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Best Test Team In The World?

Which is the best test side in the world?


  • Total voters
    72

Cevno

Hall of Fame Member
This reminds me of when Pakistan drew with India in India in 2005. A good achievement, sure, but nobody was suggesting that somehow they were equal.

One can't forget all the hype before the series expecting England to give South Africa a run for the money. In the final two tests, when Steyn hit his stride after returning from injury, SA looked a markedly better outfit.
Pakistan drew a series with Australia too just about some days back.
 

Sir Alex

Banned
Great logic that.

We haven't played India for 2 years or Sri Lanka for 3 years. We've won the most recent series against Australia and managed a draw in South Africa, which is much more credible than India's away performances for 3 years.
What is creditable? Drawing in SA? Losing in WI? :p Atleast we lost to SL and Australia who are top 5 rankers. England have beat only NZ and so did we.
 

Cevno

Hall of Fame Member
Who looked like the superior team with two Tests to go when they were trounced by an innings and then some?

Results matter, we went to Saffa and drew and that should have been enough for people to start taking us seriously. It's been quite a while since we lost a Test series now, maybe even the longest unbeaten team in terms of series at the minute (can't remember when Sri Lanka last lost so it could be them?)

Yeah sure, we have tougher tests ahead, but people are downplaying the Ashes win with revisionism because a lot of people never gave us a chance.
Actually India has the longest run in terms of when they were last beaten in a series.
 
Great logic that.

We haven't played India for 2 years or Sri Lanka for 3 years. We've won the most recent series against Australia and managed a draw in South Africa, which is much more credible than India's away performances for 3 years.
Don't want to sound like I'm criticizing Eng here,but India won the most recent series against Aus as well.Both Eng and Ind lost away to Aus, the only diff being Ind lost 1-2 as opposed to 5-0 (granted that Aus side bears no resemblance to the current one).

India haven't won too many away series in the last 2-3 years but they've been competitive in every single one of them. 2-1 in Aus,SL and SA - that's hardly a team that only plays well at home.They've beaten England and New Zealand in the period (excl Bang),haven't played WI for ages.

All teams bar SA have a dire recent away record and SA somewhat compensate for their relatively good away record with a rather average home record in the same period.
 

Cevno

Hall of Fame Member
Great logic that.

We haven't played India for 2 years or Sri Lanka for 3 years. We've won the most recent series against Australia and managed a draw in South Africa, which is much more credible than India's away performances for 3 years.
Why did you include the most recent Aussie series when you are mentioning away records?:unsure:
 

Sir Alex

Banned
Results matter, we went to Saffa and drew and that should have been enough for people to start taking us seriously. It's been quite a while since we lost a Test series now, maybe even the longest unbeaten team in terms of series at the minute (can't remember when Sri Lanka last lost so it could be them?)
:huh: India have been unbeated since Jul-Aug 2008, while England lost to WI in early 2009. 8-)
 

Cevno

Hall of Fame Member
Don't want to sound like I'm criticizing Eng here,but India won the most recent series against Aus as well.Both Eng and Ind lost away to Aus, the only diff being Ind lost 1-2 as opposed to 5-0 (granted that Aus side bears no resemblance to the current one).

India haven't won too many away series in the last 2-3 years but they've been competitive in every single one of them. 2-1 in Aus,SL and SA - that's hardly a team that only plays well at home.They've beaten England and New Zealand in the period (excl Bang),haven't played WI for ages.

All teams bar SA have a dire recent away record and SA somewhat compensate for their relatively good away record with a rather average home record in the same period.
AWTA.

Good post.
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
:huh: India have been unbeated since Jul-Aug 2008, while England lost to WI in early 2009. 8-)
Yeah I thought India had lost a series more recently...I didn't state it definitively hey

As AK said, my point may very well stand very soon
 

akilana

State Captain
When you're assessing team's quality, you have to look beyond the scorecard. England drew in SA and the result was 1-1 but a match fit Steyn was missing for the most part and England had to rely on the tailenders to save their blushes twice.
Australia beat SA with a fit and firing Steyn and they would have whitewashed them if they had the advantage England had.

The SA vs Eng series didn't show me any progress from England's part.. It showed SA just were below their level or gone backward.

Btw, SA's home record isn't as bad as some people here claim when they lost only to Australia.
 

andyc

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Good luck Team England trying to win in India and Australia with this team. They were closer to losing the series than winning it in SA.
I never said final test or anything. It is clear who dominated the series overall.

Next time we tour is a long time away, at the moment, with Zaheer and Sree, we'll comfortably beat you home or away. :)
Surely that wasn't the case when England went into the last half hour on Day 5 of the 3rd test :D
Of course I was expecting your "You are trolling" call, but I had to wait till 2nd post. Well done.

I thought we are talking who is the best team NOW, and not next summer.
disproved? By wins over WI, Pak, Ban and an Australian team that got beat by Pak?

Are you seriously suggesting England dominated that series in SA?
Ashes 2005, Lords test match. :)
It's the WARTS syndrome (Win Ashes Reach Top Spot) :ph34r:
:huh: India have been unbeated since Jul-Aug 2008, while England lost to WI in early 2009. 8-)
Sir Alex, consider this a warning to stop the trolling now. You might not think it's trolling, but when you're hammering a point this much and using matches half a decade old as evidence, it's hard to look at it any other way.

GIMH and co, again, if you believe someone to be trolling, please report the post rather than getting riled up in the thread.
 

Sir Alex

Banned
Yeah I thought India had lost a series more recently...I didn't state it definitively hey

As AK said, my point may very well stand very soon
Let's see whom all we faced in this unbeaten run

Australia (Won) - Home
South Africa (Drew) - Hone
Sri Lanka (Won) - Home
England (Won) - Home
New Zealand (Won) - Away
Bangladesh (Won) - Away

England in it's recent run has faced

Australia (Won) - Home
Bangladesh (Won) - Home
Bangladesh (Won) - Away
South Africa (Drew) - Away
West Indies (Won) - Home

So India had 4/6 and won 3 out of those against top 5 whereas England had just 2 and won just the one.

Apart from Australia, which other top 5 team has England beat in a series, home or away, in the last 5 years?

My intention is not having a go at England. I do think they are a competitive team esp at home. But their performances have hardly been enough to consider them in the top 3 for me. The official ranking agent for ICC agrees with me too.
 
Last edited:

Faisal1985

International Vice-Captain
Finding it funny more people have voted Pakistan on this one than Australia :laugh:
woah! excuse me....what is that supposed to mean...last time i checked Australia got bowled out for 88 and lost the test and leveled the series........at least we were miserable against England....
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
Sir Alex, consider this a warning to stop the trolling now. You might not think it's trolling, but when you're hammering a point this much and using matches half a decade old as evidence, it's hard to look at it any other way.

GIMH and co, again, if you believe someone to be trolling, please report the post rather than getting riled up in the thread.
Fair call, just find it hard to report such posts because in isolation they often look like nothing
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
Let's see whom all we faced in this unbeaten run

Australia (Won) - Home
South Africa (Drew) - Hone
Sri Lanka (Won) - Home
England (Won) - Home
New Zealand (Won) - Away
Bangladesh (Won) - Away

England in it's recent run has faced

Australia (Won) - Home
Bangladesh (Won) - Home
Bangladesh (Won) - Away
South Africa (Drew) - Away
West Indies (Won) - Home

So India had 4/6 and won 3 out of those against top 5 whereas England had just 2 and won just the one.

Apart from Australia, which other top 5 team has England beat in a series, home or away, in the last 5 years?

My intention is not having a go at England. I do think they are a competitive team esp at home. But their performances have hardly been enough to consider them in the top 3 for me. The official ranking agent for ICC agrees with me too.
You can only beat what is put in front of you :)

Also worth noting that in the timespan of our entire run, India have 'only' beaten Nz and Bangas...
 

Dissector

International Debutant
I think India was clearly no.1 when we beat Sri Lanka easily at home and South Africa only managed a draw against England. South Africa narrowed the game by drawing a series in India but not enough IMO to become no.1. However given our peformance in the current series I have to admit that whatever happens in this test, we have lost our no.1 status. So it's got be SA right now but not by much.
 

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