The Zennith of each test side

[Days of Grace]

The opposite of 'nadir'. What is the highest point for each test side over their respective histories?

I'll make a weak attempt here to get the ball rolling.

Australia: Beating England in 1948, and also beating England 5-0 in 2006/07
India: Drawing 1-1 with Australia away in 2003/04
New Zealand: winning against Australia away in 1985/86.
West Indies: 'Blackwash' of England away in the mid-1970s.

Keep in mind, I mean 'test' sides. So Pakistan winning the World Cup in 1992 doesn't count.

[cover drive man]

England - Ashes 2005

[Days of Grace]

England has such a long history, that I decided to not just put Ashes 2005 without giving it some more thought.

[Jono]

India drew away to Aus in 2003/04 btw. Small correction.

[Pratters]

India: Winning consecutive series in West Indies and England in '71 of course.

[Burgey]

Originally Posted by Jono

India drew away to Aus in 2003/04 btw. Small correction.

Can't speak for Indian fans, but I would have thought their recent series wins over Pakistan might be up there, or event he win v England last year when Zaheer boweld so magnificently.

The side which drew 1-1 here was a quality line up though. I just think the attack they faced from Australia wasn't so great. I would have thought their attack out here this time was better too.

[wpdavid]

English zenith was probably mid 1950's - 3 successive Ashes wins and the eventual win at home to WI confirmed their status as best side in the world.

[weldone]

Originally Posted by Burgey

Can't speak for Indian fans, but I would have thought their recent series wins over Pakistan might be up there, or event he win v England last year when Zaheer boweld so magnificently.

No way...Great performances...But Indian test history has seen much better ones...I feel Pratyush' choice is accurate (the '71 performances)...The 1-1 draw in Australia will probably be 2nd on the list..

[wpdavid]

Originally Posted by Days of Grace

The opposite of 'nadir'. What is the highest point for each test side over their respective histories?

I'll make a weak attempt here to get the ball rolling.

Australia: Beating England in 1948, and also beating England 5-0 in 2006/07
India: Drawing 1-1 with Australia away in 2003/04
New Zealand: winning against Australia away in 1985/86.
West Indies: 'Blackwash' of England away in the mid-1970s.

Keep in mind, I mean 'test' sides. So Pakistan winning the World Cup in 1992 doesn't count.

WI's blackwash in England was in 1984. I wonder if their zenith was actually winning in Aus during 1979/80 to become number 1 side in the world.

SA's would probably be beating Aus 4-0 in their last series before isolation.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Days of Grace

West Indies: 'Blackwash' of England away in the mid-1970s.

'Twas in 1984 (in England) and 1986 (in West Indies) TBH. In 1976 they hammered us but were unable to win the opening 2 Tests. And I'm fairly sure zenith only has one "n".

Anyway, I'd probably go for...
England - as mentioned, June 1951 to August 1957 (against Test-class teams it was 11 series, 7 victories, 4 draws - less glorious than the zenith of many, it must be said, but still without defeat).
Australia - the 6-and-a-half years, less WWII, of June 1930 to January 1952 (excluding the Bodyline series where illicit tactics were used to down them their record read an astonishing P 65 W 45 D 12 L 8 ). You know what this was, don't you? Yes, the Bradman era for the most part.
South Africa - readmission (April 1992) to January 2002 (30 Test series, 19 victories, 5 draws, 6 defeats - and those defeats were 4 to Australia and 1 in India)
West Indies - March 1976 to April 1986 (said it a few times but they were really rather good - excluding two Packer-afflicted series, they played 16 series, winning 14, drawing 1 legitimately and being cheated into 1 defeat - in this time they lost 4 live Tests out of 71 games and 1 of these was said cheated-defeat)
India - February 1968 to February 1973 (6 series, 4 victories including 3 away ones, 1 draw and 1 defeat - and they almost certainly had the better side in both of the latter and the draw and defeat were somewhat inexplicable)
New Zealand - February 1981 to March 1987 (13 series, 8 victories, 2 draws, 3 defeats, all the defeats being away)
Less sure about Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and don't think Zimbabwe ever really had one ITBT.

[Craig]

Originally Posted by Burgey

Can't speak for Indian fans, but I would have thought their recent series wins over Pakistan might be up there, or event he win v England last year when Zaheer boweld so magnificently.

The side which drew 1-1 here was a quality line up though. I just think the attack they faced from Australia wasn't so great. I would have thought their attack out here this time was better too.

Originally Posted by weldone

No way...Great performances...But Indian test history has seen much better ones...I feel Pratyush' choice is accurate (the '71 performances)...The 1-1 draw in Australia will probably be 2nd on the list..

Winning in the West Indies and South Africa in the last few years? Pretty good going IMO. 2001 v Australia would have to be up there.

And Richard I think you should also include New Zealand's 1949 tour of England, only lost one game that series and that was a Tour match (it might have been against Leicestershire IIRC). To draw 0-0 against an England side with so many big names is pretty good for mine. I saw a book in New Zealand in 2001 it was about New Zealand cricket and some of its finest moments and the one thing I remember pretty well from that book was that it was included in there.

[Flem274*]

Victory>draws.

I started watching in around 2000/01 so I can't really comment. Pretty handy Australian side now though.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Craig

And Richard I think you should also include New Zealand's 1949 tour of England, only lost one game that series and that was a Tour match (it might have been against Leicestershire IIRC). To draw 0-0 against an England side with so many big names is pretty good for mine. I saw a book in New Zealand in 2001 it was about New Zealand cricket and some of its finest moments and the one thing I remember pretty well from that book was that it was included in there.

True, I suppose. Actually haven't overtly examined that, as I tend not to in the pre-Test-class NZ period.

[Flem274*]

Originally Posted by Richard

True, I suppose. Actually haven't overtly examined that, as I tend not to in the pre-Test-class NZ period.

JackCowieIsMyIdol (pre test class of course).

[wpdavid]

Originally Posted by Craig

And Richard I think you should also include New Zealand's 1949 tour of England, only lost one game that series and that was a Tour match (it might have been against Leicestershire IIRC). To draw 0-0 against an England side with so many big names is pretty good for mine. I saw a book in New Zealand in 2001 it was about New Zealand cricket and some of its finest moments and the one thing I remember pretty well from that book was that it was included in there.

IIRC that was the tour when someone decided that 3-day tests would be a good idea. Without denigrating NZ's performances too much, that, along with the state of England's bowling immediately postWW2 means it wasn't quite the achievement it looks 60 years later.