The greatest Asian Test team of all time

[Slog]

The best batsman in the world. The best bowler in the world. 4-5 other world-class players. And we have 'some' posters claiming that it was a weak Aus side? That too in their home.

Starc is not world class.

Warner missed half the series and was half fit for the other half.

But yes it’s not a run of the mill side. Batting certainly is weak though.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Ask any serious English, Kiwi or even Pakistani fans about how much they would want to beat this weak Australian side.

They would drool over the idea of winning one game when playing in Australia, let alone winning a series.

We would, but because of how bad we are these days. I would much rather beat the GOAT West Indian team, or if I was an Indian, I would much rather beat the GOAT Aussie team.

This is the greatest overseas Asian victory not because of how good the Australians were, but because of how handicapped India was in having to play its B team and still winning. That’s a fairytale story, and my full heartfelt warmth to all Indian supporters. It was truly sensational.

But I also want to warn people against recency bias and suddenly propelling this team to “greatest Asian team” — this Indian team just doesn’t have the overseas record to speak of other than in Australia.

 

[Buffet]

Starc is not world class.

Warner missed half the series and was half fit for the other half.

But yes it’s not a run of the mill side. Batting certainly is weak though.

Anyone in the top 10 for a long period is world-class.

 

[Buffet]

Anyway, I guess Eng is touring Aus next and playing very well right now. Hopefully, that series will be a good one.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

The best batsman in the world. The best bowler in the world. 4-5 other world-class players. And we have 'some' posters claiming that it was a weak Aus side? That too in their home.

Ignore those people. This was an absolutely fantastic Aussie side. Except Starc and Cameron Green that is, and Paine and Wade. Everyone else was quite world class.

But at the same time, I simply do not understand these silly comparisons where a single overseas win suddenly makes this the greatest Asian team when it continuously gets smashed 3-1, 4-1, 4-0, 2-0 in England and NZ and is unable to win in SA either?

I think you need to win series in at least 2 SENA countries (India has already won in Australia) and then also give good performances in the other two - then Kohli’s India can become a contender for greatest Asian team.

 

[NoBallZombie]

Yes, the pitches they have prepared were not the traditional ones where they used to make 600 for fun and 400+ by visiting teams in return. Even Pakistan once made 450 in the 4th innings on those traditional pitches.

Now they produced roads just to get bundled out for less than 200. You need to be more clear on whether they were spinner friendlier or roads because if they were spinner friendlier then you have to give more credits to India's batting on day 5 on those pitches. If they were roads, then you have to give more credits to Ashwin's performance.

I said in the recent years and that also includes the Test series where Pak scored 450. Not sure how much cricket you have watched but an Aussie pitch in the recent years start off as a road before finally deteriorating in the 3rd day onwards to assist spinners ala subcontinent style. Compare that with how for example the Gabba or the WACA was in the past. WACA especially was absolutely quick and the wind that blows in Perth made it even crazier for batting.

So no, I dont have to decide how the pitches are given that I know how they have changed and have witnessed that change live here instead of watching things on youtube or tele.

 

[NoBallZombie]

And for the record, I am not disputing the Indian win, it was a fantastic win. But calling it the greatest Asian side is a bit dramatic. As I said earlier, I would take the 90s batting side over this one in a heartbeat.

 

[subshakerz]

India's win against Australia in 2021 is the greatest victory by an Asian team ever. But it was more a freak victory brought about by inspired captaincy, pressure-free freshness of youth and Australian complacency. India were clearly a weaker team than Australia especially towards the end of the series which is why it was so remarkable. Similar to Sri Lanka beating South Africa a few years ago.

Had India had Kohli at the helm they would have still likely lost even with their A team. I don't think there is an Indian fan who believes Kohli was capable of turning it around the way Rahane did.

 

[subshakerz]

For Kohli to prove this is the greatest Asian team they need to show they can win in swinging conditions. Until they do that, their record is questionable.

 

[Mamoon]

Ignore those people. This was an absolutely fantastic Aussie side. Except Starc and Cameron Green that is, and Paine and Wade. Everyone else was quite world class.

But at the same time, I simply do not understand these silly comparisons where a single overseas win suddenly makes this the greatest Asian team when it continuously gets smashed 3-1, 4-1, 4-0, 2-0 in England and NZ and is unable to win in SA either?

I think you need to win series in at least 2 SENA countries (India has already won in Australia) and then also give good performances in the other two - then Kohli’s India can become a contender for greatest Asian team.

When you win two Test series in Australia (no other Asian side has a single win), occupy the number 1 ranking for the longest period in the 2010 decade, have the longest number 1 reign ever for an Asian team and not lose a home series for 6 years,

you are clearly more than just a contender for the GOAT Asian team, because they are incredible achievements and more than what most Asian teams have achieved in history.

If someone doesn’t want to give this Indian team the crown because of so-and-so reasons that is fine, but to say that they are not yet a contender for the title would be very inappropriate.

Or perhaps you didn’t word it properly and I misinterpreted what you were trying to imply.

 

[Mamoon]

1. Pakistan 1994-1999
2. India 2007-2011
3. Pakistan 1987-1992
4. India 2017-2021*

Wonderful.

A team that lost to Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia and Zimbabwe at home from 1996 to 1998 is the GOAT Asian Test team )

Strong teams don’t lose multiple series at home. It is one thing in common among all great teams. They are very strong at home.

Over the course of a series, their batsmen and bowlers always find a way to out-perform their opposition counterparts in their home conditions.

90’s Pakistan is incredibly overrated because of the W&W nostalgia and the 1992 World Cup hype.

Kohli’s India would walk over that Pakistan team in all countries except maybe England.

 

[Last Monetarist]

Wonderful.

A team that lost to Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia and Zimbabwe at home from 1996 to 1998 is the GOAT Asian Test team )

Strong teams don’t lose multiple series at home. It is one thing in common among all great teams. They are very strong at home.

Over the course of a series, their batsmen and bowlers always find a way to out-perform their opposition counterparts in their home conditions.

90’s Pakistan is incredibly overrated because of the W&W nostalgia and the 1992 World Cup hype.

Kohli’s India would walk over that Pakistan team in all countries except maybe England.

That team also lost a test in Zimbabwe in 1995.

 

[Mamoon]

That team also lost a test in Zimbabwe in 1995.

Yes but I was specifically talking about home performances because no strong team has ever been weak at home.

Even Australia lost two high profile away series in the 2000s, but they were pretty much invincible at home.

 

[Last Monetarist]

Yes but I was specifically talking about home performances because no strong team has ever been weak at home.

Even Australia lost two high profile away series in the 2000s, but they were pretty much invincible at home.

Of course. But the argument that many fans put is that team was competitive away from home, when the only high-profile series it won was against a weak England side in 1996. It was criminal to drop a test match to Zimbabwe, when no other team had done it.

Obviously these fans will bring up the excuse of matchfixing as if that makes it perversely more honourable to be losing.

 

[Mamoon]

Mamoon surely you couldnt have written this post with a straight face.

I know Bumrah is a good bowler (not an ATG at this point) but I rate shami higher than him in Tests. You can have one superstar but if the support cast is not good enough, you end up putting additional pressure on your lone star and effect his performance. Without going into the stats, I can tell you that with Shami, Bumrah is more effective as compared to without him. It is fairly similar to Shaheen's case where he is our premier bowler but when he does not have enough support, he looks very ineffective.

Ashwin and Jadeja have been titans in their home conditions and Ashwin has just recently started to look threatening in overseas conditions even though not in all of those conditions yet. He was good on the Aussie pitches here but you have to consider that in the recent past, the pitches rolled out have not been the traditional ones i.e. they have more spin support or are absolute roads specially the one in Sydney and now more so the ones in Melbourne too. Both of these play nicely into the Indian team's hand because there is limited lateral movement and their spinners come into play from day one. For bowlers to be considered GOAT, they have to at least average less than 30 in my opinion, here are Ashwin's SENA stats

NewZealand
Matches: 1
Wickets: 3
Avg: 33

England
Matches: 6
Wickets: 14
Avg: 33

South Africa
Matches: 3
Wickets: 7
Avg: 46

Australia
Matches: 10
Wickets: 62
Avg: 42

Again keeping in mind that I believe he is a beast at home but an ok bowler abroad. And unless he replicates his recent success against Aussies in the remaining SENA countries, I would put his success down to the change in pitches in Australia.

Not sure why you are comparing Pant with Gilly when the former cant even keep. Unless he is top in both dept, he cant be compared to any of the legendary keepers. The best of the lot from Asia is probably Dhoni and Sanga who can play alone as either a keeper or a batsman. Pant cannot play as a keeper alone in the side and would have been far away from the team had it not been for his batting. Pant is more comparable to Umar Akmal -- Similar physique, similar batting style and similar keeping skills. I am intentionally not talking about Rizwan because while he has been great recently, the sample size is too small but if he carries on for a couple of years at least, he can challenge dhoni and Sanga as the best ever keeper from Asia.

Now the batting order bit. Kohli vs Tendu is a debate in itself. I think Tendu was a better bat and Kohli has a better presence. Kohli has not had to face the kinds of bowlers or the types of pitches that Tendu faced. In summary -- and I know there is another thread somewhere for this discussion -- I think Tendu edges it.

You can't seriously compare Pujara with Dravid or Rahane with Ganguly? These guys were titans.....I am sure you have watched all these batters, the type of impact Dravid and Ganguly had on opposition can not be replicated by the other two. I dont even have to look at their stats.

The number 2 asian side you mentioned, the Pak side of that time was on par with that Indian side, if not better. They beat India in India in tests and frequently dominated them. So not sure how that is not in your top 2 list if you rank the indian 2000 team as number 2.

Overall I think you are letting your love for this Indian team cloud your judgement here.

You compared Pant with Umar and you are accusing me of not posting with a straight face.

Umar never had the ability Pant has. He ways always a bottler.

Even during his peak of 2009-10, he bottled it. He could have won the Sydney Test for Pakistan against a weaker Australian attack and he couldn’t.

Taking credit away from Ashwin and Jadeja because of the pitches is ridiculous. They are extremely skilled bowlers and among the best spinners Asia has ever produced.

I said Pujara is almost as good as Dravid, and that is true. Pujara is a massive Test player, and I agree that Dravid was a little better but the gap is not as big as you are suggesting. You are influenced by nostalgia here.

Dravid regularly failed in Australia against the attack of McGrath and Warne, and his best knocks in Australia came against attacks that were weaker than the one Pujara has grounded into the dust over the last two tours.

You say Pujara has no impact on the opposition, but perhaps you should ask Australian bowlers who were almost in tears because they couldn’t take his wicket cheaply.

He has the same powers of concentration and resilience that Dravid had, but he is a less gifted stroke-player.

Ganguly was just an above average Test batsman. Rahane is actually better than him. He was an ODI specialist who had a long Test career because of his great captaincy.

If Ganguly was not the captain, he wouldn’t have had a very long Test career. He was by far the weakest batsman among the big 5 (Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Sehwag and Ganguly).

 

[NoBallZombie]

Wonderful.

A team that lost to Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia and Zimbabwe at home from 1996 to 1998 is the GOAT Asian Test team )

Strong teams don’t lose multiple series at home. It is one thing in common among all great teams. They are very strong at home.

Over the course of a series, their batsmen and bowlers always find a way to out-perform their opposition counterparts in their home conditions.

90’s Pakistan is incredibly overrated because of the W&W nostalgia and the 1992 World Cup hype.

Kohli’s India would walk over that Pakistan team in all countries except maybe England.

Ifs and buts, we would never know. But it is extremely hard to believe any of these batsmen in the current indian lineup apart from maybe, maybe Kohli and withstand the bowling attack we had at that time. Amir, who I dont rate highly at all, would make this team dance as soon as he gets very little movement. Akram alone would gobble this lineup for lunch. And Imran, Waqar, Aaqib with Mushy were more than a handful ... regardless of the surface. You make some valid points about home dominance, but you are still getting carried away big time when you think this team would have the wood over the 90's or even the 2000's Pakistan team with Akram, Akhtar, Razzaq and Saqi.

 

[Mamoon]

Ifs and buts, we would never know. But it is extremely hard to believe any of these batsmen in the current indian lineup apart from maybe, maybe Kohli and withstand the bowling attack we had at that time. Amir, who I dont rate highly at all, would make this team dance as soon as he gets very little movement. Akram alone would gobble this lineup for lunch. And Imran, Waqar, Aaqib with Mushy were more than a handful ... regardless of the surface. You make some valid points about home dominance, but you are still getting carried away big time when you think this team would have the wood over the 90's or even the 2000's Pakistan team with Akram, Akhtar, Razzaq and Saqi.

90’s Pakistan had a mediocre top 3. Saeed was class but Aamer Sohail and Ijaz were average.

They wouldn’t even get on the Indian bench today. Pakistan would regularly find themselves 30/2 with that top 3 against this Indian attack.

The middle-order was also weak. Inzamam was the lone player because Malik was in decline in the 90s and Yousuf didn’t come into his until 2000-2001.

Pakistan tried a lot of mediocre middle-order batsmen in the 90’s and none of them delivered.

The wicket-keepers also couldn’t bat properly. The chances of Pant scoring runs against that Pakistan attack are still higher than Moin and Latif handling Bumrah, Ashwin and Jadeja.

Pat Cummins is a better Test bowler than Waqar.

The chances of this Indian lineup handling the Pakistani bowlers of the 90’s are greater than the chances of that Pakistani lineup handling the current Indian bowlers.

 

[NoBallZombie]

You compared Pant with Umar and you are accusing me of not posting with a straight face.

Umar never had the ability Pant has. He ways always a bottler.

Even during his peak of 2009-10, he bottled it. He could have won the Sydney Test for Pakistan against a weaker Australian attack and he couldn’t.

Taking credit away from Ashwin and Jadeja because of the pitches is ridiculous. They are extremely skilled bowlers and among the best spinners Asia has ever produced.

I said Pujara is almost as good as Dravid, and that is true. Pujara is a massive Test player, and I agree that Dravid was a little better but the gap is not as big as you are suggesting. You are influenced by nostalgia here.

Dravid regularly failed in Australia against the attack of McGrath and Warne, and his best knocks in Australia came against attacks that were weaker than the one Pujara has grounded into the dust over the last two tours.

You say Pujara has no impact on the opposition, but perhaps you should ask Australian bowlers who were almost in tears because they couldn’t take his wicket cheaply.

He has the same powers of concentration and resilience that Dravid had, but he is a less gifted stroke-player.

Ganguly was just an above average Test batsman. Rahane is actually better than him. He was an ODI specialist who had a long Test career because of his great captaincy.

If Ganguly was not the captain, he wouldn’t have had a very long Test career. He was by far the weakest batsman among the big 5 (Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Sehwag and Ganguly).

Ashwin and Jadeja are skilled and among the best spinners, I agree ... but we agree they are not THE best spinners in Asia. Plus I gave you some stats on why they are your average spinners in SENA so happy to be proven wrong by facts.

Pujara Aussies to dust in the last tour and not this one. One tour and you simply cannot compare him to someone like Dravid. I am not sure why you are intent on proving Rahane to be better than Ganguly? What am I missing? Any great, imposing innings? Ganguly's off side play at that time was second to none... Rahane is a massive nobody. I am definitely not driven by nostalgia. Seeing those guys play match after match and take on challenges of bowlers like Waqar, Akram, Razzaq, Saqi, Mcgrath, Ambrose, Walsh, Pollock and so many other great bowlers .... I believe they are head and shoulders above most current players. Most current players chicken out at the sign of some lateral movement. Take Rohit for example, you get a left hander slightly moving the ball into his pads, and he is a tail ender. Comparing him to any of the Indian batsmen of the olden times should almost be a crime because they were used to playing bowlers who would absolutely test the living daylights out of a batsman with their speeds, seam, swing and aggression. This current Aussie side is the meekest side ever and reminds me more of the Zimbabwean side of that era. They don't sledge, they are not putting pressure on opposition, they are just looking for their fat paychecks at IPL and wanting to make some friends.

 

[NoBallZombie]

90’s Pakistan had a mediocre top 3. Saeed was class but Aamer Sohail and Ijaz were average.

They wouldn’t even get on the Indian bench today. Pakistan would regularly find themselves 30/2 with that top 3 against this Indian attack.

The middle-order was also weak. Inzamam was the lone player because Malik was in decline in the 90s and Yousuf didn’t come into his until 2000-2001.

Pakistan tried a lot of mediocre middle-order batsmen in the 90’s and none of them delivered.

The wicket-keepers also couldn’t bat properly. The chances of Pant scoring runs against that Pakistan attack are still higher than Moin and Latif handling Bumrah, Ashwin and Jadeja.

Pat Cummins is a better Test bowler than Waqar.

The chances of this Indian lineup handling the Pakistani bowlers of the 90’s are greater than the chances of that Pakistani lineup handling the current Indian bowlers.

Lets just agree to disagree with all of this:

1. No way Cummins is better than Waqar. 10 years from now, everyone would forget Cummins but Waqar woould still be remembered.

2. Did you watch the 99 World cup? Moin slapping those bowlers around in the death overs with disdain ... you are saying Pant can better that in a high profile tournament? There is no way Pant is a cleaner gloveman than Moin.

3. Ijaz is record against Aussies was far superior to most batsmen today, so he was above average against that bowling attack. Saeed was Awesome and Aamir was just using Saeed's success -- so I agree there.


Our top order has always been susceptible but our middle lower order has always bailed us out. The likes of Razzaq coming up would still manhandle most bowlers.


As I said, lets agree to disagree on these.

 

[szrana007]

Of course.
But the argument that many fans put is that team was competitive away from home, when the only high-profile series it won was against a weak England side in 1996. It was criminal to drop a test match to Zimbabwe, when no other team had done it.

Obviously these fans will bring up the excuse of matchfixing as if that makes it perversely more honourable to be losing.

What about winning in NZL 2-1 in 1994? or winning a match against the unofficial test champions Australia in 1995 in Sydney? or drawing in South Africa against a powerful South African team 1-1 in 1998 ? or winning 2 out of 3 tests in India in 1999?

Doesn't that sound like competitive away performances to you ? or are you only fixated on losing a match to Zimbabwe in 1995 ?

 

[Heisenberg111]

Of course. But the argument that many fans put is that team was competitive away from home, when the only high-profile series it won was against a weak England side in 1996. It was criminal to drop a test match to Zimbabwe, when no other team had done it.

Obviously these fans will bring up the excuse of matchfixing as if that makes it perversely more honourable to be losing.

90's Pakistan has the best away record out of all teams in the whole 1990's decade.

https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/e...1990;spanval1=span;template=results;type=team

So that team while being poor at home was actually more than decent away.

 

[subshakerz]

90’s Pakistan had a mediocre top 3. Saeed was class but Aamer Sohail and Ijaz were average.

They wouldn’t even get on the Indian bench today. Pakistan would regularly find themselves 30/2 with that top 3 against this Indian attack.

The middle-order was also weak. Inzamam was the lone player because Malik was in decline in the 90s and Yousuf didn’t come into his until 2000-2001.

Pakistan tried a lot of mediocre middle-order batsmen in the 90’s and none of them delivered.

The wicket-keepers also couldn’t bat properly. The chances of Pant scoring runs against that Pakistan attack are still higher than Moin and Latif handling Bumrah, Ashwin and Jadeja.

Pat Cummins is a better Test bowler than Waqar.

The chances of this Indian lineup handling the Pakistani bowlers of the 90’s are greater than the chances of that Pakistani lineup handling the current Indian bowlers.

Saqlain and Mushtaq around the mid-90s would be as difficult a spin combo as Ashwin-Jadeja in spinning conditions. Wasim at that time was in a class of his own and even a depleted Waqar would be better than any of the Indian pacers bar Bumrah.

I agree that the Pak 90s team had a collapse prone batting unit but Malik, Inzi, and Anwar were all fine players of spin. Moin was the guy who was the danger man who bailed Pakistan out half of the time.

The same team did very well against an Indian team that were unbeatable at home in the 90s.

 

[szrana007]

Saqlain and Mushtaq around the mid-90s would be as difficult a spin combo as Ashwin-Jadeja in spinning conditions. Wasim at that time was in a class of his own and even a depleted Waqar would be better than any of the Indian pacers bar Bumrah.

I agree that the Pak 90s team had a collapse prone batting unit but Malik, Inzi, and Anwar were all fine players of spin. Moin was the guy who was the danger man who bailed Pakistan out half of the time.

The same team did very well against an Indian team that were unbeatable at home in the 90s.

Which Indian home team do you think is stronger? The 90's one or Kohli's India ?

 

[Hitman]

Which Indian home team do you think is stronger? The 90's one or Kohli's India ?

I do believe Kohli's team is better at home than the Indian team of the 90's.

 

[szrana007]

I do believe Kohli's team is better at home than the Indian team of the 90's.

Do you think Kohli's India can beat 1996/97 SA ? or the 1998 Aus? which the 90's Indian team managed at home. Both Aus and SA were great sides of the 90's and India beat both of them at home.

 

[KP From India]

Would have easily beat 1990s SA at home with Cullinan been Ashwin's bunny.

 

[Mamoon]

Do you think Kohli's India can beat 1996/97 SA ? or the 1998 Aus? which the 90's Indian team managed at home. Both Aus and SA were great sides of the 90's and India beat both of them at home.

Comfortably.

Australia lost in India and Sri Lanka in 1996-1997, and their 1998 team would lose to Kohli’s India in India. In fact, they are very likely to get whitewashed.

Australia dominance only started in 1999-2000.

 

[Mamoon]

Lets just agree to disagree with all of this:

1. No way Cummins is better than Waqar. 10 years from now, everyone would forget Cummins but Waqar woould still be remembered.

2. Did you watch the 99 World cup? Moin slapping those bowlers around in the death overs with disdain ... you are saying Pant can better that in a high profile tournament? There is no way Pant is a cleaner gloveman than Moin.

3. Ijaz is record against Aussies was far superior to most batsmen today, so he was above average against that bowling attack. Saeed was Awesome and Aamir was just using Saeed's success -- so I agree there.


Our top order has always been susceptible but our middle lower order has always bailed us out. The likes of Razzaq coming up would still manhandle most bowlers.


As I said, lets agree to disagree on these.

Waqar was only great because he bowled with doctored balls. Give those balls to Cummins and he is going to average in the teens. Cummins is a superior Test bowler who bowled proper Test match lengths.

Ijaz Ahmed was decent against pace and bounce but rubbish against spin. He might score some runs off the back-foot against Bumrah, Shami, and Ishant in Australia conditions but Ashwin and Jadeja would run circles around him on Indian and Pakistani pitches.

Yes I watched the 99 World Cup and I actually enjoyed watching Moin Khan bat because he could be gritty at times and was innovative with his stroke-play. He would often get some quick boundaries in the death overs with his reverse laps and all that.

However, there is no denying that he was a very poor batsman overall and didn’t even have the skill to average in the 30s. His batting was slightly better than Latif who was a borderline tail-ender, but he was not a proper batsman by any mean.

All modern WK batsmen including Pant are far superior than him with the bat, the role of WK batsmen changed drastically after Gilchrist, a nothing batsman like Moin will not cut in today’s era.

As far as Moin’s keeping is concerned, he was bog average. Barely better than Kamran and far inferior than Latif. Moin used to drop a lot of catches and stumps but could take the odd spectacular catch. His keeping ability was very much on par with Pant.

Overall, Pant is a far better WK batsman than Moin.

Razzaq was an average Test player with no technique. He would not be averaging beyond the 20s in any era. He never developed Test match skills and was focused on his ODI slogging.

Besides, we are talking about 90’s Pakistan and Razzaq made his Test debut at the end of 1999. He wasn’t around in the mid to late 90’s in the Test team.

 

[szrana007]

Comfortably.

Australia lost in India and Sri Lanka in 1996-1997, and their 1998 team would lose to Kohli’s India in India. In fact, they are very likely to get whitewashed.

Australia dominance only started in 1999-2000.

A team with Steve Waugh, Warne and McGrath is unlikely to be whitewashed anywhere.

 

[Mamoon]

A team with Steve Waugh, Warne and McGrath is unlikely to be whitewashed anywhere.

They lost three consecutive Test matches in India in 1997-1998.

That Indian team was not better than the current one.

 

[szrana007]

They lost three consecutive Test matches in India in 1997-1998.

That Indian team was not better than the current one.

They weren't whitewashed in the 1998 series, Aus won the dead rubber of that series. Infact Australia in whole of 90's and whole of 2000's didn't get whitewashed anywhere. They lost series, yes but they were only by a margin of 1 match except their 0-2 loss in India in 2008 when most of their legends had retired.

 

[Mamoon]

They weren't whitewashed in the 1998 series, Aus won the dead rubber of that series. Infact Australia in whole of 90's and whole of 2000's didn't get whitewashed anywhere. They lost series, yes but they were only by a margin of 1 match except their 0-2 loss in India in 2008 when most of their legends had retired.

Yes it wasn’t a whitewash technically because they played a 1 match series in 1996 (lost 1-0) and then played a 3 match series in 1998 where they won the dead-rubber after losing the first two Tests.

So my point is that they lost 3 consecutive Tests in India to an Indian team that was not better than Kohli’s India.

So Kohli’s India is very likely to whitewash the 1996-1998 Australian side in India in a 3 or 4 match series.

 

[subshakerz]

Mamoon, how is that India under Kohli couldnt whitewash Australia or England yet somehow they would do it against a no. 1 side with Warne, Mcgrath and Steve Waugh?

 

[Heisenberg111]

Mamoon, how is that India under Kohli couldnt whitewash Australia or England yet somehow they would do it against a no. 1 side with Warne, Mcgrath and Steve Waugh?

Exactly, no way will Kohli's team whitewash Mark Taylor's world champion Australian side.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

A team with Steve Waugh, Warne and McGrath is unlikely to be whitewashed anywhere.

Steve Waugh is a nobody compared to Kohli, Warne is Ashwin’s bunny, and McGrath will never go down as greater than Bumrah.

 

[Chrish]

I agree. It is. I’m just disagreeing with anyone saying that this team itself is GOAT, that’s a silly thing to say. The win was certainly the best ever by an Asian team, especially given the fact that India’s B team pulled through a 2-1 win. I will be willing to say that India’s B team is the greatest B team of all time, but for me to refer to Kohli’s India as a whole as the greatest Asian team, I need to see India draw or win in England, SA, and NZ within the next 3 years.



My friend Pakistan beat the GOAT WI team in a series that we drew 1-1 and were the undisputed number 2 team in the 80s decade, only overshadowed due to the greatest team ever. That series is also famous for biased umpiring, and was the single biggest reason Imran Khan fought to bring neutral umpires into the setup - we would have won the series otherwise.

We also beat and drew with some fantastic, fantastic teams like NZ, Australia away from home and created a fortress at home. That NZ was arguably the best ever NZ side until the modern incarnation under Williamson. And certainly better than the Australia that India beat. We dominated the likes of India and England. I would highly encourage you to go and look at some of those away series, both scorecards and any clips you can find on youtube. Those games would put anyone claiming that the current Indian side is the greatest ever to shame.



Most cricket analysts and cricketers themselves will tell you that the West Indies team was the greatest of all time. Nevertheless, the Indian team that beat the great OZ team (in individual games) was certainly fantastic and you’ll see in my earlier ranking that I’ve actually rated that team higher than the current Indian team.

Some trolls here however would like us to believe that 2021 India is better than the 2007 India that beat the great Australian team. Forget Pakistan.

By beating, I meant beating them in the series. Pakistan never did that.

Pakistan was the most notorious place for biased umpiring for touring teams. Dennis Lillie averaged 50 with the ball and he asked umpire once what does he hav to do to get the wicket because all of their lbw decisions were denied? Umpire grinned and told him, he can just bowl them. In that case he will have to give them out. The stats also reflect this. I think not a single Pakistani batsman was given our lbw in that famous Australia va Pakistan series.

I will say again; no evidence WI was better than Aus. They had pace battery but no Gilchrist or Warne. Both had their strengths.

 

[Chrish]

Starc is not world class.

Warner missed half the series and was half fit for the other half.

But yes it’s not a run of the mill side. Batting certainly is weak though.

Selective memory? Which is typical.

Starc has always bowed hot and cold and still averages 26-27 with the ball. He was not works class but may be because opposition played him better.

Warner didn’t do anything in the games he played. Did see you wrote he wasn’t fit? But weren’t you the one positing in other threads on why India won last time before smith and Warner weren’t playing? So, where are these excuses of not being fully for coming from? Are you a physio? Did you see him in the net before he was allowed to play? And you were crying about smith- Warner not being around last time but what about India C beating team of Cummins- Smith- Marnus-Hazlewood?

Oh that doesn’t count because Smith is not in form? Some of you need to watch more cricket instead of being a keyboard warrior. Jealousy won’t get you anywhere. Learn to appreciate proper cricket.

 

[Buffet]

Starc has always bowed hot and cold and still averages 26-27 with the ball. He was not works class but may be because opposition played him better.

That's preciously the case. India has played him better.

Excluding India as opposition,

Starc at home: 24.xx
Starc Away avg: 26:xx

Against India, Starc averages 37.xx

We are not talking about ATG or anything like that in the test format, but Starc is certainly a world-class bowler.

Just because India has played him well, we can't say that a bowler averaging around 25 against others is not world-class. He has 250+ wickets with a very good showing against others at home except against India.

 

[Ab Fan]

The win in Australia last month was extremely special and there is no way it can be undermined. It is a win for the ages.

I will put the SA team of 2007-14 ahead of this team but aside of that, this team is as good as any other team. Ofcourse, the top two are Windies and Australian team.

I think what this team needs to separate itself from other Asian teams is probably a test series win in any one of South Africa, England or New Zealand.

 

[szrana007]

The win in Australia last month was extremely special and there is no way it can be undermined. It is a win for the ages.

I will put the SA team of 2007-14 ahead of this team but aside of that, this team is as good as any other team. Ofcourse, the top two are Windies and Australian team.

I think what this team needs to separate itself from other Asian teams is probably a test series win in any one of South Africa, England or New Zealand.

England from 2009-2013 is up there as well. That English side had series wins in Australia and India, the toughest of all places to win in by far.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

The win in Australia last month was extremely special and there is no way it can be undermined. It is a win for the ages.

I will put the SA team of 2007-14 ahead of this team but aside of that, this team is as good as any other team. Ofcourse, the top two are Windies and Australian team.

I think what this team needs to separate itself from other Asian teams is probably a test series win in any one of South Africa, England or New Zealand.

If England manage to win this series in India this will become their win for the ages.

 

[Ab Fan]

If England manage to win this series in India this will become their win for the ages.

We won without Kohli. Can England win without Root?

 

[Ab Fan]

England from 2009-2013 is up there as well. That English side had series wins in Australia and India, the toughest of all places to win in by far.

England were pretty strong as well, just a shorter period of dominance. I think 2012 SA vs ENG series was the defining series between the two, it was in England and SA beat them comfortably 2-1 and emerged undisputed no.1.

 

[szrana007]

England were pretty strong as well, just a shorter period of dominance. I think 2012 SA vs ENG series was the defining series between the two, it was in England and SA beat them comfortably 2-1 and emerged undisputed no.1.

It was actually 2-0 to SA in England in 2012. It was a shorter period but was great while it lasted.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

We won without Kohli. Can England win without Root?

We also lost the first test with Kohli. Anyway I am talking about a team's win and how special it will be for England if they win this against a team that just won a series in Australia.

 

[Buffet]

We also lost the first test with Kohli. Anyway I am talking about a team's win and how special it will be for England if they win this against a team that just won a series in Australia.

India played brilliant cricket to win in Aus, but conditions were different. India is always a tough team to beat in their home conditions. How India did in Aus should have no bearing on Eng winning in India.

 

[street cricketer]

Lets just agree to disagree with all of this:

1. No way Cummins is better than Waqar. 10 years from now, everyone would forget Cummins but Waqar woould still be remembered.

Jesus, I generally stick to lurking here from time to time but had to login just to respond to this gem. How bad one's cricketing nous must be to say basically no one would remember Cummins in 10 years. What is he, Doug Bollinger or Ronnie Irani for god's sake..

This is the problem when you rarely watch any cricket match beyond the matches involving your own team. I've always considered McGrath as the greatest bowler I ever saw just because he seemed to have the wood over even the greatest like Sachin and Lara. He just had an aura of invincibility around him whenever I saw him bowl. But gee, Cummins if he carries on at the rate he's going, I'm having doubts about that view. He's metronomic in his lengths and probably only a bit less accurate than the greatest metronome himself but is probably 5ks faster too. Almost all the Australian fans I've interacted with seem to rate Cummins up there with Lillee and McGrath among the greatest bowlers they've ever produced. Imagine someone saying at a young McGrath that nobody would remember him in 10 years...

 

[Mamoon]

Jesus, I generally stick to lurking here from time to time but had to login just to respond to this gem. How bad one's cricketing nous must be to say basically no one would remember Cummins in 10 years. What is he, Doug Bollinger or Ronnie Irani for god's sake..

This is the problem when you rarely watch any cricket match beyond the matches involving your own team. I've always considered McGrath as the greatest bowler I ever saw just because he seemed to have the wood over even the greatest like Sachin and Lara. He just had an aura of invincibility around him whenever I saw him bowl. But gee, Cummins if he carries on at the rate he's going, I'm having doubts about that view. He's metronomic in his lengths and probably only a bit less accurate than the greatest metronome himself but is probably 5ks faster too. Almost all the Australian fans I've interacted with seem to rate Cummins up there with Lillee and McGrath among the greatest bowlers they've ever produced. Imagine someone saying at a young McGrath that nobody would remember him in 10 years...

He is blinded by nostalgia to the point where he is arguing for Moin’s batting over Pant’s.

Purely as a Test bowler, Pat Cummins is amazing and as good as the greatest Test pacers to have ever lived.

There is no way Waqar was a better Test bowler than him.

One can imagine the damage Cummins would do with the typical tampered balls of 80s and 90s with his deadly combination of pace and accuracy.

 

[street cricketer]

He is blinded by nostalgia to the point where he is arguing for Moin’s batting over Pant’s.

Purely as a Test bowler, Pat Cummins is amazing and as good as the greatest Test pacers to have ever lived.

There is no way Waqar was a better Test bowler than him.

One can imagine the damage Cummins would do with the typical tampered balls of 80s and 90s with his deadly combination of pace and accuracy.

Look, I get nostalgia and everyone's nostalgic to some extent. But you see greatness when you witness it. The bloke seems to be perfect in almost everything starting from his run up, action, accuracy or the wobbly seam he bowls like Asif often did, but only faster. Perhaps, my only slight criticism of him, if I have to make, is that he can probably look to bowl the new ball a tad fuller and swing it a bit more but then again, he picked 29 wickets @ 19 in the last Ashes in England, so what do I know. Everyone's nostalgic but it's like pretending Steve Smith is not as great as Ponting was.

 

[Mamoon]

Look, I get nostalgia and everyone's nostalgic to some extent. But you see greatness when you witness it. The bloke seems to be perfect in almost everything starting from his run up, action, accuracy or the wobbly seam he bowls like Asif often did, but only faster. Perhaps, my only slight criticism of him, if I have to make, is that he can probably look to bowl the new ball a tad fuller and swing it a bit more but then again, he picked 29 wickets @ 19 in the last Ashes in England, so what do I know. Everyone's nostalgic but it's like pretending Steve Smith is not as great as Ponting was.

IMO, the only thing that is not elite class about him is his death bowling especially under pressure. He bowled back of length and short balls to Stokes at Headingley and Pant at Gabba.

Overall he is brilliant, and it is amazing considering the fact that he missed so much time due to injuries.

 

[MesonK]

Sterling Post mate.

Mamoon will be frothing at the mouth when facts get in the way of his opinion.

Thanks man ...

numbers matters, opinions don't

 

[dravidthewall]

If india win this series by 3-1 . Arguably they are greatest asian side of last 20 years ..lost only two series.

 

[Romali_rotti]

Exactly, no way will Kohli's team whitewash Mark Taylor's world champion Australian side.

Kohli's side will destroy Mark Taylor's team but not Steve Waugh team which he took over after Mark Taylor.

 

[Heisenberg111]

Kohli's side will destroy Mark Taylor's team but not Steve Waugh team which he took over after Mark Taylor.

Maybe Kohli's team can beat Oz of 1998, but certainly not whitewash them. Oz didn't get whitewashed anywhere in 90's and a team with Warne, McGrath and Steve Waugh isn't going to get whitewashed by Kohli's team either.

 

[Romali_rotti]

Maybe Kohli's team can beat Oz of 1998, but certainly not whitewash them. Oz didn't get whitewashed anywhere in 90's and a team with Warne, McGrath and Steve Waugh isn't going to get whitewashed by Kohli's team either.

Well technically the Aus team under Mark Taylor with McGrath as the lead bowler did get white washed in India in 1996. They lost the only test match and lost every ODI game in that series.

 

[Heisenberg111]

Well technically the Aus team under Mark Taylor with McGrath as the lead bowler did get white washed in India in 1996. They lost the only test match and lost every ODI game in that series.

Losing a one off test isn't a whitewash, got to be atleast a 2 test series to be a whitewash. Also Warne didn't play in that one off match either, Brad Hogg was the spinner Oz played in that match, if I remember correctly.

 

[Romali_rotti]

Losing a one off test isn't a whitewash, got to be atleast a 2 test series to be a whitewash. Also Warne didn't play in that one off match either, Brad Hogg was the spinner Oz played in that match, if I remember correctly.

Ok fair enough... However whether Warne played or not would have made much difference, Warne would have taken his usual beating from the Indian bats.. However, I do stand with my original stance Kohli's side would have no problems taking out Mark Taylor's side but Steve Waugh's side would have been a good fight with Australia winning in the end.

 

[Mamoon]

Thanks man ...

numbers matters, opinions don't

I agree, numbers matter more than opinions and stories.

Kohli will soon win his the 36th Test match as captain, which is 22 more than Imran won and more than any Asian captain in history.

Certainly the GOAT Asian Test captain.

 

[Mamoon]

It is not surprising that this is the greatest Asian Test side of all time when you consider the following:

Kohli is the greatest Asian Test captain, Ashwin is the greatest Asian Test all-rounder and Pant is the greatest Asian Test WK.

Indian fans should savor this generation. It is a wonderful time to be an Indian fan.

 

[dravidthewall]

It is not surprising that this is the greatest Asian Test side of all time when you consider the following:

Kohli is the greatest Asian Test captain, Ashwin is the greatest Asian Test all-rounder and Pant is the greatest Asian Test WK.

Indian fans should savor this generation. It is a wonderful time to be an Indian fan.

Rightly...I enjoyed india won our Australia until now.Hope India beat other SEN country in overseas

 

[MenInG]

Virat Kohli-led Indian Cricket Team has emerged as the cricketing powerhouse in recent times. Ever since international cricket resumed after the Covid-19 halt, Team India has been showcasing its excellence in both home and overseas conditions.

The Indian cricket team defeated Australia in their own backyard despite losing more than half of their top performers due to injuries. Once they returned home, they outclassed the visiting England side across all three formats. Now, they aim to continue the winning run in England where they haven’t won a Test series since 2007.

Meanwhile, former Indian captain and current BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has lauded India’s success in international cricket. In a recent interview with Sportstar, the BCCI chief highlighted several aspects that have made Team India stronger and dominant on the world map.

“The system is strong – domestic cricket, NCA (National Cricket Academy), coaches. The IPL is also a reason. Fairness of selection; only the best gets picked. There is transparency. The cricket system is robust. Four-day and T20 (cricket) are different, but the IPL does help. Gives confidence that you can play at this level. Talent is important and adjustment is not a problem,” said Ganguly.

Sourav Ganguly is known as one of the finest captains India ever played under. He had taken his team to remarkable heights including the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2003. Even now when the team doing exceptionally well under Kohli’s leadership, Ganguly is associated with it as the BCCI President.

“These are two different generations. This is a superb phase. We drew with Australia in Australia, beat England in England and Pakistan in Pakistan. Won in New Zealand, too. It was a glorious phase. This team is doing so well. I leave it at that. What happened in 2003, can’t be compared with 2021. I was involved both times – captain and now the BCCI president,” Ganguly said.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...in-international-cricket-101620698342690.html

 

[Ab Fan]

I personally feel that the current Indian team post the inclusion of Pant, Siraj and Gill are surely heading to be considered as the greatest Asian test team.

But unfortunately because of the number of overseas matches they are playing now, it is unlikely for them to consistently maintain the no.1 ranking, especially with NZ also becoming a good home bully team.

The Indian team between 2015-2019 was ranked no.1 in ICC but they were not as good as the one we are having now even though the current Indian team is not ranked no.1. That Indian team missed the boat by failures in England, South Africa and New Zealand.

 

[Jazx]

Well technically the Aus team under Mark Taylor with McGrath as the lead bowler did get white washed in India in 1996. They lost the only test match and lost every ODI game in that series.

If I remember Mcgrath didn't played that series and kasproviz was the main fast bowler in 96 and 98 series.

 

[OMB]

'India doing what Australia couldn't in their peak': Inzamam feels India have '50 guys ready' to play for national team

If Inzamam-Ul-Haq is to be believed, India's potential second-string squad would appears as strong as the one that will be in England playing Tests.


Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-Ul-Haq has hailed India's tremendous bench strength, saying they have managed to pip Australian cricket from the 90s and 2000s when it comes to assembling a large pool of talented players. The Indian team will be travelling to the United Kingdom to play New Zealand in the World Test Championship final starting June 18, followed by a five-Test series against England that gets underway from the first week of August.

In the month of July however, India will play Sri Lanka in three ODIs and three Tests, and with all the big players being away in England, the contingent that will travel to Sri Lanka will be a second-string squad. The vastly talented crop of young and experienced Indian players has left Inzamam in complete awe of how rich India's stock is when it comes to producing young and upcoming cricketers.

"This idea of assembling a second Indian team is very interesting What India are trying to do today, Australia did this years ago, but they were not able to be successful in it. But the scenario today is such that India appear to be pulling it off. For the first time I think it is happening that a national cricket team will be playing two different series. One side in one country and the other side in some other country, and both are national teams," Inzamam said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, 'Inzamam ul Haq - The Match Winner'

"When Australia were at their peak. From 1995 to say 2005-2010, they had tried to distinguish two international teams named Australia A and Australia B, but they didn't get the permission. India are doing what even Australia couldn't do in their peak. And the move makes sense given the isolation protocols and everything, and it couldn't have been possible to send the same team to both countries in such a gap," the former Pakistan captain added.

With the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah in England, the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar and others will be in contention to make the flight to Sri Lanka for the limited-overs legs. If Inzamam is to be believed, India's potential second-string squad appears as strong as the one that will be in England, with the former Pakistan captain crediting India's domestic cricket structure and the IPL for the rich resources India have at their disposal.

"India at this time have so much strength that they are capable of doing this. Their pool of players is so huge that they are able to manage this. If you look at the players who would be travelling to Sri Lanka, it would appear as if this is India 's main team, such is their bench strength," Inzamam added.

"India have improved their First-Class structure and then there is the IPL as well that has helped assemble two different teams at the same time. It's almost as if India have prepared 50 guys who are ready to play for the national team."

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/india-doing-what-australia-couldn-t-in-their-peak-inzamam-ul-haq-feels-india-have-50-guys-ready-to-play-for-national-team-101621500057327.html

 

[mastimasti]

I'm an Indian and I would not name the current Indian team the greatest Asian test side of all time. They aren't even the greatest Indan test side...are we really claiming the current batting order is better than one which contains Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly and VVS? The tailend of tha tside would go on to contain Dhoni too!

And are we saying the bowling unit is better than Zaheer Khan, Kumble and Singh?

Let's be real now.

 

[Hitman]

I'm an Indian and I would not name the current Indian team the greatest Asian test side of all time. They aren't even the greatest Indan test side...are we really claiming the current batting order is better than one which contains Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly and VVS? The tailend of tha tside would go on to contain Dhoni too!

And are we saying the bowling unit is better than Zaheer Khan, Kumble and Singh?

Let's be real now.

Are you kidding? Our bowling attack now is infinitely better.

 

[mastimasti]

Are you kidding? Our bowling attack now is infinitely better.

No it's not. Zaheer Khan is India's greatest ever pace/seam bowler. Bumrah might overtake him but he has a long way to go. Actually winning a series in England might help.

What many fans either do not know or are too young to know is that some of the best India sides of the 00s were having to play away against all time great Australian and South African sides, and better versions of Sri Lanka too, although we've usually had the wood over them.

I'd rate India's win in Pakistan superior to beating this version of Australia. Also ,drawing at home against the greatest touring side of the 00s is far superior to that victory.

The quality of cricket and cricketers has dropped drastically across Aus and SA in the last 4-5 years...yet we still didn't pick up the win in SA. Or for that matter, in England.

Results may look better now but the cricketers certainly are not. I mean, a side which includes guys with less than 20 tests is hardly the greatest of all time (mainly with regards to the batting here).

 

[OMB]

1998: When India fielded two national teams, but lost on every front

The last time India fielded two different national cricket teams at the same time, there was a logistical nightmare, not to mention the defeats on the field.


The likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble played for an Indian team led by Ajay Jadeja at the 1998 CWG, while the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Javagal Srinath played against Pakistan for a team led by Mohammed Azharuddin. (File Photo/BCCI)
India is the first country to be able to field two national cricket teams, Inzamam ul Haq said, referring to India’s itinerary of playing a Test series in England and a limited-overs series in Sri Lanka at the same time. However, the last time India did field two different sides at the same time, Inzamam himself had been at the opposite side of one the teams.

In 1998, the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lampur clashed with the Sahara Cup tournament against Pakistan. On this occasion too, the Indian team had been split up. Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and VVS Laxman were part of the squad led by Ajay Jadeja that was sent to the CWG.

For the Sahara Cup, the board sent Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad among others in a team led by Mohammad Azharuddin.

“After jousting pointlessly with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the BCCI eventually gave in and sent half the Indian team to Kuala Lumpur, half to Toronto,” Harsha Bhogle wrote in an editorial.

The two-team experiment, which got off on the wrong foot because of BCCI’s initial reluctance to send their best players and an ugly ‘medal vs money’ discourse, did not improve much as the action began.

The Commonwealth Games featured 16 teams, including Malaysia, Jamaica, Antigua and Northern Ireland. India were pit in Group B with Antigua, Australia and Canada. The matches, which had List-A status, were played with red balls and in white clothing.

India lost to Australia and won against Canada but rain forced a no-result against Antigua. India’s CWG campaign thus ended in early defeat as one win, one loss and one no-result meant that they were out of the event in the group stages.

More controversy followed. After India’s early exit from the CWG, BCCI decided to send the players to Canada for the last two matches of the Sahara Cup. However, Pakistan were opposed to allowing India to field players who weren’t part of the original squad.

The BCCI initially said four players — Sachin, Jadeja, Kumble and Robin Singh — would join the Indian team playing against Pakistan. After some back and forth, a compromise was reached and BCCI announced only Sachin and Jadeja would be making the trip.

Jadeja played the fourth game of the Sahara Cup with Pakistan leading the series 2-1. In further embarrassment for the BCCI, it couldn’t trace Tendulkar, who had gone to Khandala on a trip with his family, prompting Sunil Gavaskar to sing his own version of the popular song ‘Aati Kya Khandala’ before the match.

Tendulkar only came in for the final game, by when Pakistan had already sealed the series 3-1. .

In the last match, Tendulkar smashed a 77 opening the batting with Sourav Ganguly and an Azharuddin hundred helped India to 256-9 but Aamer Sohail made an unbeaten 97 to take Pakistan to a 4-1 series win.

https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/when-india-fielded-two-national-teams-cwg-sahara-cup-7323381/

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

And are we saying the bowling unit is better than Zaheer Khan, Kumble and Singh?

Let's be real now.

Its a cardinal sin to compare current bowling attack with any other Indian bowling attack in our history.
The difference is Humongous. Sorry, no comparison, absolutely none.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Actually the difference in bowling lineup is so big that it overcompensates for the difference between the batting lineups of the current and the fab 4 era.

 

[sindhiboy]

India needs to think of rahane's replacement. He is very inconsistent.
Maybe give shreyas iyer and opportunity. Or bring back karn Nair.

India has a long list of FC batsmen averaging in the high 40s/early 50s who deserve a chance in the test team

 

[Ab Fan]

India needs to think of rahane's replacement. He is very inconsistent.
Maybe give shreyas iyer and opportunity. Or bring back karn Nair.

India has a long list of FC batsmen averaging in the high 40s/early 50s who deserve a chance in the test team

Iyer and Nair are good for subcontinent type conditions but their game vs pace is not as good enough to get a place in XI so early.

Vihari has got the best technique and game for overseas conditions but unfortunately, he hasn't been able to convert his starts and score enough to get a place over Rahane.

Indian batting resources are overrated for non-subcontinent conditions. Mayank, Shaw, Shreyas, Nair will do great in Asia but have severe technical flaws vs swing, seam or pace which will be exploited easily in SENA conditions. Rohit and Rahul have a lot to prove as well and Rahul hasn't played any red ball cricket for quite some time now.

The test batting resources are still lacking and hence Rahane will continue to play for some more years until Vihari or KL starts giving stiff competition to him.

 

[MenInG]

The depth of Indian cricket, currently, is immense, to say the least. The fact that the BCCI has sent one team to England and will send a second-string Indian side to Sri Lanka in July bears a testament to the enviable talent of Indian cricket.

The main team, led by Virat Kohli, will locks horns with Kane Williamson's New Zealand in the World Test Championship (WTC) final followed by a five-match Test series against England. On the other hand, India will play three ODIs and as many T20Is in Sri Lanka. That particular side is expected to consist of a few senior players, who failed to make the cut in the main team, along with a handful of uncapped players.

The times ahead are definitely exciting for Indian cricket and this is something that former India batsman VVS Laxman also recognizes. While speaking to Sportstar, Laxman was asked whether this culture of sending two different teams can become a norm. The last time it happened was in 1998 when one team featured in the Commonwealth Games and the other one played in the Sahara Cup in Toronto. Laxman observed:

"What happened over the last couple of years in Indian cricket is very exciting. We have a very strong pool of players to choose from. Our domestic structure is so robust that there is so much opportunity for unearthing a lot of talented players."

The 46-year-old also heaped praise on his teammate Rahul Dravid's contribution and the IPL, saying these two factors helped in recognizing quality players.

"The India A programme under Rahul (Dravid) and the contribution of NCA and of course the IPL - these three - are the reasons why we got so many quality players. And the best thing is that by default (may not be by design) a lot of these players got opportunities to showcase their talents and that’s why the confidence level is so high," Laxman added.


Concluding his point, Laxman said that this concept is something Team India can definitely adopt in the future. "I believe that India is very lucky to have so many talented players. It may be a problem for other countries because the talent pool is not as deep as it is available for us. So definitely, India can look at fielding two teams. We are fortunate to have some experienced players who will be going to Sri Lanka, who can walk into any international side." Laxman opined.

The Indian team is currently under quarantine in Southampton, England. The entire contingent, including the support and coaching staff, and the women's team, checked in at the Hilton Hotel on June 3. The hotel is located on the premises of the Ageas Bowl, the venue for the grand finale.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...auds-india-s-talent-pool-101622945926378.html

 

[Bhaijaan]

They are showing their fighting spirit in WTC final.

 

[MenInG]

They are showing their fighting spirit in WTC final.

Do you still feel the same? Or the fact that they got to the WTC is good enough?

 

[mystical man]

They are showing their fighting spirit in WTC final.

Getting bowled out for 217 and 170 is fighting spirit or the fact that our spinners took two wickets in the second innings ?

 

[Junaids]

Pakistan 1986-92 are now the Undisputed GOAT Asian Test team.

They played three series against the West Indies and didn’t lose any of them.

Whereas India lost 2-0 in NZ and has now lost to them on Neutral Territory.

India are very good at beating teams at home and at winning in Australia with a ball that does not seam or swing.

But in the last four years India have lost Test series in England, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as losing this WTC Final in 3.5 days of cricket by 8 wickets.

 

[mastimasti]

I've never been arrogant enough to label any Indian test team in the last decade the best ever. They aren't even the best ever india team.

 

[MesonK]

Pakistan 1986-92 are now the Undisputed GOAT Asian Test team.

They played three series against the West Indies and didn’t lose any of them.

Whereas India lost 2-0 in NZ and has now lost to them on Neutral Territory.

India are very good at beating teams at home and at winning in Australia with a ball that does not seam or swing.

But in the last four years India have lost Test series in England, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as losing this WTC Final in 3.5 days of cricket by 8 wickets.

GOAT India also lost 9/11 SENA series in last decade. Kohli-India has a similar record to Misbah-Pak in overall test % win.

 

[Mamoon]

The outcome of this one-off, rain-hit match is irrelevant. India were the best team in the WTC cycle and finished 100+ points above New Zealand in spite of having a much tougher schedule.

Furthermore, it also has no bearing on the current India (post 2015) as the GOAT Asian Test team because they have already achieved more than any other Asian side in the past.

Winning the WTC would have been nothing more than a cherry on top.

1) Two Test series wins in Australia

2) Only two Test losses at home since 2015 and zero series lost

3) longest reign as the number 1 ranked Test team in the 2010-2020 decade

4) longest number 1 reign for any Asian Test team in history

5) Virat Kohli has more Test wins as captain than any other Asian captain in history

All these achievements make the current India the GOAT Asian Test team.