Three horse race to be the best team in the world?

[cricketea]

Hi everyone,

With the series draw between South Africa and India, and England's victory in the Ashes, is it a three way shoot out to see who is the best? For my money it is too even to call, a draw between SA and Eng last time (although England were slightly fortunate) and now India and SA drawing, is this summer critical in finding the best side once and for all?

If you had to name a test side using players only from these three who would they be?

Thanks!

 

[vcs]

Welcome to CW.

It certainly looks to be a 3-team contest at the moment, and the upcoming India-England series will reveal a lot.

EngSafInd Team :

Sehwag
Strauss (c)
Amla
Tendulkar
Kallis
Laxman
Dhoni
Swann
Anderson
Zaheer
Steyn

 

[Teja.]

The XI:-

Sehwag
Cook
Kallis
Tendulkar
AbDv
Laxman
Dhoni(C)
Swann
Zaheer
Steyn
Anderson

 

[vcs]

Thanks very much!

How do you assess the weaknesses of England? I mean they look a pretty damn solid team, and whoever they bring in for Colly will have pretty big shoes to fill?

It is always easier to integrate a new batsman into a confident, winning team.. so England should be OK on that count. I don't follow English domestic cricket enough to have an opinion on who should replace Collingwood. Morgan is around the setup but his FC numbers aren't that great and he could turn out to be a better fit for the shorter format.

 

[Howe_zat]

Senglindica XI:

Sehwag
Cook
Kallis
Tendulkar
ABDV
Laxman
Dhoni
Swann
Zaheer
Steyn
Anderson

vs RoW?

Watson
Gayle
Sangakkara
Jayawardne
Chanderpaul
Haddin
Shakib
Johnson
Gul
Siddle
Roach

No contest.

 

[M0rphin3]

Sehwag
Strauss (c)
Amla
Tendulkar
Kallis
Laxman
Dhoni
Swann
Anderson
Zaheer
Steyn

 

[vcs]

Good point, although I would prefer to see an English five man attack with the way Tremlett has come in and replaced Broad.

And what of the other two? Is there room for Dravid despite his recent form in the indian side against England?

Well, there is no easy answer to the Dravid question as this thread shows. Personally, I think he will be replaced when India lose a series somewhere down the line (unless he chooses to retire after a successful one like Collingwood did).

 

[M0rphin3]

RoW?

Watson
Gayle
Sangakkara
Jayawardne
Chanderpaul
Haddin
Shakib
Johnson
Gul
Siddle
Roach

No contest.

Malinga in for Gul and Mendis in for Siddle in that lineup. Maybe Tamim for Twatto.

 

[Blaze 18]

India-England-South Africa eleven

1) Alastair Cook
2) Virender Sehwag
3) Hashim Amla
4) Sachin Tendulkar
5) Jacques Kallis
6) VVS Laxman
7) MS Dhoni
8) Graeme Swann
9) James Anderson
10)Zaheer Khan
11)Dale Steyn

 

[Howe_zat]

Malinga in for Gul and Mendis in for Siddle in that lineup. Maybe Tamim for Twatto.

Yeah all fair points. Though, Malinga seems out of favour in Tests, perhaps it's a fitness issue.

I certainly like Tamim but Twatto's having a good run. Mendis/Siddle may depend on conditions (and Malinga-Roach-Mendis would be a nightmare tail with 5 batsmen).

 

[silentstriker]

is this summer critical in finding the best side once and for all?

There is no such thing. The next series is always 'the big one'. If England win in the summer, the 'big one' will be when they tour India or SA again, and vice versa.

Unless and until there is a WI and/or Australia, it's all about who is ahead today based on results.

 

[NasserFan207]

It is always easier to integrate a new batsman into a confident, winning team.. so England should be OK on that count. I don't follow English domestic cricket enough to have an opinion on who should replace Collingwood. Morgan is around the setup but his FC numbers aren't that great and he could turn out to be a better fit for the shorter format.

Morgan will definitely replace him, and I'm not just saying that as a fanboy. He is clearly favoured by the England setup currently, is obviously talented, and one for the future. He may fail, but its pretty obvious he's going to get a run in the test side. Even if he does poorly, it doesn't seem like it would hurt England much. Its logical that he will come in.

Collingwood actually started out as a oneday player too so the comparison is fair.

 

[King Pietersen]

Andrew Strauss *
Alastair Cook
Jonathan Trott
Kevin Pietersen
Sachin Tendulkar
Ian Bell
Matt Prior +
Graeme Swann
Dale Steyn
James Anderson
Chris Tremlett

TBH.

 

[Blaze 18]

There is no such thing. The next series is always 'the big one'. If England win in the summer, the 'big one' will be when they tour India or SA again, and vice versa.

Unless and until there is a WI and/or Australia, it's all about who is ahead today based on results.

Yeah, I agree with this.

 

[Shri]

Looks like the bowling line up in this fantasy Ind/SA/Eng side is set in stone.

 

[albo97056]

I think I generally agree on the engsafind

Cook
Sehwag
Kallis
Tendulkar
Amla
Laxman
Prior
Steyn
Swann
Anderson
Zaheer / Morkel

I think Dhoni is massively overrated so Id go with prior, excellent form as a keeper and a bat in the last few years.

Rest
Tamim
Gayle
Sanga
Chanderpaul
Hussey
Ryder
Haddin / McCullum
Vettori
Gul
Mendis
Malinga

 

[GIMH]

Andrew Strauss *
Alastair Cook
Jonathan Trott
Kevin Pietersen
Sachin Tendulkar
Ian Bell
Matt Prior +
Graeme Swann
Dale Steyn
James Anderson
Chris Tremlett

TBH.

Clearly should be Morgan for Tendulkar and Bresnan for Steyn

 

[Shri]

You guys only won the ashes, you are not colonizing countries again ffs.

 

[Furball]

Looks like the bowling line up in this fantasy Ind/SA/Eng side is set in stone.

Yeah, it would be the attack in a World XI as well.

I reckon it's a 2 horse race myself. I don't rate South Africa as highly as I rate India or England.

 

[Hit Wicket]

Tough to make out where the current England team stands. How much of their success in Australia was due to the poor opposition Australia presented?

I don't think they are anywhere as good a side as India across all conditions. It's difficult to see England coming to India and winning a test match, let alone a series. The opposite on the other hand sounds very plausible. Amongst the first XI picks, I would definitely rate India higher. Where England have the edge is in their back up bowling attack, an aspect of cricket which has become crucial in today's cricket with injuries. England will be able to put a good replacement for Anderson on the field, but India's attack would be severely dented in the absence of Zaheer.

There really isn't much to choose from in the first choice attack. Zaheer-Anderson, Sreesanth-Broad, Ishant-Finn/Tremlett, Harbhajan-Swann are pretty much the same quality bowlers give or take the conditions, form, and opposition. However, India has a huge edge in batting despite some big scores England put up in Australia.