The baton changed last summer and did anyone notice? Australia is no longer the number one Test nation. It is not even number two. Do our cricketers have the talent to be number one again?
Next month Australia, the third ranked team plays two tests against Pakistan, and will probably improve their standing on the Test championship rankings. South Africa is playing the West Indies and will maintain their slight edge over Australia.
India will play Sri Lanka in a two Test series in July and will also, in all probability, maintain their number one ranking. Yet, the rankings mask, the here and now. Is India really number one? Is South Africa really number two? And what of Australia? Number three and sliding or building towards a resurgence?
Despite the “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” Sydney Test where Pakistan imploded, this last Australian summer was, for me, the most lacklustre in my 40 years of watching Tests in Australia. Australia was undefeated in Tests but the victories were not that of a champion team. How many Australian batsmen were dismissed in the 90’s? Too many, is the answer. Australia won because of the weakness of the opposition. It would be foolish to think Australia is the power it once was.
Ricky Ponting’s team, because that is what it is, will need to win against Pakistan and then against India in India and finally against England in Australia. When the wash is done this may still not be enough to claim the Number One ranking.
South Africa will play Pakistan in the Middle East and then host India in December. The New Year could well see South Africa ranked number one.
So it comes down to the power of three: India, Australia and South Africa.
I am not discounting England but they have too much leeway to make up in the rankings. I do, however, see England challenging in 2012. They are a team that has discovered how good it feels to win. They are playing with a lot of smiles on their faces. And there is a lesson here. Play carefree; like we did when we were children.
India has, by far, the best batting lineup in Test Cricket. In fact it may be one of the best of all time. Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman and Dhoni have scored 43,895 Test runs between them, including 123 centuries.
Australia’s top six (Watson, Katich, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey and North) has 26137 runs including 79 centuries. South Africa (Smith, Amla, Kallis, De Villiers, Duminy and Prince) has 29476 runs and 88 centuries.
India’s batting is far and away the best and South Africa just shades Australia.
Bowlers win matches and this is where South Africa has the decided edge. And it is one man who is head and shoulders above any bowler in the world. Dale Steyn has 208 test wickets at the “great” average of 23 and more importantly a strike rate to rival any of the great fast bowlers. He is striking every 39.6 deliveries. He has 14 five wicket hauls and 10 in the match 4 times. Marshall struck at 46.7 and Lillee struck every 52 deliveries.
India has an ageing fastman in Zaheer Khan and a youngish Ishant Sharma struggling with fame and fortune. There do not seem to be any more gems in the mineshaft.
Australia has a match winner in Johnson but he needs support. Bollinger is improving and Harris is wholehearted. The key to Australia’s fortunes could well lie with Hilfenhaus and Johnson. If they fire then Australia look strong. Steven Smith at six would be an attacking move and Australia needs some young blood.
South Africa may not win much silverware but for mine they are the number one Test team in the world. Just. If only they had a spinner of note they would be unbeatable.
In fact, then I would back them to win both the cricket and rugby World Cups.
Whiteline
Guest
Aust vs India would be a spectacle. I hope you get your wish!
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Whiteline you have made your point with more clarity and conviction than our ex PM ,John Howard. Winning a World Cup on the subcontinent will require the backroom boys to earn their keep. Australia have won on the subcontinent..Kolkata 1987 and have won a semifinal in Mohali in 1996. They lost to Ranatunga's team in the Lahore final but then SL had Aravinda de Silva, who in my opinion was one of the best ODI cricketers ever. Apart from his batting his off-spin was canny and calculated. Ideally, I would like to see an Australia-India final and then regardless of the result I cannot lose.
Whiteline
Guest
I agree Vinay, it is a good shadow version. That is my point. You wouldn't expect anything less from the captain who has been around for 15 years to put the team before himself - so Ponting gets a tick - not many people have ever questioned his batting ability I might add. I suspect the Aussies will be in the top few teams for the World Cup but as you know, that doesn't ensure victory at the WC. Smith is an interesting addition. I hope he gets a run in the tests - will watch closely.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Whiteline,to put it in perspective the 1999-2007 version won three world cups...great one day players in Mark Waugh, MC Grath,Warne(missing in 2003)Gilchrist and Hayden..those 5 had pretty big shadows. The 2010 model is evolving and the addition of Steve Smith is going to create its own shadow. He was brilliant in his little cameo. Ponting showed tonight with his almost run a ball 92 he is one of best...and his selflessness in taking the powerplay and ultimately getting out showed he had the team before personal glory of a ton...being the hard taskmaster you are,I think you would grudgingly,give him a tick mark for that...Clarke under pressure scored a good 99..Cam White muscled a brisk 17 and I believe Australia will be in the reckoning come the final of the 2011 WC. So this is a pretty good shadow in my opinion.
Whiteline
Guest
Vinay, you say that the rest has caught up to Australia...mmmm, they may have improved but you cannot deny that Australia are a shadow of the 1999-2007 team.
Lolly
Guest
Lucky you, interviewing Dravid. I rarely wish that players were Australian, but he is one of them I have. Also Mohammed Asif, believe it or not, well maybe not so much since he has proved to be such a loose cannon. But I find his bowling exquisitely controlled.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Lolly, I did an interview with Rahul Dravid in the march issue of Inside Cricket and more than the Wall he is the very foundation and cornerstone of india's batting. And a lovely human being to boot. I agree that North should be replaced and Khawaja given his spot. With Ferguson the problem is that talented players nowadays can only improve so much in sheffield Shield and to improve further they can only do so by playing Tests or One Day internationals. I think Ferguson should be given an extended run in the One dayers and we can then see if he has the goods. I see they haver nominated Stephen O Keefe as the replacement for Hauritz. John Holland is recovering from surgery and O Keefe did well in the A game against SL.
Lolly
Guest
Rahul Dravid's creamy ton against Sri Lanka in the first test, I think early this year was a dream. There's still players like him around for a while at least. He's just about my favourite test batsman though so I am biased.
Lolly
Guest
But Vinay he'll be waiting on injuries to get a game. He's not in the first 11, not with North having scored runs against New Zealand. I would dearly love to see some younger players in there, but the middle-aged middle order is clinging on like... klingons. I am not convinced by Ferguson. That guy has looked better and better the longer he has been injured. Have you seen his first class record? He's got the same problem that Watson has at international level. Good for 50, not so hot for 100.
Jay
Guest
I think VVS will be gone before Harbhajan...
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Lolly,to be fair they have included Khawaja and it is upto him to show he is capable. Ferguson is also in the reckoning and there is an opportunity for him if he can score a mountain of runs. Hauritz is much improved and I expect him to succeed.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Fisher Price, I think Gayle is a liability and he also sets a bad example..he thinks he is being cool but it is more a frozen tableau. Perhaps they should make Bravo the captain. Katich I believe has at least three good years left and Ponting and Hussey will need to show they still can score the big runs in the first innings......you know my feelings on Ponting and i appreciate you are less than enamored of his captaincy but I believe he is a champion and will lift. He was scratchy last summer and though he scored big in one innings he was dropped before he had scored. FP, the last thing I would be is a cheer squad for a player or a team. If they are not performing I will criticise them on a technical level but not on a personal level.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Sheek,Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...look and ye shall find..Roach to Ponting last year was brilliant. Perhaps too little but then I am easily satisfied.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Kersi, I know you are a big fan of Suresh Raina and he has an ideal chance to cement against Sri lanka next month
sheek
Guest
Vinay, True, all sport are a test of character. Nor do i mind Aussie coming back to the field (briefly!). But I find so much of the cricket tepid at the moment. Perhaps it's a generational thing... ???!
Fisher Price
Guest
As will the replacements for Katich, Ponting, Hussey and North.
Fisher Price
Guest
Agree with you on Gayle: he fails far too often.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
India will have problems after the Big Three , Tendulkar, Dravid and Harbhajan, retire in a year or two. Sehwag, Gambhir, Dhoni and new cap Raina will have a big job on their hands.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Sheek,for me cricket is a test of character. How a promising talent either suceeds or fails. There is enough in world cricket for me to be optimistic about. I follow with interest the path of youngsters like Umar Akmal, Steve Smith, Mitch Marsh, Ishant sharma, Eoin Morgan,JP Duminy and Kemar Roach to name just a few. Will they hone their craft and take the next step..the big step from potential to actual. And what of the "senior citizens"..the Pontings,Dravids,Kallis and Tendulkar..when will their well run dry? When will Father Time say " Times Up." Will they be pushed or go of their own volition? Not so long ago some Australian fans were "bored" because Australia won so easily. Has Australia come back to the pack or the rest have improved..I would say the rest have lifted their game. We have the prospect of some cracker series coming up and I feel if the administrators can get the pitches right we will see the best cricket that we have seen since 2008. Australia vs India,Australia vs England and South Africa vs India. I also bemoan the fact that people expect their teams to win all the time. In a two horse race,with evenly matched teams,there is no disgrace in losing. I can live with Australia losing if they played well and got beaten by a better team on the day. It has been a long time since we have had five competitive teams in the Test arena. SAF,India,Australia,England and Sri Lanka are all capable of being number one. And this for me is the strength of cricket at the moment.
sheek
Guest
Well Vinay, Who would have believed after losing to Australia in 1995, that the Windies would still be in the dungeon 15 years later? Who would have believed that after losing the unloseable Ashes series in 1989, that England would go into free-fall for the next 15 years or so themselves? Australian cricket is historically so strong, it has always bounced back quickly. Our last fall from grace, after the holy trinity of G.Chappell, R.Marsh & D.Lillee retired in 1984, only lasted 5 years. For Aussie cricket fans, 5 years can be a lifetime! However, what does the future hold? Another Roar poster wonders if too much cricket is diluting quality as well as interest. I would certainly say so. Why pay close attention when you know there will some other version of the game on next week, or month.....? There's plenty of other distractions besides. I've often wondered if the good citizens of Rome really cared anymore when their Empire began to crumble? Perhaps they were beyond caring? That's sort of how I feel at the moment. Regrettable but true.....