Which is the second best team in tests?

[idleguy]

Leaving apart the ratings and rankings, which could be termed the second best test team on current form?

[Mohsin]

Dude U haven't mention in which form of th game ........One days or Tests
if u ask Test then surely England but in onedays NEW Zealand is second best surely

[Occasional Fan]

Come on, Mohsin, old chap! Give the chap a break! He is asking about tests (see the title of his post).

[Ernest]

I can't vote, because the options dont allow for my choice of second best team in the world.


Not according to the rankings yet,but I think England are the best team in the world, others will not agree, but for the sake of argument, I would see Australia, or India being the second best team in the world, I am going for India, because of superior batting, and the fact some mane australian bowlers are ageing.

[Mohsin]

If u think England the best team at the moment then it is mistake ,how many years ago they last won in ashes or they gave a good fight against the briiliant aussies.? No team is near them ........they are far ahead of everyone in both forms of game .

[Ernest]

Hi Mohsin

You are talking in the past, 2 things, when England last played Australia, we had a great hope in Simon Jones, and you must admit, he was the victim of an awful injury, to add to that Flintoff was not fit.

IMHO the next the next time we play Australia, things are reversed, England have at the moment the best player in the world, Andrew Flintoff, the like has not been seen since Botham and Kapil Dev.we are a unit, used to winning,as for the Australians, well McGrath, has nothing going for him, he is aging, and has a far worse spur than Flintoff, this is all in MHO, but facts speak for themselves.
I would not at this moment rate Australia, for definate 2nd to England, they need to transform, they have no Flintoff,or Tendulkar, or for that matter Pollock.

They have Ponting and Warne, but the likes of Lara, well it's history now but he could not stop England,despite his record 400

[Nikhil]

Originally Posted by ernest

I can't vote, because the options dont allow for my choice of second best team in the world.

Not according to the rankings yet,but I think England are the best team in the world, others will not agree, but for the sake of argument, I would see Australia, or India being the second best team in the world, I am going for India, because of superior batting, and the fact some mane australian bowlers are ageing.

Australia are still the best team in the world. England are second best (at the most). I would like to go by the official rankings and they clearly show Aussies are head and shoulder above the rest. Infact, England are marginally better than a host of cricket playing nations.

If England's performace in one year makes you so euphoric, see what the Aussies have done in the past four years. They have done the same and more every day in-and-out for the last four years. England are playing good, but I will be surprised to see them beat Sri Lanka at home 3-0. That's not possible, something the Aussies did not so long ago.

Aussies don't have Flintoff, but they don't need one at the moment. Btw, Aussies have one of their own all-rounders in Adam Gilchrist. Clearly the Aussie batting line-up is better than England and I will take McGrath, Warne and Gillispie over Harmison, Giles and Hoggard(or Flintoff) any day.

You can not compare the WI cricket team with Australia. That would make anyone look really dumb.

I know England are playing well, but I will dismiss the notion of England being the best team as ridiculous.

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Nikhil

Australia are still the best team in the world. England are second best (at the most). I would like to go by the official rankings and they clearly show Aussies are head and shoulder above the rest. Infact, England are marginally better than a host of cricket playing nations.

You are entitled to your opinion, official rankings are never really up to date, England marginally better, well you will have to take West Indies, and New Zealand out of the pack anyway

Originally Posted by Nikhil

If England's performace in one year makes you so euphoric, see what the Aussies have done in the past four years.

I am not euphoric, hopefull and realistic, and what the Ausies have done in the last 4 years as well as success, is age.

Originally Posted by Nikhil

Aussies don't have Flintoff, but they don't need one at the moment. Btw, Aussies have one of their own all-rounders in Adam Gilchrist. Clearly the Aussie batting line-up is better than England and I will take McGrath, Warne and Gillispie over Harmison, Giles and Hoggard(or Flintoff) any day.

Adam Gilchrist is not as good as Flintoff, IMO, we will see how good the Aussie batting line up is, when they face a decent bowling line up.
So you think an old injured crock like McGrath is going to be a force, I would doubt that, he has undergone surgery for the same condition as Flintoff, but worse,and he is ageing, and being you like stats and ratings that much, Harmison is no1 in the world. the only Australian bowler England have to fear is Warne

Originally Posted by Nikhil

You can not compare the WI cricket team with Australia. That would make anyone look really dumb.

I know England are playing well, but I will dismiss the notion of England being the best team as ridiculous.

I am not compairing the West Indies to Australia, so I believe I am not dumb, but are you forgetting England whitewashed New Zealand 3 - 0, after all the hype how good they where.

Nikhil there is a best team in the world, you believe it is Australia, I think they have been brilliant, but are aging and past thier day, so I believe England are the best, weather you think I am rediculous or not

[Pete]

Eng aren't better than the Aussies. Let's just take it one step at a time, we've got to beat the South Africans and then beat the Australians.

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Pete

Eng aren't better than the Aussies. Let's just take it one step at a time, we've got to beat the South Africans and then beat the Australians.

Well Pete I am going on age, 4 bowlers in the top 20, harmison at 1, I think South Africa may well be a sterner test than Australia, Look what happened to the ageing Windies, who would ever have thought it.