Test cricket - Dead rubber or not?

[in_cutter]

What does everyone think? Is there such a thing in Test cricket? Indian fans on social media reckon there is no such thing as dead rubber matches in Test cricket. Thoughts?

 

[big_gamer007]

Ultimately most important thing in test cricket is Number 1 ranking.

In Limited overs it’s World Cup..

So you can yourself decide if there is a dead rubber or not..

 

[jnaveen1980]

Series win is important. But nowadays ranking has taken over. So each test is important. It also makes a statement. Imagine no.1 team getting whitewashed vs no.1 team winning one. Few years down the line people might forget how competitive the series was, would tell "They got whitewashed" . For lot of reasons every test is important. This is applicable for all teams.

 

[Dead Ball]

Dead rubbers are dead rubbers. Period.

There is a lot more at stake when the series is alive. Laxman's 281 or Lara's 153 wouldnt be considered legendary innings had they come in dead rubbers.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Dead rubbers are dead rubbers. Period.

There is a lot more at stake when the series is alive. Laxman's 281 or Lara's 153 wouldnt be considered legendary innings had they come in dead rubbers.

This was a revenge series. THey were gunning for whitewash to avenge their humiliation in India. There was nothing "dead" about the last test. Probably the most intense test of all the 3.

 

[Bilal7]

This test shows that test cricket is still the premier format and test players will always be superior to LOI players, as a result.

I would gladly give up the two T20s we've won in NZ to win a "dead rubber" test match in Australia or South Africa.

However, let's not go overboard. The last test did not mean as much to the South Africans as the first two did because they knew that they were getting the trophy anyway and that the #1 ranking will eventually be theirs.

 

[in_cutter]

This was a revenge series. THey were gunning for whitewash to avenge their humiliation in India. There was nothing "dead" about the last test. Probably the most intense test of all the 3.

This was supposed to be a revenge series for Ind according to a pathetic ad campaign I watched.

 

[jnaveen1980]

This was supposed to be a revenge series for Ind according to a pathetic ad campaign I watched.

Forget about ad campaign. That was just marketing gimmick as SA/India series was always a boring affair. Probably this is the most spiced up series between them ever. SA was utterly humiliated in India. Specific instructions were given to groundsmen to spice up pitches ( which i don't find wrong with ) to hand out a whitewash. It serves two purpose one is revenge. 2 they will become no.1 test side. But it didn't happen despite the fact India did everything in its power for that to happen. No preparation, Arriving 4 or 5 days before the series (no time to recover from jet lag), ridiculous team selection, ridiculous strategies, ridiculous performances on the field, reckless run outs. Still India competed well in all 3 tests.

 

[Tridibans_16]

This was supposed to be a revenge series for Ind according to a pathetic ad campaign I watched.

AD campaigns are only that- Ad campaigns!

As far as test cricket goes, nothing comes close to winning test matches in Aus/ SA/ Eng/NZ for Asians (and vice versa). Apart from ODI WC nothing even comes close. We still remember our win in Perth 2008 or J'berg 2006 (even though we lost the series).

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

Do not get why people say this. I enjoyed India vs SA more than Pak vs NZ ODI games. It was amazing seeing Ind and SA batsmen battling it out on those tough wickets. That's cricket at its best!

 

[Ab Fan]

Don't really rate dead rubber performances.

However, runs scored in tough batting pitches deserves to be praise even if it is a dead rubber. However, don't really rate that in terms of context of the game.

 

[RainMan_]

There is nothing called dead rubbers in tests especially in a series between the top two teams in the world. Saffers were desperate to win the third test, so were Indians. None of the teams tried to do any experiments with their teams which is a norm in dead rubbers.

 

[Third_Umpire]

When the series is already lost, what else would you call the remaining games? You can play for pride and all that, but that's about it. It's probably much harder for the series winning team to play such matches and fulfil their obligation, knowing they have already won. I doubt they can muster up 100% effort.

That said, India's win in the very much dead rubber 3rd test is the biggest overreaction to a lost series I've ever seen. It's like the context of the lost series doesn't matter. the desperation for overseas success, I suppose....

 

[Napa]

What does everyone think? Is there such a thing in Test cricket? Indian fans on social media reckon there is no such thing as dead rubber matches in Test cricket. Thoughts?

Depends upon the circumstances. When the #1 and the #2 team are playing, then every game has an impact on ranking and then there is no "dead rubber".

 

[Tusker]

Depends upon the circumstances. When the #1 and the #2 team are playing, then every game has an impact on ranking and then there is no "dead rubber".

When the series is already lost, what else would you call the remaining games? You can play for pride and all that, but that's about it. It's probably much harder for the series winning team to play such matches and fulfil their obligation, knowing they have already won. I doubt they can muster up 100% effort.

That said, India's win in the very much dead rubber 3rd test is the biggest overreaction to a lost series I've ever seen. It's like the context of the lost series doesn't matter. the desperation for overseas success, I suppose....

There was $1 Million at stake and the Test Championship mace ... had SA Won the 3rd Test they would have still been in contention.

And then there is the small matter of the chance to whitewash India .

 

[BaankeJi]

No team wants to lose a test. South Africans would have surely loved to make it 3-0 after what they got in India. They did not do any experimenting in last test.
Take the example of the Ashes. Did Australians have it easy in last test. Even England wanted to win that test although it would not have any impact on series.

So teams take all tests seriously.

 

[CricketCartoons]

The amount of hot air that indian fans have pumped in this shallow victory, one would think that they have won the series.

 

[Nihil]

Series wins obviously count as more, but because of the duration and the ups and downs every single Test has more context than a full JAMODI series.

 

[CricketAnalyst]

Tests are dying.

People can keep deluding themselves if they want to, but less and less fans care about meaningless, context-less matches going on forever.

Test matches are good to watch if you have the time. But I would still prefer 5 ODIs over a Test and the same with T20s.

And the penny has dropped already. Even countries like Australia are seeing their ODI team being savaged in the press for losing. After they won Ashes 4-0. And even the English media is praising the ODI side and how positive they are, rather than calling it meaningless, pointless etc.

 

[dauntless]

Dead rubbers are dead rubbers but since India won that match all of sudden dead rubbers are also important and some are behaving like they won the series.Indian fans need to come back to earth.

 

[Rightarmfast]

If it was a dead rubber, SA team wouldnt have specifically asked the groundsman to doctor the pitch to the extent even their own batsman chickened out facing the bowlers on the pitch.

And if South African wasnt hungry enough to give India a 3-0 whitewash, and be happy with 2-0, then that reflects poorly on their team.
So, there are no dead rubbers in Test.

 

[Nihil]

Tests are dying.

People can keep deluding themselves if they want to, but less and less fans care about meaningless, context-less matches going on forever.

Test matches are good to watch if you have the time. But I would still prefer 5 ODIs over a Test and the same with T20s.

And the penny has dropped already. Even countries like Australia are seeing their ODI team being savaged in the press for losing. After they won Ashes 4-0. And even the English media is praising the ODI side and how positive they are, rather than calling it meaningless, pointless etc.

I have to disagree with you here. I would any day take a single Test even over five bilateral meaningless ODIs

 

[Robert]

Yes and no. The Ashes never ends. As soon as England went down 3-0 in Australia, the next English Ashes campaign began.

 

[Fahdi]

Depends on what's at stake and in tests there usually is something. In the SA vs Ind match it was the number 1 ranking and a whitewash for the existing number 1 team. In an encounter like India vs Pakistan there aren't any dead rubbers at all. Besides a matche may be a dead rubber to one team and not to the other. A home team having won a series 2-0 or 4-0 won't give the match too much importance and may even give a go to a newbie but the other team will be trying to save themselves from the humiliation of a whitewash so for them it's not a dead rubber.

 

[Napa]

Depends on what's at stake and in tests there usually is something. In the SA vs Ind match it was the number 1 ranking and a whitewash for the existing number 1 team. In an encounter like India vs Pakistan there aren't any dead rubbers at all. Besides a matche may be a dead rubber to one team and not to the other. A home team having won a series 2-0 or 4-0 won't give the match too much importance and may even give a go to a newbie but the other team will be trying to save themselves from the humiliation of a whitewash so for them it's not a dead rubber.

Not only series between the #1 and the #2 team, but also the 3rd game between SA and Australia was contested hard even with SA 2-0 ahead. The Australian win was a turnaround for the team.

At this point basically SA understands that it is the #2 team and not the #1 team, having been beaten 3-0 in India but being only able to beat India 2-1 at home. This is also going to affect their morale in the coming Aus tour and I expect Aus to do well. If SA had a 3-0 series victory over India, they would have had a swagger going into the Aus series which they now don't have.

 

[AFM]

Lara's 400* was in a dead rubber. Not a lot of people bring that up.

 

[Oligochaetes]

* No one likes being whitewashed.
* Each match counts towards test Rankings.
* Winning an overseas test in alien conditions is a matter of pride.
* 3-0 suggests a one sided drubbing, whereas 2-1 suggests a closely fought series. Who wants to lose 3-0?
* When you play for your country, each game counts.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

In the context of the series, then yes. Although I do wonder why SA wanted such a pitch I'd they really didn't care about this result. Personally , I don't think any team should relax after winning a series. You should ruthlessly stamp out teams and establish your dominance like how Australia and India do at home.

 

[in_cutter]

If it was a dead rubber, SA team wouldnt have specifically asked the groundsman to doctor the pitch to the extent even their own batsman chickened out facing the bowlers on the pitch.

And if South African wasnt hungry enough to give India a 3-0 whitewash, and be happy with 2-0, then that reflects poorly on their team.
So, there are no dead rubbers in Test.

Keep telling yourselves that SA chickened out. And no they did not ask for a pitch like this- they asked for a fast, bouncy pitch...not one that made good length balls spit.

 

[Tusker]

Dead rubbers are dead rubbers but since India won that match all of sudden dead rubbers are also important and some are behaving like they won the series.Indian fans need to come back to earth.

You are back ... what happened to your no mercy claptrap ? I see you quietly slipped away from the match thread.

Btw SA lost the chance to win $1 million by losing. But don't let that get in your way of hating India

 

[Rightarmfast]

Keep telling yourselves that SA chickened out. And no they did not ask for a pitch like this- they asked for a fast, bouncy pitch...not one that made good length balls spit.

The groundsman was asked to produce a spiced up wicket, the south africans have confirmed that themselves.

And you can keep telling yourself Saffers didnt chicken out if that makes you sleep better

 

[Usman Chadda]

You are back ... what happened to your no mercy claptrap ? I see you quietly slipped away from the match thread.

Btw SA lost the chance to win $1 million by losing. But don't let that get in your way of hating India

Chest-thumping after getting beat 2-1 and losing the series? Hilarious reactions.

Well done India for not getting white-washed lol.

 

[in_cutter]

The groundsman was asked to produce a spiced up wicket, the south africans have confirmed that themselves.

And you can keep telling yourself Saffers didnt chicken out if that makes you sleep better

You are missing the point. Yes we all know what the groundsmen were asked to produce....but not the pitch that it turned out to be. Is that hard to digest?

 

[dani2k]

Dead rubber? Yes, correct. BUT...

Now that the dust has settled on the SA vs IND test series and India having won a supposedly "Dead Rubber" (ask England!) let us revisit the win.

1) Dead rubber - yes point taken. But a win overseas is incredibly hard to get nowadays so we Indian fans would take it any day!

2) A win against SA in 7 years - absolutely! We would just salivate at the prospect of getting one.

3) Maintaining a no loss record at the "Bull ring" (the fastest pitch in the SA and by that definition one of the fastest in the world) - amazing! Miracles do happen my friends..

4) Denying a white wash to a team (#2 incidentally) who couldn't even compete when they came visiting - well not a bad thing at all!

5) Performing in conditions which was totally alien and coming up trumps - the long term implications of which is going to be felt in a year filled with overseas visits - Priceless!

6) Having a bowling unit that could be called a pace BATTERY or a pace ATTACK for the FIRST time in our entire cricketing history - there are something that money could never buy (I liked the way our attack came back when they were seriously being attacked by the opposition - 120 odd runs for no wicket and how they overcame that. I was having night mares about the Stuart Broad hundred or the McCullum three hundred - so near yet so far!). The self confidence that such a performance can bring to a team is just too good. I hope our bowlers build up on this - fingers crossed!

7) Last but not the least - when was the last time we had FOUR bowlers with below 30 average ? (Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar, Shami and Bumrah).

Things are looking up for the Indian team going forward folks - we were a batting and spin bowling dependent nation for far too long - but I am very confident that things are changing for the better . Our batting is our stronger suit and it will click at some point (pray that the BCCI schedules our games better!) - if our bowlers keep contributing like this our team performance is only going to get better.

Dead rubber? Yes - unfortunately. But if a dead rubber can bring life to a mediocre team (only while playing abroad mind you!) then it surely can't be a dead rubber!

And yeah - we still have the mace all thanks to the dead rubber!

 

[JibranAnsari]

Test cricket is serious business , 5 days of intense cricket.

 

[barah_admi]

Indians can talk about there being no dead rubbers all they want but they don't understand English lol

Dead rubbers are any matches played when the series situation has already been decided. SA had 2 thumping wins before finally losing, India can retain their no. 1 ranking all they want but even they know they arent the best team. They havent won a test series in England in 11 years, while losing at home once to them. They have never won in SA or Aus and nothing will change this year.

After losing to England and then to Aus (whenever that happens) they will drop down again...only for another 18 months at home and a no. 1 ranking lol

if Indians are happy with that, that's fine but no one will ever mention any Indian side in history with Aus of the 30s and 40, with England of the 50s, with the Windies of the 70s and 80s, with the Pakistanis of the 80s and 90s, with the Aussies of the 90s and 00s and the SA of the late 00s.

India has no test legacy and for the richest cricketing nation around, that is a joke.

 

[barah_admi]

If you want to celebrate that as an Indian then fine. Certainly a very good bowling performance throughout the series. But to jump and shout like it means you are truly number one is a joke. I hope you understand that. A number one side should be able to win test series, not just a single match, outside of familiar conditions.

That's all Indian fans have to come to terms with and everyone will stop making fun of them.

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

This test shows that test cricket is still the premier format and test players will always be superior to LOI players, as a result.

I would gladly give up the two T20s we've won in NZ to win a "dead rubber" test match in Australia or South Africa.

However, let's not go overboard. The last test did not mean as much to the South Africans as the first two did because they knew that they were getting the trophy anyway and that the #1 ranking will eventually be theirs.

How?

 

[Rightarmfast]

You are missing the point. Yes we all know what the groundsmen were asked to produce....but not the pitch that it turned out to be. Is that hard to digest?[/QUO

If the groundsman was asked to prepare a pitch a certain way, are you so slow to understand what is being said?
The pitch it turned out to be, and the headless chickens that they turned out to be, they didnt expect obviously, thats why they are cowards and chickened out.
Got the point? Or you still need to be told in a different language?

 

[dani2k]

Shows the real auqaat of the indian team when their fans look for positives in winning the inconsequential match.

Normally I dont take cheap shots - but I think when you support a team who is finding it hard to win even home tournaments , it is better to not talk about auqaat mate.

No offence - but you started it and I continued. Peace..

 

[dani2k]

If you want to celebrate that as an Indian then fine. Certainly a very good bowling performance throughout the series. But to jump and shout like it means you are truly number one is a joke. I hope you understand that. A number one side should be able to win test series, not just a single match, outside of familiar conditions.

That's all Indian fans have to come to terms with and everyone will stop making fun of them.

Yes, a number one team has to perform better - absolutely. If just pains to look back at the first test and realize what a missed opportunity it turned out to be.

But having said that, number one teams have been whitewashed earlier (India in England, Australia in SL and worse - England in UAE immediately after they were crowned!)..so yeah it is not the worst #1 performance. But that is not an excuse - India should prove worthy to be a #1 by winning abroad (series - not just tests). But if they only start winning tests and not series, I would still be happy since it is much better than what it used to be. If you lose #1 because you lose more than you win - fair play! You had it coming..

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

Shows the real auqaat of the indian team when their fans look for positives in winning the inconsequential match.

If you think any test match is inconsequential, far less a see-sawing thriller played and won by an Asian team on a seaming minefield in a non Asian host nation, well your views are to be respected, but they'll might find more credibility if you restrict your comment on ODIs and T20s.

This Test cricket business may not be for you.

 

[drrashmin]

Shows the real auqaat of the indian team when their fans look for positives in winning the inconsequential match.

Brother, our Indian team is so poor, we take happiness in such wins. I am sure you did not witness a single ball in third test, I would take this test win with both hands.

 

[dani2k]

As an Indian fan having positives on the fast bowling front is unprecedented. When did the Indian team have fast bowlers (more than one) averaging less than 30?!

We have two bowlers who are inching towards a sub 25 bowling average (Ashwin and one among BK or Bumrah) - when was the last time that happened?

When was the last time that a pack of Indian Fast bowlers win you a game - yes an occasional brilliant spell here and there, but as a PACK?

What is wrong in taking these as positives when it has never happened before?

 

[dani2k]

Winning a see saw test where your batting unit was fighting for every inch - very special effort I should say!
And a lot of times our bowling unit has given away positive positions to lose matches abroad - the Stuart broad hundred, the McCullam triple hundred all are painful memories where we had the advantage and the opposition wrested it back..

This is one special match where our batting unit wrested back control and the bowling unit did likewise when it was their turn - has never happened in the same match for us abroad.

That is why I am very excited and confident about our chances abroad this year. These kind of matches build self confidence and belief in yourself and your team mates. Could do wonders to team spirit.

If the Indians schedule their matches well and pick the right resources, they will do well in England and Australia this year.

 

[AAli98]

In 1 years time when wer looking at Ind testoverseas record its going to be

SA -lost
Eng -lost
Aus-lost

No one remembers dead rubbers

 

[Proactive_]

This much chest thumping over a lost series is embarrassing tbh. It's just a Test match, hell a lowly ranked Sri Lanka won a Test against a much stronger SA team in 2011, don't see them celebrating that like they conquered the universe. The fact is that the "No.1" Test team lost 2-1 against arguably the weakest and most inexperienced SA side of this millennium.. but leave it to the Indian media and the fanbase to hype it like the biggest win ever..

 

[Sidilicious]

If you want to celebrate that as an Indian then fine. Certainly a very good bowling performance throughout the series. But to jump and shout like it means you are truly number one is a joke. I hope you understand that. A number one side should be able to win test series, not just a single match, outside of familiar conditions.

That's all Indian fans have to come to terms with and everyone will stop making fun of them.

No. A number one side should do better than the other sides. Number 1 does not mean that a team needs to be like Aus of late 90s and mid 2000s or WI of the 80s. A number 1 side, means better than the rest.

As long as we win at home and do better than the other teams when they travel aborad, then we are doing better. When SA toured India, we won 3-0, and when we toured we lost 1-2. So the overall score is 4-2. Clearly India is the winner between the 2 sides. Now, if India can hold this record against all sides, then we are surely better than the other teams and thus number.

There is a difference in being number 1 and invincible. We know that we are not invincible. But we also know that we are number 1.

 

[Saurav]

7) You forgot Jadeja ,our highest ranked bowler at 3

We need a Sir smiley

 

[Varun]

There are no dead rubbers in test cricket.

 

[Bhaijaan]

A dead rubber is a dead rubber regardless of what some Indians think about it. It is an undocumented fact that teams don't give their 100% and go out to play with the same motivation once they have already won the series while at the opposite side of it the losing side comes out with a fearless approach never seen before because they have nothing left to lose anyway so rather go down fighting.

A lot of crap is being said about India's win in 3rd test being special and all. It was quite clearly a fluke. If India would have batted last on that deck they wouldn't have got as close as South Africans did. Elgar played one of the greatest test knocks ever IMO to bring RSA that close.

 

[Bhaijaan]

No If No But, Only Jatt!

My short and informative post about this topic could be found in this thread -
http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/showthread.php?269036-Test-cricket-Dead-rubber-or-not

Requesting all PP'ers to read and refrain from making ignorant posts.

A dead rubber is a dead rubber regardless of what some Indians think about it. It is an undocumented fact that teams don't give their 100% and go out to play with the same motivation once they have already won the series while at the opposite side of it the losing side comes out with a fearless approach never seen before because they have nothing left to lose anyway so rather go down fighting.

A lot of crap is being said about India's win in 3rd test being special and all. It was quite clearly a fluke. If India would have batted last on that deck they wouldn't have got as close as South Africans did. Elgar played one of the greatest test knocks ever IMO to bring RSA that close.

Regards,
Bhaijaan.

 

[CricketAnalyst]

There are no dead rubbers in test cricket.

There are plenty.

 

[ahsan17]

All I can say is that the number of times I have seen Indian fans belittle Pakistan's dead rubber victories but hyping this one up says a lot.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

No If No But, Only Jatt!

My short and informative post about this topic could be found in this thread -
http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/showthread.php?269036-Test-cricket-Dead-rubber-or-not

Requesting all PP'ers to read and refrain from making ignorant posts.






Regards,
Bhaijaan.

Dear Bhaijaan,
If India had batted first in the first 2 tests then also the result would have been different. Teams try to whitewash other teams. They don't take the last test of the series lightly. There is a reason India got whitewashed on few away tours years ago. Your short and informative post doesn't make any sense. Try again.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

This much chest thumping over a lost series is embarrassing tbh. It's just a Test match, hell a lowly ranked Sri Lanka won a Test against a much stronger SA team in 2011, don't see them celebrating that like they conquered the universe. The fact is that the "No.1" Test team lost 2-1 against arguably the weakest and most inexperienced SA side of this millennium.. but leave it to the Indian media and the fanbase to hype it like the biggest win ever..

Lol ....you are a piece of work my friend.

You complain non stop when we lose and won't even give credit when we win.

What chest thumping? Who thumped their chests?

 

[Proactive_]

Lol ....you are a piece of work my friend.

You complain non stop when we lose and won't even give credit when we win.

What chest thumping? Who thumped their chests?

But we haven't won???

We lost 2-1. There's no pride in losing. Especially when we went in as the No.1 Team in the world facing probably the weakest SA team in quite some time. Worst time to sweep all the bad decisions, politics , questionable selections under the carpet only because one Test out of three was won.

 

[CricketCartoons]

Indian fans' napolean syndrome seeking a release yet again. cringeworthy and embarrassing that they are hyping a shallow win after losing the series. So much for the number 1 team. Pretenders

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

But we haven't won???

We lost 2-1. There's no pride in losing. Especially when we went in as the No.1 Team in the world facing probably the weakest SA team in quite some time. Worst time to sweep all the bad decisions, politics , questionable selections under the carpet only because one Test out of three was won.

There is pride in playing in one of the toughest pitches designed to humiliate you and winning against the home team boasting of 4 fearsome pacers.

No one swept bad decisions under the rug. Kohli is still being criticized.

 

[barah_admi]

No. A number one side should do better than the other sides. Number 1 does not mean that a team needs to be like Aus of late 90s and mid 2000s or WI of the 80s. A number 1 side, means better than the rest.

As long as we win at home and do better than the other teams when they travel aborad, then we are doing better. When SA toured India, we won 3-0, and when we toured we lost 1-2. So the overall score is 4-2. Clearly India is the winner between the 2 sides. Now, if India can hold this record against all sides, then we are surely better than the other teams and thus number.

There is a difference in being number 1 and invincible. We know that we are not invincible. But we also know that we are number 1.

You havent done better than the rest. England have done better away, winning a series in SA and then beating them at home.

If we're looking at just asian sides, since Jan 2011, Pak has the best win/loss ratio outside Asia while even SL were better than India lol

Maybe the win over SA has edged India above SL, I'm not sure.

So your own criteria of "better than the rest" isn't true. Try again.

 

[barah_admi]

Yes, a number one team has to perform better - absolutely. If just pains to look back at the first test and realize what a missed opportunity it turned out to be.

But having said that, number one teams have been whitewashed earlier (India in England, Australia in SL and worse - England in UAE immediately after they were crowned!)..so yeah it is not the worst #1 performance. But that is not an excuse - India should prove worthy to be a #1 by winning abroad (series - not just tests). But if they only start winning tests and not series, I would still be happy since it is much better than what it used to be. If you lose #1 because you lose more than you win - fair play! You had it coming..

I agree, India isn't the only side to gain a number one ranking and then lose it away BUT it is the only side that has had such a long home summer and then to be thrashed away from home. This is the second time that has happened. England maintain wins over SA, and have previously (2012) beaten India in India. Aus often win in SA. SA used to be very good travellers too.

So although India aren't the only ones, they are certainly the worse and yet, they are the ones that have been hyped the most.

So, like I said, celebrate this as a fan, no one should tell you otherwise but don't makei t into anything else.

From your posts, I see you aren't like the other Indian posters on here and are realistic, which is fine. You understand India needs massive improvements to be a true number one.

 

[imranraf]

Even as a Pakistani fan, I think, India did very good in South Africa. First two matches were very competitive. India also won the third test on a very difficult pitch. Usually, you don't see sub-continent teams do as well in South Africa as India did. Their bowlers were almost as good as South African bowlers and their batsmen were not as bad as they are being pointed out to be. Even South African batsmen struggled in these pitches. Virat Kohli was the best batsman on this series. That says a lot when you consider South Africa has ABD and Amla. India didn't have any practice matches to prepare for the test series either. That was poor planning on India's part. Kohli also made some significant blunders on team selection, leaving out Rahanne for first two matches and then leaving out Bhuvenaswar Singh for the second test.
There are very few teams in recent years who came to India and competed as well against India in Indian conditions.

 

[Oxfordchamp]

Even as a Pakistani fan, I think, India did very good in South Africa. First two matches were very competitive. India also won the third test on a very difficult pitch. Usually, you don't see sub-continent teams do as well in South Africa as India did. Their bowlers were almost as good as South African bowlers and their batsmen were not as bad as they are being pointed out to be. Even South African batsmen struggled in these pitches. Virat Kohli was the best batsman on this series. That says a lot when you consider South Africa has ABD and Amla. India didn't have any practice matches to prepare for the test series either. That was poor planning on India's part. Kohli also made some significant blunders on team selection, leaving out Rahanne for first two matches and then leaving out Bhuvenaswar Singh for the second test.
There are very few teams in recent years who came to India and competed as well against India in Indian conditions.

Good post..hit the nail on the head..

 

[big_gamer007]

I am disappointed with the series result I think we should have won if our preparations were better and if team selection was better we should have won.. Hopefully Australia/England series result would be different.

 

[Napa]

India has no test legacy and for the richest cricketing nation around, that is a joke.

Ranked #1 in Tests many times, 1973 onwards.

 

[Napa]

This series should be seen as a continuation of the series when SA visited India. So not actually a dead rubber, more like going into the last Test with the score at 3-2 and India winning made it 4-2.

As it is the #1 and the #2 ranked teams playing, a win by SA would have given them some credibility as the #1 team. As they could not win, the #1 ranking firmly belongs to India.

 

[giri26]

Yes it was a dead rubber but I would rather have a 2-1 loss to 3-0 loss. If SA did not bring their A game, then it is their prerogative. In terms of rankings SA would had a chance of upstaging India if they had beaten us 3-0 which they did not. India won the match and yes too much has been made of it but again it indeed was a fine win. SA not being at the best, not caring etc..is not something India needs to care about as it is not their problem. They went there and won the game and ended the series with a victory which will help their confidence going into the ODI series as Rahane, Bumrah, Rohit, Dhawan, Kohli, Shami et all will be playing there. SA also wanted to blank India 3-0 but they could not.

 

[Bilal7]

How?

They will probably beat Australia and India will get crushed in England.

 

[Tusker]

There is pride in playing in one of the toughest pitches designed to humiliate you and winning against the home team boasting of 4 fearsome pacers.

No one swept bad decisions under the rug. Kohli is still being criticized.

you are wasting your time ... the man still trolls about the ONE Win (Pune) that Aus has in India over 10 yrs as though it was the end of the world even though it was 2-1 ... Same doesnt apply to India wining in SA lol

 

[Napa]

They will probably beat Australia and India will get crushed in England.

If wishes were horses...

Stay with what we know, rather than hopeful/biased predictions. As of now, the score for the last two series played in India and SA is 4-2 in India's favor with one draw. Not only by the formula driven unbiased ICC ranking but also by any reasonable assessment India is ahead of SA at this point.

 

[dani2k]

7) You forgot Jadeja ,our highest ranked bowler at 3

We need a Sir smiley

Yeah! My bad - one more sub 30 average bowler. I am sure he is itching to put in some performances abroad so that people like me do not leave him out in the future. Although I don't seem him in the playing eleven unless Ashwin is injured or we by miracle pick two spinners looking at the surface (perhaps the Oval and Sydney?)

 

[Sarwar89]

If wishes were horses...

Stay with what we know, rather than hopeful/biased predictions. As of now, the score for the last two series played in India and SA is 4-2 in India's favor with one draw. Not only by the formula driven unbiased ICC ranking but also by any reasonable assessment India is ahead of SA at this point.

I love the way these Indian Team fans try to completely ignore the fact they lost TEST series in South Africa 2-1. It is not champions league where we are counting away goals.

 

[Rightarmfast]

I love the way these Indian Team fans try to completely ignore the fact they lost TEST series in South Africa 2-1. It is not champions league where we are counting away goals.

You dont love it. It pains you great deal, you are losing sleep over it that the Indians beat saffers in their own den, on a wicket on which the saffers themselves couldnt bat.

If it didnt bother you so much, you wouldnt be here trying your best to put India down. And while you are at it, dont forget the drubbing you got this morning by our juniors!

 

[barah_admi]

If wishes were horses...

Stay with what we know, rather than hopeful/biased predictions. As of now, the score for the last two series played in India and SA is 4-2 in India's favor with one draw. Not only by the formula driven unbiased ICC ranking but also by any reasonable assessment India is ahead of SA at this point.

How can India be ahead? They have won at home and lost away. If anything they are even. If India lose in England, which is most likely, they'll end up looking like dopes yet again. Test number one dopes.

 

[dhonixi]

India is no 1 again, and won mace again. You can't do anything about it. Whether india will win or lose in England, we will see. But please stop crying by some usual posters. And yes your team is no 1, we are dopes. Big talks from a team supporters who lost to Zimbabwe in african continent, when Zimbabwe is at their lowest point

 

[dauntless]

You are back ... what happened to your no mercy claptrap ? I see you quietly slipped away from the match thread.

Btw SA lost the chance to win $1 million by losing. But don't let that get in your way of hating India

LOL someone missed me......
I do hate but more importantly i want my team to win.You are behaving like you won the series 2-1. come back to earth man. Lol $1 million is peanuts for most of the boards and players.By the way congratulations on winning the meaningless "dead rubber"

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

All I can say is that the number of times I have seen Indian fans belittle Pakistan's dead rubber victories but hyping this one up says a lot.

A test victory is never belittled when playing away from home for an Asian team against SENA.

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

LOL someone missed me......
I do hate but more importantly i want my team to win.You are behaving like you won the series 2-1. come back to earth man. Lol US $1 million is peanuts for most of the boards and players.By the way congratulations on winning the meaningless "dead rubber"

It's a lot for many players/ boards.

 

[Sarwar89]

You dont love it. It pains you great deal, you are losing sleep over it that the Indians beat saffers in their own den, on a wicket on which the saffers themselves couldnt bat.

If it didnt bother you so much, you wouldnt be here trying your best to put India down. And while you are at it, dont forget the drubbing you got this morning by our juniors!

And how about the drubbing your seniors got in June ? And well let me repeat it again You Lost the Test series. Dead Rubbers are not remembered in history.

 

[The All Rounder]

If my memory serves me well, Pakistan drew 2-2 in England in 2016, our media did not create a big deal in it. Here India has won 1 Test Match which was won when the series was already lost.

It was like Zalatan Ibrahimovic bicycle goal in the 93rd minute when his team was losing 2-0, so that 1 superb great goal made it 2-1, or Mandzukic's goal in champions league final against Real Madrid, but his team lost 4-1 but his goal was the best on that night.