Guys - What do you think? With all due respect to India, do they really deserve to be No 1? Most of the matches they have played last 1 year have been at home. They have a good battling lineup but what about bowling? No one is close enough to be called scary. On fast tracks, Indian bowlers struggle. If they play most of their matches outside of India, they wont be able to retain no 1 position.
Zaheer, Sreesanth and Sharma - not a formidable lineup at all. May be harbhajan but he needs indian pitches.
BCCI has been clever to arrange most of the matches at home.
Re: Does India really deserve to be No 1 in Tests?
2007:
Ind in BD : Ind win 1-0
Ind in Eng: Ind win 1-0
Pak in Ind: Ind win 1-0
Ind in Aus: Aus win 2-1
2008:
SA in Ind : Draw 1-1
Ind in SL : SL win 2-1
Aus in Ind: Ind win 2-0
Eng in Ind: Ind win 1-0
2009:
Ind in NZ: Ind win 1-0
SL in Ind : Ind win 2-0
2010:
Ind in BD : Ind win 2-0
SA in Ind: draw 1-1
Ind in SL: draw 1-1
Aus in Ind: Ind win 2-0
NZ in Ind : Ind win 1-0
Ind in SA: draw 1-1
These are the results of last 2 years, team ranking is not affected by just 1 year of games I think but 2 years. Recently India managed to draw series in SA, so overall they have proven to be a good team. “Number 1” is a relative rank, if they are not as good as you think then it means other teams are even worse.
Re: Does India really deserve to be No 1 in Tests?
India is playing like a team after a very long time. They are not dependent on Tendulkar. Dhoni's captaincy is amazing. He has managed the team in an excellent manner. Something for other captains to learn. Andrew Strauss is another example, these days if you want to get the best out of your players, stay quite make sure to take the centre stage when needed and never criticize your players, especially when you are not performing.
Re: Does India really deserve to be No 1 in Tests?
India is playing good ofcourse. Do not compare India to its predecessor Aussie team. Aussies had a unique decade of successes that even surpassed WI of 70s.
So outside those two eras, the number 1 team is normally the one who plays well among the rest. Doesn't have to be miles ahead of other teams. In this case SA, ENG and SL are almost same teams as IND.
Re: Does India really deserve to be No 1 in Tests?
although i must say i am disappointed that we didnt win in SA. on day 4 we were on top. but it was that legendary man kallis that stopped India. fair play to him. great series!
Re: Does India really deserve to be No 1 in Tests?
The greatest strenth of this team is,it could come back from a 0-1 situation.Something that was looking for all these years,something some other teams can just dream about. :k:
Re: Does India really deserve to be No 1 in Tests?
The only losses were to Australia in 2007 and Sri Lanka in 2008.
Considering the 3rd (?) test in the 2007 India-Australia series was marred by extremely controversial decisions against India by Buckner, and in which for one of the dismissals, the umpire Benson asked Ponting if a fair catch was taken by his fielder (to which Ponting predictably said yes, and the Ump gave the batsman out), I would say India did quite well in that tour.
While India is clearly not nearly as dominant as past teams, till some other team unseats it, India deserves the number 1 status.
Re: Does India really deserve to be No 1 in Tests?
^Putting aside,umpire decisions(It happened in favour of India in the second test),India deserve cheers because the way they approached the game after having been given a very huge blow in the first test.
Re: Does India really deserve to be No 1 in Tests?
I agree. They have done this numerous times now against quality opposition too. They were 0-1 down to SA at home… came back to draw the serries… they were 0-1 down vs SL in SL.. came back.. same thing happened in the current series.
While I recognize and appreciate the fighting spirit to bounce back from behind.. I do not understand why we have to fk up the first test of every series?? This is a recurring thing and needs to be stopped!!!
Re: Does India really deserve to be No 1 in Tests?
^ you can say that about the recent series but wht about the one in SL? conditions are not that different and it isnt a 10 hour flight... i think they did have a practice game there... also the home series vs SA where they lost the first?
even vs AUS when we won 2-0 we almost lost the first game... it was very close... we won the 2nd one much more comfortably...
Re: Does India really deserve to be No 1 in Tests?
I read recently (I think in cricinfo or Times of India) that BCCI goes out of its way to not give the Indian players sufficient practice time while on tour. Something to keep an eye on during future tours.
Re: Does India really deserve to be No 1 in Tests?
I read recently (I think in cricinfo or Times of India) that BCCI goes out of its way to not give the Indian players sufficient practice time while on tour. Something to keep an eye on during future tours.
that doent make any sense.. the purpose is not to not give players practice time.. the purpose is to maximize revenue...if in the process of doing that practice time is sacrificed then so be it.. that seems to be BCCI's attitude.. the players need to be voicing their concerns on this...
Re: Does India really deserve to be No 1 in Tests?
I will be interesting to see how India play in england and how they maintain their test form. May be they deserve to be no - 1 at this point, with due credits to tendulkar and laxman but no 1 position hopefully is not be a blip.
Re: Does India really deserve to be No 1 in Tests?
Even though I am Pakistani but lets not discredit India here. They still had to win those matches in India and also just recently drew in SA. All the seniors like Sehwag, Tendulkar, Laxman play united under Dhoni. No Pakistani player will under a junior as his captain.
Re: Does India really deserve to be No 1 in Tests?
Even though I am Pakistani but lets not discredit India here. They still had to win those matches in India and also just recently drew in SA. All the seniors like Sehwag, Tendulkar, Laxman play united under Dhoni. No Pakistani player will under a junior as his captain.
Younis Khan is playing under Misbah. Yousef played under Salman Butt.
can just dream about. 
:k: