is pathetic to say the least. And this 'test only ' batsman occupied the most important 1 down position
added salt to injury . No wonder he was in the team thru out because of his high political connections.

Another one was Rahane. He too was far from adequate despite being a test format player only.
Rohit , Rahul too were given chances after chances despite proven inadequate after a while.

Compare this batting line up to 2000 era - Sehwag,Gambhir,Dravid,Sachin, Ganguly,Laxman,Dhoni - 6 of these batsmen were 2 format batsmen with adequate longevities , while Laxman was a master test specialist But those days bowling was not that stronger.
In 2010s bowling got much stronger , because of the arrival of a freak in Bumrah . . But the selectors got it all wrong in batting so much so that India could only produce a lone quality all format batsman in Kohli .This, despite having 2 quality all rounders in Jadeja & Ashwin tells a lot about how the selectors got it all wrong when it came to building a quality 'all format all conditional batting unit'

What political connections?

 

[Nintendo]

well said .... the fact that a proven failure like Pujara kept playing on and on till 103rd test is a testimony to what you said.
His country wise record is pathetic to say the least. And this 'test only ' batsman occupied the most important 1 down position
added salt to injury . No wonder he was in the team thru out because of his high political connections.

Another one was Rahane. He too was far from adequate despite being a test format player only.
Rohit , Rahul too were given chances after chances despite proven inadequate after a while.

Compare this batting line up to 2000 era - Sehwag,Gambhir,Dravid,Sachin, Ganguly,Laxman,Dhoni - 6 of these batsmen were 2 format batsmen with adequate longevities , while Laxman was a master test specialist But those days bowling was not that stronger.
In 2010s bowling got much stronger , because of the arrival of a freak in Bumrah . . But the selectors got it all wrong in batting so much so that India could only produce a lone quality all format batsman in Kohli .This, despite having 2 quality all rounders in Jadeja & Ashwin tells a lot about how the selectors got it all wrong when it came to building a quality 'all format all conditional batting unit'

Pujara averages 44 in test cricket and won India two series in AUS and rohit is one of the best test openers in the world right now. The 3-5 have been out of form for a while now and should've been dropped earlier, but your being way too over the top about it.

 

[rtramdas]

What political connections?

He is from Gujarat..... Modi , Amit Shah, Jay Shah(BCCI president) all have their influences in Gujarat .