• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

***Official New Zealand in India Nov-Dec 2021 Thread***

vandem

International 12th Man
Nz are a strong team in their conditions particularly so against certain opposition and possibly England where the conditions are reasonably similar to home.

But they are not that great elsewhere. India are a better team across all types of conditions and all opposition.

Nz had a real opportunity in this series to show they were genuinely the world no 1 and not just on paper and they have failed the test pretty badly imo. They were behind the eight ball at Kanpur for most of the way and are being blown away here.
Agree with lots of this.

But at Kanpur NZ weren't "behind the eight ball ... for most of the way". On day 4 they had India 5-51 then 6-103 (+49 run first innings lead), I would call this an evenly poised game. It was only in the final session on day 4 that India built a dominant lead.
 

centurymaker

Cricketer Of The Year
It would depend on how they perform in Australia and how India performs in SA (albeit a weaker version of their past).

For now, all teams are condition dependent IMO.
If india wins in South Africa, I would say India is clearly the best test team overall. Right now its close with India slightly ahead overall
NZ vs India test series in Australia. Book it.
That would be truly neutral. Maybe the next final will be in Australia?
 

Chrish

International Debutant
If india wins in South Africa, I would say India is clearly the best test team overall. Right now its close with India slightly ahead overall


That would be truly neutral. Maybe the next final will be in Australia?
Is NZ playing Australia anytime soon? If they are, then I would like to reserve my judgment regarding current best team.

Right now I am uncertain.
 

Salamuddin

International Debutant
Imagine thinking India are #1 :lol:
Why so ? Their argument is much stronger.

Nz beat india in nz _ win for kiwis
Nz beat india in wtc _ win for kiwis
India beat nz in India barring some miracle _ win for India
Nz drew with sl in sl : india beat sl - win for india
Nz lost in Australia - win for India
Nz dropped a test in West indies in 2014 : india didn't in 2016 or 2019 - win for india
Nz got hammered in south africa in 2016 - india lost a close series in 2017 - win for india
Nz couldn't beat Australia or South Africa at home : india beat both - win for india
Nz beat England in a 2 test series and India are leading 2-1 with a test to go - let's call this a draw for now.

India's win loss ratio since 1 Jan 2015 (start of kohlis captaincy) is superior to nz.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Haha, cmon. There's only one argument relevant. Who won the Test Championship final? We did. We are #1. Who won the 50-over version? England. They're #1. Who won the T20 version? Australia. Etc.

Feel free to say India are the strongest Test side in the world, and I can see the argument. But #1 isn't available until the next WTC final.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Finals are there to decide who stands on top of the dais. India made it to the final, in neutral conditions, and lost. If they'd drawn, then again I can see the argument. But nah. We earned #1.
 

ankitj

Hall of Fame Member
Let us all be totally honest, is there anyone who didn't expect this to happen?
Playing test cricket in India is just a total waste of time, and I look forward to the day test cricket is banned there.
That may not happen, but in effect it can if teams decide to boycott test matches there.
This may sound harsh on India, but after watching England play a series there last year, it just isn't cricket.
On day 1, after each ball landed on the pitch a huge puff of dust came up, and so it went for every ball left in the test.
In reality just a joke, pitches in the back yard are more reliable.
Are there others who think the same or am I just thinking too deep about it all?
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/...-must-see-india-s-fast-bowlers-at-home-129225
Since 2016, India's fast bowlers average 24.35 at home; no other travelling team gets into the 30s. This is a supremacy that can't go unnoticed. It basically disqualifies any talk around the pitches when your fast bowlers and spinners are both doing better than the visitors.
 

Salamuddin

International Debutant
Finals are there to decide who stands on top of the dais. India made it to the final, in neutral conditions, and lost. If they'd drawn, then again I can see the argument. But nah. We earned #1.
Officially maybe off the back of a win in one off test.
But in real terms no way nz are the best team.
That'd be like claiming india were the best odi team after winning world cup in 1983 or Greece best football team in Europe after winning euro 2004.

Real champions back up their wins to establish legitimacy. That's what Australia did when they won odi world cups in 1999 and 2003 and 2007.

If nz were really the best team in the world they should have gotten at least a draw in this series considering india are minus five first choice players. But they have been dominated. Not to mention all the other holes in their record.

The wtc win is a good achievement but don't keep using that to flag nz's supposed superiority if they can't back it up.
 

Athlai

Not Terrible
Officially maybe off the back of a win in one off test.
But in real terms no way nz are the best team.
That'd be like claiming india were the best odi team after winning world cup in 1983 or Greece best football team in Europe after winning euro 2004.

Real champions back up their wins to establish legitimacy. That's what Australia did when they won odi world cups in 1999 and 2003 and 2007.

If nz were really the best team in the world they should have gotten at least a draw in this series considering india are minus five first choice players. But they have been dominated. Not to mention all the other holes in their record.

The wtc win is a good achievement but don't keep using that to flag nz's supposed superiority if they can't back it up.
Ok
 

Top