India deserves to be No. 1 Test team: Gilchrist

[Beduin]

HYDERABAD: India deserves to be the top Test side as it is "way ahead" of any cricketing nation, wicket-keeping great Adam Gilchrist said.

"The one team that is a long way ahead of any other team is India, and deservedly so, is the number one ranking Test side in the world. I think it has been a long and hard journey for them. I think they deserve that success," he told reporters during a promotional event on Friday.

[Habib]

Wrong section.

[Dilscoop]

Gilly can suck up to them all he wants, India is not number one until they have at least 1 decent bowler. The only time their bowlers shines (mostly Zaheer) is when the other team is 250/1, well set and gives up and becomes careless. Example, last test, example allll the tests against SA few months ago. Batsmen were well set, Indian bowlers looked horrible, but once the batsman relaxed they came back in the game. When the batsmen are on fire, they can't do sh!t.

Not to mention their horrible athleticism on the field.

To me current #1 test side is SA, but only if they would stop choking. Good batsmen (Smith, Amla, AB, Kallis, JP, Prince), great seam attack (DS, Morkels, Parnell), great fielders all of em. Only thing they lack is 1 good spinner

[Naimul_Hd]

Yep. Wrong Section.

On topic: I am sure Gilly was asked repeatedly enough to say him to say that (forcefully). Indian media is one of the best to make you say what they want to hear. And IPL factor is there too. I even wont be surprised if Gilly says, "Dhoni is the all time Greatest Wicketkeeper/Captain/Player/Actor in the world" !

[shakibrulz]

Wrong section. And I agree with him.

[Ajfar]

will you guys quit whining about India's Number 1 position. Dilscoop is there any rule that say you have to have Dale Steyn or Mcgrath in your team before you can be the number 1 team in the world? It doesn't matter how they win, as long as they win. At the end of the day that's all it matters.

[shakibrulz]

Originally Posted by Dilscoop
Gilly can suck up to them all he wants, India is not number one until they have at least 1 decent bowler. The only time their bowlers shines (mostly Zaheer) is when the other team is 250/1, well set and gives up and becomes careless. Example, last test, example allll the tests against SA few months ago. Batsmen were well set, Indian bowlers looked horrible, but once the batsman relaxed they came back in the game. When the batsmen are on fire, they can't do sh!t.

Not to mention their horrible athleticism on the field.

To me current #1 test side is SA, but only if they would stop choking. Good batsmen (Smith, Amla, AB, Kallis, JP, Prince), great seam attack (DS, Morkels, Parnell), great fielders all of em. Only thing they lack is 1 good spinner

LOL @ batsmen throw their wickets away

India have done better than other teams with a relatively weak attack. They've earned every bit of it, so credit to them. On paper, SA might be balanced, but we've outplayed them, thanks to our batsmen and pretty decent bowlers.

[nobody]

how many team can win from 128/8 chasing 216 and the 'not out' proper batsman is half fit. Only the number one can. So India is definately number one - like it or not. They won not against Bangladesh or Zimbabawe but Australia albeit a weaker one than Gilly's era but still good for holding top three in test cricket after SA and India

[Neel Here]

not to forget drawing a series in sri lanka with the 3rd choice bowling attack.

but keep the whines coming, I like reading the sour grapes comments.
sure SA is No1, can't even stay undefeated at home against eng and aus !

[shakibrulz]

Originally Posted by Neel Here
not to forget drawing a series in sri lanka with the 3rd choice bowling attack.

but keep the whines coming, I like reading the sour grapes comments.
sure SA is No1, can't even stay undefeated at home against eng and aus !

But they beat the mighty windies at home

Some people are just hesistant to accept the fact that we are No.1, nevermind, understandable.

[Haru-party]

money* ipl*money lololol

[magic boy]

India in India is no 1 I agree anytime. and overall it requires at least few more years to dominate like what WI,Aus did.

[al Furqaan]

india is first ranked thats for sure...but disagree with gilly as to being "far ahead" of anyone.

india would struggle to beat us by an innings consistently, i don't see how they're far ahead of teams like south africa or even the aussies/england. in fact, i don't think they're ahead at all, despite what the ratings say.

nonetheless, while they may not tell the truth, numbers never lie either and thats what the ratings are based on, so india is definitely a top side, equal bests with the saffers and aussies and maybe england.

in another few years, we may see a clear cut number 1 team but its too early right now.

[BDTID]

Considering India is our main rivals (What I believe) You lot have been extreamly nice to them! lol

[BANFAN]

Indeed. They are the only team to be on the top of Test Championship table, Got the World Cup in Both ODI and T20 competions. None else has done it so far. Weldone India

[Ajfar]

^ that's not true. Pakistan did it too.

"They are the only team to be on the top of Test Championship table"

When ?

[zman]

i've got three words...Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

the guy's been in Bradmanesque form and as long as cricket remains the batsman's game it's evolved into, and SRT remains in the squad, I don't see any other team unseating India from their no. 1 position. if SRT is in the team India are always in with a chance regardless of who they're playing, where they're playing and in what the situation they're in.

[Ajfar]

banfan bhai my bad. I didnt see the test champinshionship table part I only saw the other part.

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[yaseer]

Originally Posted by Beduin

"The one team that is a long way ahead of any other team is India, and deservedly so, is the number one ranking Test side in the world. I think it has been a long and hard journey for them. I think they deserve that success," he told reporters during a promotional event on Friday.

Without saying this how can a promotional event be successful? Money talks!!

[Tigers_eye]

When you schedule lower ranks teams away tours (WI, NZ, BD) and get the stronger opponents at home (SA, Aus) certainly the numbers would be favorable. They deserve their ranking because of the results. However, they will have a hard time visiting SA or Aus.

As for ODIs, how many games did they lose at Zim?

[Beduin]

Probably after today's match at Bangalore the detractors of Indian team will keep their mouth shut, at least for a while. When Australia was at no 1 of ICC ranking, it was fine and justified but when India is there the ranking must be faulty. What is this- colonial hangover of licking white man's boots or plain subcontinental jealousy?

[Neel Here]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
When you schedule lower ranks teams away tours (WI, NZ, BD) and get the stronger opponents at home (SA, Aus) certainly the numbers would be favorable. They deserve their ranking because of the results. However, they will have a hard time visiting SA or Aus.

As for ODIs, how many games did they lose at Zim?

come on, it's only in SA that Ind had a hard time, even that series went a closely fought 2-1. in aus the last 2 series results are draw and a 1-2 loss, which for all cricketing purposes was a 2-1 win, given the shameful umpiring in the sydney test. not to forget the series win in england, where aus have lost the last ashes.
results against lower ranked teams generate proportionately lower points and it's not as if the other teams haven't had the same advantage. I wonder what south africa was doing in WI then or Aus against NZ and pak ? oh wait, why on earth does england have a couple of series against NZ and WI every year ?
when was the last time SA played in sri lanka ?
in their case it's "gentle englishmen trying to help the weaker sides" and when India plays them I guess it's "evil BCCI trying to get Ind to No1 spot" is that it ?

as for ODI's, the results of the junior side to zim or ICC rankings are irrelevant because we have a proper world cup there. whoever wins it has the right to brag about it for 4 years. australia is the current champion and we will get the name of the 2011 world champion a few months now. this thread is not about ODI's anyway.

[DJ Sahastra]

Whether India deserves to be the No. 1 team or not is a mute point - India is the no.1 team and by some margin. That can change in future and we will be more than modest to accept what happens then. But to those who want to hang on to "oh, but in my opinion, xyz should be the #1", well, opinions are like arseholes in that everyone has one. So lets stick to the reality the way it stands and the reality is, India has opened the gap between itself and the second best team by more than 10 points and that will take some beating.

India has more probability of winning in certain conditions, losing in certains conditions and holding on to its own in others. And so do other teams - all teams. And that is the reason why ICC has come up with some standard formula to calculate the rating points - and those rating points did not automatically make us the #1. We earned or held on to them in a fair manner and the results are there for all to see. Come november, if SA beats us, it has a fair chance of toppling us from the No.1 seat to become the new #1, the same way they had a chance when they were 1-0 against us going into the last test of their India visit. If they take their chances, they deserve their spot at the top and we will be the first to congratulate them. Until then, they haven't made their case. Not anymore than the team they out to dislodge.

[DJ Sahastra]

Originally Posted by Dilscoop
Gilly can suck up to them all he wants, India is not number one until they have at least 1 decent bowler.

No, India IS the No.1 team. It doesn't matter what Gilly thinks or you do. It also doesn't matter what is your definition of a decent bowler and whether the India has that 'decent bowler' or not. The last i read, Cricket was a team sport.

The only time their bowlers shines (mostly Zaheer) is when the other team is 250/1, well set and gives up and becomes careless. Example, last test, example allll the tests against SA few months ago. Batsmen were well set, Indian bowlers looked horrible, but once the batsman relaxed they came back in the game. When the batsmen are on fire, they can't do sh!t.

Rather, the Indian bowlers are not serious until the opponent seems to do something noteworthy. And when they get serious, they blow the opponent away. You see, that's another way of looking at the 250/1 and then less than 300 all out.

Not to mention their horrible athleticism on the field.

This is not an athletic event, you know.

To me current #1 test side is SA, but only if they would stop choking.

To me, Pakistan is the current #1 side, if they can stop getting distracted with all the money, or if they can find one decent batsman. But alas, pakistan is not. And neither is SA. You see, ifs and buts don't count.

Good batsmen (Smith, Amla, AB, Kallis, JP, Prince), great seam attack (DS, Morkels, Parnell), great fielders all of em. Only thing they lack is 1 good spinner

They always had good batsman, great seamers, great fielders. Ever wondered why they fail in every world cup? It is called "How you fare on THAT day".

[BANFAN]

Originally Posted by bangladesh_sy
banfan bhai my bad. I didnt see the test champinshionship table part I only saw the other part.

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It's ok Sy baba. Banfan is ok with that ... No prob