Harsh Thakor
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Whatever the great achievements of Indian cricket in recent times I still maintain that the best ever Asian teams were the Pakistani teams of 1977-79,1987-1992 and 1996-99.India at it's best may have defeated Pakistan but overall it has not had as impressive test record overseas .True Pakistan did not win in Australia but remember the number of times it conquered England on their soil or drew with them in England.Morally it was Pakistan that won the test world championship title in the Carribean in 1988,when dubious umpiring decisions robbed them of a historic series victory.India has never beaten as powerful an English side as Pakistan did in 1987 or 1992 in England nor drawn a series with as good or beaten as strong a side in the Carribaen as Pakistan came so close to in 1988.I agree India drew with a powerful Aussie team down under in 2003-04 but it's bowling attack was not at it's best with Glen Mcgrath absent for 2 tests .In 1976-77 Pakistan drew with Australia at home and bad umpiring cost them a drawn rubber with West Indies.In 1992 and 1996 Pakistan beat strong Englsih teams with contempt and in 1998 drew a series agaisnt a powerful South African side away.Man to man Pakistan of 1999 was arguably even stronger than past top Pakistani teams.
Even at home I give Pakistan the marginal edge,even if India performed best ever by an team at home when beating Australia in 2001 and South Africa in 1996.
India's bowling was at it's best in 2018 in Australia followed by in Australia in 2007-08 or in England in 2014.Overall in terms of team balance India of 2002-2004 was the best ever Indian team.It's batting was very strong in terms of pure class or talent but still I feel the best Pakistani teams had more depth in 1977-79 and 1987-89.In terms of bowling attack even India's best did not match Pakistan in 1996-99 or 1986-88.The likes of Wasim-waqar-Saqlain or Wasim -Imran -Qadir made the Pakistani bowling attack one of the most potent of all time.Still India's batting depth of 1986-89 was in the same league as posessed by any Pakistani batting line up.
No Asian team had the collective middle order bating strength as India in 2003-04 with the likes of Tendulkar,Dravid,Laxman, Ganguly and Sehwag or in 1994-98 with Tendulkar,Azhar,Sidhu,Ganguly and Dravid.
In terms of pure achievement India has not equalled Pakistan's achievements under Mushtaq Muhammad from 1976-79 or under Imran Khan from 1986-89.India won formal world championship status when top sides like Australia or South Africa wee in decline .Pakistan's 2-1 loss in the Carribean in 1976-77morally to me surpassed India at it's best in Australia and Pakistan in 2003-04.
In 1971 India reached status of unofficial test champions when most teams were in state of decline.Nevertheless did posess the most potent spin attack of all time and produced some truly cavalier performances.By a margin of a whisker I rate the Pakistan team of that era ahead led by Inthikab Alam.
If I had a gun on my head I would vote for Pakistan under Mushtaq Muhammad to be the best Asian team of all time.Just a whisker below would be Imran led leam of 1986-90 and a notch below Indian team of 2003-04.Imagine a combination of Majid,Zaheer,Sadiq,Asif,Mushtaq ,Raja and Imran with the likes of Wasim Bari batting last.I would rank this team ahead of Australia led by Greg Chappell later or maybe even South Africa under Grame Smith..The 1987 team blending the classical reverse swing of Imran and Wasim with the magical spin of Qadir.With Wasim and Waqar together .The 1987 -88 Pak team had the likes of Abdul Qadir batting last.In Javed Miandada and Salim Malik it had two of the best batsman ever in a crisis and in Imran it had close to the best ever skipper and all-rounder.Pakistan posessed a more deadly duo than Lillee-Thomson.
India had explosive talent in Zaheer Khan,Ishant Sharma,Jasprit Bhumra,Srinath,Kapil Dev,Bhuvanesh Kumar etc amongst pace bowlers but collectively it could never compare with Pakistan attack at it's best.What gave the bets Pakistani tames the cutting edge was the poise of their bowling attack,which propelled them to many a famous win.No doubt India's bowling attack of modern times is comparable to the best of all.
India never had as many genuine all-rounders as Pakistan in 1997 in the time of Azhar Mehmood.Abdur Razzaq and Wasim Akram.
Even at it's pinnacle India's batting in recent years comprising of the likes of Kohli,Rahane Pujara,Rahul,Pant etc does not match taht of yesteryear's.Infact with the bowlers of today the 1987 Indian team could have given the best Paksiatn teams a run for their money.
My list in order of merit.
1.Pakistan of 1976-79
2.Pakistan 1987-89
3.Pakistan 1996-99
4.India 2003-04
5.Pakistan 1982-83
6.India 2018-2019
7.India 2010-11
8.Pakistan 1971-74
9.India 1971-74
10.India 1986-89
Even at home I give Pakistan the marginal edge,even if India performed best ever by an team at home when beating Australia in 2001 and South Africa in 1996.
India's bowling was at it's best in 2018 in Australia followed by in Australia in 2007-08 or in England in 2014.Overall in terms of team balance India of 2002-2004 was the best ever Indian team.It's batting was very strong in terms of pure class or talent but still I feel the best Pakistani teams had more depth in 1977-79 and 1987-89.In terms of bowling attack even India's best did not match Pakistan in 1996-99 or 1986-88.The likes of Wasim-waqar-Saqlain or Wasim -Imran -Qadir made the Pakistani bowling attack one of the most potent of all time.Still India's batting depth of 1986-89 was in the same league as posessed by any Pakistani batting line up.
No Asian team had the collective middle order bating strength as India in 2003-04 with the likes of Tendulkar,Dravid,Laxman, Ganguly and Sehwag or in 1994-98 with Tendulkar,Azhar,Sidhu,Ganguly and Dravid.
In terms of pure achievement India has not equalled Pakistan's achievements under Mushtaq Muhammad from 1976-79 or under Imran Khan from 1986-89.India won formal world championship status when top sides like Australia or South Africa wee in decline .Pakistan's 2-1 loss in the Carribean in 1976-77morally to me surpassed India at it's best in Australia and Pakistan in 2003-04.
In 1971 India reached status of unofficial test champions when most teams were in state of decline.Nevertheless did posess the most potent spin attack of all time and produced some truly cavalier performances.By a margin of a whisker I rate the Pakistan team of that era ahead led by Inthikab Alam.
If I had a gun on my head I would vote for Pakistan under Mushtaq Muhammad to be the best Asian team of all time.Just a whisker below would be Imran led leam of 1986-90 and a notch below Indian team of 2003-04.Imagine a combination of Majid,Zaheer,Sadiq,Asif,Mushtaq ,Raja and Imran with the likes of Wasim Bari batting last.I would rank this team ahead of Australia led by Greg Chappell later or maybe even South Africa under Grame Smith..The 1987 team blending the classical reverse swing of Imran and Wasim with the magical spin of Qadir.With Wasim and Waqar together .The 1987 -88 Pak team had the likes of Abdul Qadir batting last.In Javed Miandada and Salim Malik it had two of the best batsman ever in a crisis and in Imran it had close to the best ever skipper and all-rounder.Pakistan posessed a more deadly duo than Lillee-Thomson.
India had explosive talent in Zaheer Khan,Ishant Sharma,Jasprit Bhumra,Srinath,Kapil Dev,Bhuvanesh Kumar etc amongst pace bowlers but collectively it could never compare with Pakistan attack at it's best.What gave the bets Pakistani tames the cutting edge was the poise of their bowling attack,which propelled them to many a famous win.No doubt India's bowling attack of modern times is comparable to the best of all.
India never had as many genuine all-rounders as Pakistan in 1997 in the time of Azhar Mehmood.Abdur Razzaq and Wasim Akram.
Even at it's pinnacle India's batting in recent years comprising of the likes of Kohli,Rahane Pujara,Rahul,Pant etc does not match taht of yesteryear's.Infact with the bowlers of today the 1987 Indian team could have given the best Paksiatn teams a run for their money.
My list in order of merit.
1.Pakistan of 1976-79
2.Pakistan 1987-89
3.Pakistan 1996-99
4.India 2003-04
5.Pakistan 1982-83
6.India 2018-2019
7.India 2010-11
8.Pakistan 1971-74
9.India 1971-74
10.India 1986-89
