When will India become Number Uno?

[Lambu]

Hmm and you are usually so moderate.

IMO this is why Indian supporters will continue to be disappointed. They use terms that cant be measured and have unrealistic expectations of their players.

To call India quicks 'infinately superior' and possessing far more 'raw talent' is not accurate.

Having watched them all, Im struggling to know what those terms mean. As I certainly dont see it. Indian is producing some promising seamers recently but noone has looked 'infinately superior' to anyone or as amazing natual talents.

This legion of fast bowling talent also doesnt a) have anyone that averages under 30 and b) anyone that looks amazing (Ishant may have a very good future and there a good cricketers there)

No doubt if Chris Martin was born in Kolkota rather than Christchurch then his percieved raw talent would increase.

I'm sorry but its quite obvious who the better set of bowlers are if you consider their respective performances gainst Engkand in England.No doubt we would be avging under 30 if we played in such seamer friendly wickets all the time.Also take a look at how NZ pacers performed against a team like Ban recently.Calling NZ bowlers better than Indian counterparts seems very very harsh indeed.

You say none of our pacers are amazing..but tell me which bowlers from NZ are "amazing"?

 

[Richard]

Not making any claims about who is either better right now or potentially better, but Kyle Mills and even Chris Martin have both produced some exceptional spells in their (in Mills' case short) careers. And Jacob Oram, while his wicket-taking potential on non-seaming pitches is negligable, is almost certainly the most accurate bowler in The World currently and will mainly for this reason present as potent a threat as most people on a seaming deck.

 

[Precambrian]

I have been reminded by a friend, who is older and whose opinion on the game I respect and most importantly, who watched Gupte for most of his career, that Gupte was NOT past his best in that last home series against England. That he was bowling with great guile and control. He watched the Delhi Test (Gupte's last) where England, replying to India's 466 in the first innings scored 256 for 3 in response with Puller and Barrington playing Gupte mostly with their pads.

I had also forgotten to mention that against Australia Gupte had great trouble from Neil Harvey, the great Aussie left hander who probably played him the best of all the batsmen Gupte bowled to.

Tyvm SJS. But again, Kumble's longetivity has a case for him rite?

 

[Manee]

Not making any claims about who is either better right now or potentially better, but Kyle Mills and even Chris Martin have both produced some exceptional spells in their (in Mills' case short) careers. And Jacob Oram, while his wicket-taking potential on non-seaming pitches is negligable, is almost certainly the most accurate bowler in The World currently and will mainly for this reason present as potent a threat as most people on a seaming deck.

Would just like to agree totally with the sentiments about Jacob Oram.

 

[Goughy]

You say none of our pacers are amazing..but tell me which bowlers from NZ are "amazing"?

Ignoring Bond, the argument isnt that the NZ bowlers are amazing but that the Indian bowlers are massively superior and possessing of far more raw talent which just isnt true.

Comparable does not equal to what is being claimed.

 

[SJS]

Tyvm SJS. But again, Kumble's longetivity has a case for him rite?

Longevity alone doen't win too many arguements, does it. I haven't heard anyone on this forum putting Hobbs ahead of Bradman, WG ahead of Hobbs, Wilfred Rhodes ahead of Sobers and Woolley ahead of Lara.

Inspite of the many years Kumble has put in, have you ever heard anyone, ever, talk of him in terms of being the greatest spinner of all times. The fact is that some very highly respected names in the game have done that with Gupte. We may disagree with that claim but it surely tells us that longevity doesn't come into it. Sobers has talked of Gupte being better than Warne. He doesn't talk of Gupte being better than Kumble let alone talking of Kumble being better than Warne. Longevity does tell something about a cricketer but when you compare one great cricketer with another, you invariably think of each at his best and there aren't many who have had a twenty year peak.

 

[Precambrian]

Longevity alone doen't win too many arguements, does it. I haven't heard anyone on this forum putting Hobbs ahead of Bradman, WG ahead of Hobbs, Wilfred Rhodes ahead of Sobers and Woolley ahead of Lara.

Inspite of the many years Kumble has put in, have you ever heard anyone, ever, talk of him in terms of being the greatest spinner of all times. The fact is that some very highly respected names in the game have done that with Gupte. We may disagree with that claim but it surely tells us that longevity doesn't come into it. Sobers has talked of Gupte being better than Warne. He doesn't talk of Gupte being better than Kumble let alone talking of Kumble being better than Warne. Longevity does tell something about a cricketer but when you compare one great cricketer with another, you invariably think of each at his best and there aren't many who have had a twenty year peak.

Fair argument.

 

[Bees]

Is it too early to call?

 

[Redbacks]

Is it too early to call?

I don't know, one test match in India with a weakend bowling attack

 

[Prince EWS]

Is it too early to call?

Errr.. yes. Very much so.

Even if they win this series (which is looking more likely than not, but certainly not anywhere near certain) they've recently lost in Australia and Sri Lanka. They only managed a draw against South Africa at home last season as well. This will be the first time Australia have lost a series against anyone since 2005.

Obviously it shows that India are closer than they have been before but by no means have they done enough to claim the title yet.

 

[Richard]

Winning this series (which they are presumably soon to be 1-0 up with 2 Tests to play in BTW) will prove nothing that hasn't been proven many times in the last two decades.

India away is possibly the toughest challenge in cricket. And India failing to win a home Test series is always a big disappointment.

 

[Xuhaib]

Winning this series (which they are presumably soon to be 1-0 up with 2 Tests to play in BTW) will prove nothing that hasn't been proven many times in the last two decades.

India away is possibly the toughest challenge in cricket. And India failing to win a home Test series is always a big disappointment.

I think Australia away is the biggest challenge no one has conquered down under since 92-93

 

[Richard]

And in truth no-one has really conquered (ie, actually genuinely outplayed rather than fluked a victory) since 1988/89, at which time Australia were still in a shocking state and the lowest of the low.

Nonetheless, Australia has more in common with places like England, South Africa, New Zealand and West Indies than India does. Test series' in India are a challenge for more reasons than merely the home team's calibre.

 

[Uppercut]

Winning this series (which they are presumably soon to be 1-0 up with 2 Tests to play in BTW) will prove nothing that hasn't been proven many times in the last two decades.

India away is possibly the toughest challenge in cricket. And India failing to win a home Test series is always a big disappointment.

Think Sri Lanka away might be worse very soon with Murali and Mendis around and the Indian batting lineup aging, though.

 

[Prince EWS]

Think Sri Lanka away might be worse very soon with Murali and Mendis around and the Indian batting lineup aging, though.

Yeah, Sri Lanka have the makings of a really awesome attack, particularly at home. I actually thought this even before Mendis came along so it's looking close to the best in the world now IMO. Vaas and Murali are getting on though so they need to make use of this cross-over period while they can I guess.

They definitely have a few issues with their batting but this is rectified at home somewhat with the likes of Mahela and Samaraweera really stepping up a whole level of class in Sri Lanka.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Would be really awesome to see most of the test nations throw up excellent bowling attacks.

 

[Uppercut]

Yeah, Sri Lanka have the makings of a really awesome attack, particularly at home. I actually thought this even before Mendis came along so it's looking close to the best in the world now IMO. Vaas and Murali are getting on though so they need to make use of this cross-over period while they can I guess.

They definitely have a few issues with their batting but this is rectified at home somewhat with the likes of Mahela and Samaraweera really stepping up a whole level of class in Sri Lanka.

I thought their attack was the best in the world a couple of months back. In Sri Lanka it undeniably is. In conditions conducive to fast bowling or swing, though, South Africa, Australia and England could all make claims to have the best. In truth, it's very difficult to tell at the minute.

 

[Fezza_8600]

It's a shame to be honest in which Indian cricket is so emphasized and put to so much more attention than other sports, it really drives the nation mad, I really think there needs to be better infrastructure and facility to develop new sports in India, like Olympic sports.

Having said that, with new and upcoming talent in India, someone may become the new Tendulkar.

 

[Prince EWS]

I thought their attack was the best in the world a couple of months back.

Malinga didn't actually play though, did he? Kulasekara and then Prasad did.

I don't think they've actually fielded Vaas-Malinga-Murali-Mendis in a Test yet. I hope they do before Vaas retires.

 

[Prince EWS]

It's a shame to be honest in which Indian cricket is so emphasized and put to so much more attention than other sports

Why is that a shame?