Best team since Waugh/ Ponting’s Australia?

[subshakerz]

I am sure the entire line up (including the ones who were no part of the WC like Dravid and Laxman) aged immensely in those 3 months between these series.

The 2011 series whitewash in England was the beginning of the end for that Indian side. You know what I mean.

 

[Salamuddin]

During SA's peak under Smith from 2008 to 2014 they only lost at home twice to Australia and the second one was when Kallis had just retired. Both of those series had Mitchell Johnson in God-mode but having watched them, SA still seemed the better side.

So yeah, to me if evaluating if a team is a greater all-round side, I am willing to look past a couple of home losses if the away record is so good for so long.

Dude if they were that good a team they should have beaten Australia at least once at home across the 3 series they played at home to them in that period. They couldn’t manage that.

nor could they beat India at home or away. Beating India away from home is IMO the pinnacle of achievement of Sena sides - it was the crowning achievement of both the great Australian and Windies sides.
Yet Sa despite winning 4 out of 5 tosses were unable to beat India across either the 2008 or 2010 tours.

 

[honestbharani]

The 2011 series whitewash in England was the beginning of the end for that Indian side. You know what I mean.

Yes... they are aging when they lose and in their prime when they win.

 

[Spark]

I am sure the entire line up (including the ones who were no part of the WC like Dravid and Laxman) aged immensely in those 3 months between these series.

I think the India side that played England was still pretty strong tbh. Obviously Zaheer falling apart straight away was a massive blow, but really that was mostly down to England's excellence, particularly Broad and the English top order, than India disintegrating.

The India side that played Australia six months later, on the other hand... yeah, that was putrid. Well and truly gone.

 

[subshakerz]

Aus were definitely the better side in 2014, and played the better cricket. A lot of Mitchell Johnson in that though tbf. 2009 was on the back of a freak debut series by Phil Hughes which probably made a lot of the difference, not unfair to say the SA team should have won on paper.

Not sure about that, but even that Kallis the MVP was gone by then and Smith himself seemed a bit out of it the entire series and then retired at the end. You can count it against SA but I think they were certainly the better team in this period.

 

[subshakerz]

Yes... they are aging when they lose and in their prime when they win.

You really think India were over the hill in 2010, or are you just being your contrarian self?

 

[TheJediBrah]

Not sure about that, but even that Kallis the MVP was gone by then and Smith himself seemed a bit out of it the entire series and then retired at the end. You can count it against SA but I think they were certainly the better team in this period.

I watched the whole series. Aus were coming directly off the 5-0 whitewash of England, Warner and S.Smith were in incredible form and showed hit, Ryan Harris was bowling the house down as well (on 1 leg by the end of the series). Add that to Johnson bowling ATG+ levels and SA were never going to win that series, they were lucky to come away with 1 win.

ABdV was the only SA bat that looked like hurting us. He was in great form

 

[Spark]

Aus were definitely the better side in 2014, and played the better cricket. A lot of Mitchell Johnson in that though tbf. 2009 was on the back of a freak debut series by Phil Hughes which probably made a lot of the difference, not unfair to say the SA team should have won on paper.

Marcus North was the frontline spinner and Andrew McDonald was picked as a frontline bowler. That Australian team in 2009 had no right to get anywhere near SA, especially when you consider that Clarke, Ponting and Hussey were pretty quiet, it's one of my more cherished series as a result.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Marcus North was the frontline spinner and Andrew McDonald was picked as a frontline bowler. That Australian team in 2009 had no right to get anywhere near SA, especially when you consider that Clarke, Ponting and Hussey were pretty quiet, it's one of my more cherished series as a result.

Yeah very happy to call the 2009 Aus team massive underdogs

oh and poor old Bryce McGain

 

[sunilz]

People are also forgetting that SA couldn't beat 2011 AUS side at home ( Cummins debut series)

 

[Test fan]

If India wins the Johannesburg Test, Virat Kohli will have most wins as captain against South Africa in Test cricket. Bruh

 

[Spark]

People are also forgetting that SA couldn't beat 2011 AUS side at home ( Cummins debut series)

Do 2 match series even count as real series

 

[honestbharani]

Do 2 match series even count as real series

They dont and therefore we are unbeaten

 

[anil1405]

Do 2 match series even count as real series

Please don't question New Zealand's existence in test cricket.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Please don't question New Zealand's existence in test cricket.

They make up for it with their 7 match T20I series

seriously how ****ed is that

 

[subshakerz]

Being a home bully doesn't make you a better side. The real question is: which is the better all-round side? And the clear answer is Smith's SA. Their only weakness was lacking a high quality spinner.

India, on the other hand, have a massive moon-sized weakness when it comes to their middle order fragility in swinging conditions which has been exploited time and again. India's batting is why they lost series in SA and England and why they were whitewashed in NZ and lost the WTC.

You guys are seriously underrating how good Smith, Amla, ABD and Kallis were in that period to think this Indian batting lineup even merits comparison to them. These guys could and did score runs everywhere in the world, and as a unit.

 

[anil1405]

They make up for it with their 7 match T20I series

seriously how ****ed is that

That's England, not Kiwis.

 

[sunilz]

Being a home bully doesn't make you a better side. The real question is: which is the better all-round side? And the clear answer is Smith's SA. Their only weakness was lacking a high quality spinner.

India, on the other hand, have a massive moon-sized weakness when it comes to their middle order fragility in swinging conditions which has been exploited time and again. India's batting is why they lost series in SA and England and why they were whitewashed in NZ and lost the WTC.

You guys are seriously underrating how good Smith, Amla, ABD and Kallis were in that period to think this Indian batting lineup even merits comparison to them.

There is a reason that SA side from 08 to 14 couldn't win even 1 Test series in Asia against IND/PAK.

No. of Test series won by great SA side in 08 to 14 in Asia =1
No. Of series won by Kohli's side in 2020 in SENA = 2

 

[honestbharani]

You really think India were over the hill in 2010, or are you just being your contrarian self?

You really think "aging" and "over the hill" are the same thing, or are you just being your dense self when discussing anything related to Indian cricket?

 

[centurymaker]

Is that why AUS has lost 6 test series at home since DRS was introduced?

Thats true! I for one find it to hard to rate past eras because of how bull**** and biased the umpiring used to be. Home Teams would play with 13 players vs 11.

In 1985/86, India's 3 test series in Australia ended in 0-0 draw, only because of the most ridiculous umpiring you could see on the last 2 days, allowing Aus to have last wicket partnership of 77 runs in the 3rd innings to deny India a clear chance at series victory. There were clear caught behind and LBW calls not given! India ended up needing 125 runs to win in 2 sessions but rain was forecast and it washed out final session with India stranded on 59/2.

AUS vs IND Cricket Scorecard, 2nd Test at Melbourne, December 26 - 30, 1985

Get cricket scorecard of 2nd Test, AUS vs IND, India tour of Australia 1985/86 at Melbourne Cricket Ground dated December 26 - 30, 1985.

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