• 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.

Pinnacle of this Aussie team

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
In the last ten or twelve years, where Aussies have been the dominant side in World Cricket, what was their most important achievement?

Winning in India after so many decades and losing in 2001? Successive World Cups? Record for the number of games won on the trot? Or just being able to continue to dominate even with changing players?
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
The pinnacle in terms of performance was after the 16 test streak, IMO. That was a remarkable team and performed brilliantly, but Australia's brutal dominance between 2000 and 2005 could have produced that sort of streak at any point.

The strongest side and the strongest performance for mine was the back to back series against South Africa in 2001/02, when Australia won 5 of the 6 tests. There were a couple of relatively weak points in the side, mainly Mark Waugh and Brett Lee/Andy Bichel, but the side overall was incredibly strong, and that top 7 has never been bettered at any point in test history IMO. South Africa were a very good outfit, but it was a thrashing. There are greater outright achievements than hammering South Africa, like winning in India, but that was the peak of the team IMO.

On the topic of Australia's period on top, one stat that always amazes me is the number of washouts. Since the 1-0 loss to Sri Lanka in 1999, Australia have played 26 test series excluding one-off tests and the one currently in progress. They've won 22 of those series, drawn 2 and lost 2. 12 of those 22 wins have been washouts. Seven 3 test series, four 2 test series and a 5-0 win against the West Indies.

By way of contrast, the West Indies didn't lose a test series between 1980 and 1995, playing 27 series of more than 1 test in that time. They drew 8 of those 27 series and won 19, but only two of the 19 wins were washouts, both 5-0 against England. It really shows how Australia have pushed for results and really dismantled opposition sides more than any other team in history, and how overstated the weakness in dead rubbers is compared to other dominant teams.
 

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
FaaipDeOiad said:
The pinnacle in terms of performance was after the 16 test streak, IMO. That was a remarkable team and performed brilliantly, but Australia's brutal dominance between 2000 and 2005 could have produced that sort of streak at any point.

The strongest side and the strongest performance for mine was the back to back series against South Africa in 2001/02, when Australia won 5 of the 6 tests. There were a couple of relatively weak points in the side, mainly Mark Waugh and Brett Lee/Andy Bichel, but the side overall was incredibly strong, and that top 7 has never been bettered at any point in test history IMO. South Africa were a very good outfit, but it was a thrashing. There are greater outright achievements than hammering South Africa, like winning in India, but that was the peak of the team IMO.

On the topic of Australia's period on top, one stat that always amazes me is the number of washouts. Since the 1-0 loss to Sri Lanka in 1999, Australia have played 26 test series excluding one-off tests and the one currently in progress. They've won 22 of those series, drawn 2 and lost 2. 12 of those 22 wins have been washouts. Seven 3 test series, four 2 test series and a 5-0 win against the West Indies.

By way of contrast, the West Indies didn't lose a test series between 1980 and 1995, playing 27 series of more than 1 test in that time. They drew 8 of those 27 series and won 19, but only two of the 19 wins were washouts, both 5-0 against England. It really shows how Australia have pushed for results and really dismantled opposition sides more than any other team in history, and how overstated the weakness in dead rubbers is compared to other dominant teams.
Hmm, interesting. But some of the new rules (i.e 90 overs minimum) were not in place when WI were dominating, and maybe that made the draws more likely than now? Or was the rule in place back then too?
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
silentstriker said:
Hmm, interesting. But some of the new rules (i.e 90 overs minimum) were not in place when WI were dominating, and maybe that made the draws more likely than now? Or was the rule in place back then too?
IIRC, the 90 overs minimum was put in place because of the West Indies, because they'd often bowl 11-12 overs an hour with their four quicks. Still, there were plenty of overs in the games back then, and when the West Indies were at their best and won they usually did it with a day or two to spare anyway.
 

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
FaaipDeOiad said:
IIRC, the 90 overs minimum was put in place because of the West Indies, because they'd often bowl 11-12 overs an hour with their four quicks. Still, there were plenty of overs in the games back then, and when the West Indies were at their best and won they usually did it with a day or two to spare anyway.
Yea. In terms of talent level, I think WI might be better, but in terms of relative dominance of their eras, I think the Aussie side 2000+ have to be it. Only against India does their record suffer (1 win, 1 loss, 1 draw).
 
Last edited:

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
Supposed "dead rubber syndrome" hasn't really been there since Ponting's been skipper anyway has it?

I always thought of it as mainly an Ashes thing, I mean we were bloody awful bvut never got whitewashed.
 

Matt79

Global Moderator
For tests its hard to go past the 16 test streak, which included wins over some otherwise quite good teams and some absolute smashings of some average teams.

For ODIs, you can't go past the 2003 World Cup - prior to that our dominance in ODIs hadn't quite matched our test performances, but to set yourself the goal of going through the entire World Cup not losing a match, and then achieving that goal, is pretty hard to beat.
 

Slifer

International Captain
Yeah in terms of dominance I would take the Australian team of recent vintage. But I'd say the WI of the 80s was more unbeatable if that makes ne sense. And IMO their greatest achievement was winning 16 in a row.
 

archie mac

International Coach
Not sure if it quite makes the time frame, but I thought the Aussies dominance started with the defeating of the Windies in the Caribbean. It signified the changing of the guard
 

Johnners

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
archie mac said:
Not sure if it quite makes the time frame, but I thought the Aussies dominance started with the defeating of the Windies in the Caribbean. It signified the changing of the guard
I'm assuming you mean the 1995 series???
 

bagapath

International Captain
i guess the 1999 world cup win followed by the 16 test winning streak ( ending with the great laxman knock ) must be steve waugh's team's pinnacle.

though warne and mcgrath are more responsible for the greatness of this team than ponting or hayden or langer, the real difference between this team and the great teams of the past is the presence of adam gilchrist. even though ricky will continue to enjoy his run as a great batter, gilly's retirement will have similar effects on the aussie team as the famous lillee-chappell-marsh retirement in 1983 or the even more important but less discussed retirement of richards-marshall-dujon-greenidge in 1991.
 
Last edited:

chaminda_00

Hall of Fame Member
bagapath said:
the even more important but less discussed retirement of richards-marshall-dujon-greenidge in 1991.
Probably less dicussed cus they were replaced by the likes of Lara and Bishop as well Walsh and Ambrose coming into their own. Its wasn't until 89 that Australia really replaced those three.
 

Top