Best team since Waugh/ Ponting’s Australia?

[honestbharani]

Not by this side though. They don't seem to be the players of spin previous generations were. Still enormously hard to beat on their own patch against anyone though.

Personally not overly sold on a team dominating at home as a measure of greatness anyway. This Indian outfit has won in Aus x2 and just drew in England as well (albeit the weird length of series thing which seemed to go against them). Decent body of work imo and i still think they're the number one side going around atm. I think the peak Smith-led SA side was better, but the current era Indian outfit is also very, very good.

Actually FAWTA.

I think I called Virat's India the 3rd best side I have seen and I stand by it.

 

[Slifer]

Two of the top 2 spinners in history got murdered in India though

Yeah but that's a completely different india that destroyed Warne and Murali. This Indian batting lineup is light years behind the Sachin, Laxman, Dravid era.

 

[Slifer]

I really hope the Australia/India series comes off without too many hiccups. Australia has done their cause well by playing in Pakistan and SL first. Hope the main players for both teams can play; don't want to hear any silly excuses. I predict an Indian win by a test, but we'll see

 

[subshakerz]

At this point, Smith's SA is better than both Strauss and Kohli's sides.

I think on paper, Strauss' side looks stronger to me than Kohli's, but Kohli's dominant home record would give them the edge.

Among the teams that i saw, I would rate Cronje's SA also higher than Kohli's and Strauss' but not Smiths'. It was an underrated team.

 

[Chrish]

Peak Bradman with the bat plus 2 of the top 5 spinners of all time. Easy.

Fact that you have to go hundred years back proves my point

 

[Chrish]

Most Indian batsmen turn into bradman at home, india's current pacers all average like 20 at home, and jadeja+ashwin at 7/8 in those conditions is major hax. Can't think of many sides that could consistently beat them in india.

Yeah it’s weird that focus is on spin when we have all the grounds covered; Ashwin- Axar - Jadeja- Sham- Bumrah - patriotic curators etc.

Our bowlers turn into different species at home and Pant is already something post-human in terms of evolutionary stage.. Can’t think of a singe side that would be favorite against us at home.

 

[honestbharani]

I am not sure if we are to consider the Waugh-Ponting era Australia as seperate sides, but to me, this is the ranking of the test sides I have seen -

1. 00s Aus
2. Smith's RSA
3. Virat's India

And then it gets jumbled.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I am not sure if we are to consider the Waugh-Ponting era Australia as seperate sides

Unless they're separated by a period of being not that good, they shouldn't be treated as separate sides. Waugh/Ponting didn't really have a drop at any stage until post-2009/10 ish

 

[subshakerz]

Unless they're separated by a period of being not that good, they shouldn't be treated as separate sides. Waugh/Ponting didn't really have a drop at any stage until post-2009/10 ish

Pointing's side drop started when they lost to SA at home in 2008, followed with losing the Ashes again.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Pointing's side drop started when they lost to SA at home in 2008, followed with losing the Ashes again.

Thought I'd give them a year bonus I guess

 

[CricAddict]

Can someone lock this thread please? Has been a bad omen for India since it started.

 

[subshakerz]

Can someone lock this thread please? Has been a bad omen for India since it started.

Can we wait until the end of year, once the India-Australia series is over?

 

[subshakerz]

Yeah it’s weird that focus is on spin when we have all the grounds covered; Ashwin- Axar - Jadeja- Sham- Bumrah - patriotic curators etc.

Our bowlers turn into different species at home and Pant is already something post-human in terms of evolutionary stage.. Can’t think of a singe side that would be favorite against us at home.

Wondering who would win if India around mid 2000s under Ganguly with the big four bats, Zaheer, Kumble and Harbi played Kohli's team in India.

 

[Xix2565]

Wondering who would win if India around mid 2000s under Ganguly with the big four bats, Zaheer, Kumble and Harbi played Kohli's team in India.

Kohli's India. They have the superior bowling attack and all the batting won't save you from that.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Pant is already something post-human in terms of evolutionary stage

He does look a bit like Majin Buu

 

[Slifer]

Wondering who would win if India around mid 2000s under Ganguly with the big four bats, Zaheer, Kumble and Harbi played Kohli's team in India.

Great question. Personally, I'd back Gangulys team. They'd absolutely hammer the crap out of any spinner put infront of them. If they can take the two greatest spinners at home to the cleaners, then Jadeja, Ashwin or whoever else have no chance. Then it'd come down to the pace and guile of Bumrah and Shami etc vs Sachin, Sehwag etc in India. Again, I'm backing that Indian batting lineup. Sehwag especially, was a completely different beast at home. Kohli and co would probably make runs vs Kumble and Harbi but not enough to put any sort of scoreboard pressure.

 

[subshakerz]

Kohli's India. They have the superior bowling attack and all the batting won't save you from that.

If the pitches are spinning mambas, that neutralizes India's pace advantage. Zaheer would still be a threat with his reverse. And frankly, I trust Sehwag, Laxman, Tendulkar and Dravid vs. Ashwin/Jadeja more than Kohli, Pujara, etc. vs Kumble/Harbi.

 

[Chrish]

It’s a question worth pondering over and definitely something I have wondered myself. I know current team gets a rep of how they can’t play spin. While they definitely aren’t on the level of previous teams, you also have to realize players back then didn’t really play on rank-turners like they do theses days. I remember back then, scores of 400-500 were quite common and wickets usually used to hold up till first three days; then it would gradually deteriorate. Compare that to wickets now that India have dished out; some of it starts turning square from day 2. My point is, we don’t really know how well past players would have done on these kind of wickets.

And that Indian team were vulnerable to quality pace bowling (Donald/ steyn/ McGrath etc.). So, I don’t have a reason to doubt Bumrah/ Shami would do well against them. Zaheer was good, but Bumrah-Shami-Yadav/ Siraj is a rung above (I woundnt play Axar here). So, even if we consider Kumble/ Bhajji = Ashwin/ Jadeja, current attack is fair bit better. Imo bowling strength coupled with Pant and Jadeja in lower order negates the batting strength of other side. I would also expect one or two players from first 5 to turn up (Rohit, Rahul or Pujara).

Which team would win will largely depend on how long Sehwag stays. If he is on the crease after first 20 overs, then they would win. He would dominate Ash/ Jadeja like he dominated every other spinner. But, I personally think he would be cleaned up by current paceman in first 15 overs.

I vote for current side but it’s definitely close.. If Kohli was as prolific as three years ago, then it would be a clear nod in favor of current team.

 

[subshakerz]

Great question. Personally, I'd back Gangulys team. They'd absolutely hammer the crap out of any spinner put infront of them. If they can take the two greatest spinners at home to the cleaners, then Jadeja, Ashwin or whoever else have no chance. Then it'd come down to the pace and guile of Bumrah and Shami etc vs Sachin, Sehwag etc in India. Again, I'm backing that Indian batting lineup. Sehwag especially, was a completely different beast at home. Kohli and co would probably make runs vs Kumble and Harbi but not enough to put any sort of scoreboard pressure.

Also don't forget Dravid was in the form of his life and Laxman could take on any spinner.

If Kohli actually put forward spicy pitches, it would backfire majorly on them. Their best bet would be to prepare more traditional crumbling Indian wickets that give their pacers something to work with on Day 1/2.

 

[Flem274*]

The 00s team would wreck this team. Modern spinners greatly benefit from DRS. Kumble and Harby with DRS plus a batting line up that shows up between the openers and the keeper are going to be too strong.

Kohli's India with Kohli, Pujara and Rahane actually scoring some runs would be a much more interesting series. The current Indian side somehow did the thing in Australia then has performed exactly like a team with quality openers, keeper and attack but lacking a test class (form) 3-5 would be expected to perform - all over the ****in place.