I don't rate India a long-term No.1 - Ian Chappell

[Don Sharma]

Former Australian captain and leading commentator Ian Chappell has said India don't have the resources to retain their No.1 spot in the ICC Test rankings for a long enough period to emulate Australia and the great West Indies teams of the past. Chappell said that India's batting alone will not sustain them and to do so, they will have to unearth a couple of champion bowlers. Chappell and former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar aired their views in Time Out, Cricinfo's new fortnightly audio show hosted by the leading commentator Harsha Bhogle. India bagged the top ranking from Australia after beating Sri Lanka 2-0 in the three-Test series at home last month. India jumped from No. 3 to No.1 for first time since the rankings came into place in May 2001. Manjrekar said a big reason for India's success is the arrival of a strong opening pair in Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, and the ability to adjust to foreign conditions. "It's a huge asset to have, a stable opening pair. I noticed a change in India's batting around the time Sourav Ganguly was leading India, John Wright was in charge, and I saw India playing on foreign pitches," Manjrekar said. "I found that the new generation of Indian batsmen could play the pull shot, the cut shot, and they were pretty good against the short deliveries." However, Chappell felt that India have completed only half the job of being a well-rounded team. "I don't think great teams are built on opening batting partnerships. But to me, there is a far more important thing, and this is one reason why I don't rate India as a long-term No.1, " Chappell said. "I think you have got to have two champion bowlers in your line-up to be a long-term successful cricket team. That is where India is falling down at the moment. "When I look at the averages and the strike-rates for India in the last 12 months, I don't see two champion bowlers. In fact, I am struggling to find one champion bowler in that line-up. They've got some good bowlers. Sure, they have got a very good batting line-up, but the bowling is really not good enough to see them win consistently all around the world." Over the last two years, India have played 20 Tests, winning nine and losing three. Three of those wins have come against Australia, including one in Perth during their last tour in 2007-08. Chappell acknowledged that India had performed above themselves in the last two tours of Australia, but their success would have tasted much better had they beaten them while they were still a major force in international cricket. Since the collective retirement of their champion players like Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Justin Langer and later Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, Australia haven't produced the same level of consistency in results. "I would have thought it was a greater achievement if they had caught up with Australia while Australia was still very much a great side, rather than waiting for Australia to come back to the field," Chappell said. "That to me has been the disappointing thing. It seems to me that the other teams have almost thrown their hands and said that 'it's hard to beat them, we will just wait for them to fall back and then we will catch them'." ============================================ PS I am not sure if there is a thread on this already, if so, mods, please merge it.

[Sachinism]

Don't blame him for saying that, the way our bowlers have bowled lately has been a bit of a joke. WRT catching up with Aus, well he gave them a good run for their money while they were still a really strong side

[DomainK]

Okay Ian, whatever you think. BTW, we are no1 and you can not do much about that.

[kabira]

I stopped reading his article after Mirror Mirror article. Can he write similar article for ponting

[Fontaine]

He's right. Two years ago India had bright hopes with Ishant and Zaheer as pretty solid new ball partnership. Combined with some exciting talented players like Sreesanth, RP etc. However, it's all gone downhill from there. But the one thing I will say is that India are completely different when bowling ODI and Test cricket. From what we've seen in the tests, India have much more focus, and intensity in their bowling in Tests.

[King Tendulkar]

Well the rankings rate India, so up yours Chappell! Also who needs bowling:cantstop: When you have the production line of galitico batting that we do, we just post 600+ declared and the bowlers no matter how pants they are chip away and get the 20 wickets eventually!:--D We have changed test cricket. The old adage that bowlers win test matches is over. India has developed a new method of batsman winning matches!

[Sachinism]

I have a conspiracy theory. All 'white' cricketing nations are jealous of India's power within the ICC and on the field. So they've got together and decided to constantly write sh!t about India, whether its true or not, whether they believe it or not, or whether it makes sense of not. As Fontaine stated, we bowl a lot better in Tests than ODI's yet these so called cricketing experts use ODI performances to decide how the rankings should be in Test cricket. None of these so-called experts ever brought up flaws in the ICC ranking system, but as soon as India make it to number 1, they're all out in arms. These ****ers need to deal with it we are number one and hopefully we'll be there for a while.

[vvvslaxman]

Captain obvious. Nobody rates any team as long term no.1.

[Chalks]

dsr, on our pattas we might not need good in-form bowlers, but when we play in South Africa, England and Australia in the next two years, we will. :orderorder: Having said that, I don't see why we can't stay #1 for a little bit longer than Chappelli thinks. Our purported main rivals for that spot aren't exactly doing themselves any favours right now. Saf are struggling against England at home, Aus showing signs of fragility even against lesser teams, SL only being formidable at home, and England still a long way back in the rankings, despite the crowing of Atherton, Hussain & others.

[EnterTheVoid]

I have to agree with Chappel here, the No. 1 test ranking is looking like a game of musical chairs, especially with South Africa and Australia breathing down our necks, seperated by what, only a handful of points.

[Sachinism]

I have to agree with Chappel here' date=' the No. 1 test ranking is looking like a game of musical chairs, especially with South Africa and Australia breathing down our necks, seperated by what, only a handful of points.[/quote'] Yeh with SA strugglnig against England and Aus struggling against poyz. How can India be number 1

[King Tendulkar]

Well when we pile on 500 to 600+ overseas. That will be loads for our bowlers to work with on their alleged bowler friendly tracks, plus the scoreboard pressure is to much. Our bowers are actually decent, especially on bowler friendly tracks. In fact I would say that with the end of Kumble and Warne, plus the basic already end of murali. That we have the best spinner in the world at the moment, in Bhai:giggle: Plus add the sultan of swing in ZK with a rejuventaed Sree means we are actually ok! WE are No 1 and will remains so for years. Up yours Chappell

[EnterTheVoid]

Yeh with SA strugglnig against England and Aus struggling against poyz. How can India be number 1

Time will tell how long we will remain No. 1

[Sachinism]

Time will tell how long we will remain No. 1

True. I'm just sick of these fk-wits whining about India being number one.

[Ram]

I would have thought it was a greater achievement if they had caught up with Australia while Australia was still very much a great side, rather than waiting for Australia to come back to the field," Chappell said.

God knows what he means by this. If we flip his logic, we can very well say it would have been greater achievement had Australia caught up with the West Indies while the windies were very much a great side, rather than waiting for the Windies to degenerate before claiming the no.1 spot.. Anyways, the best possible reply that we can give to these arm-chair critics is to keep winning and making sure we continue to stay in that no.1 spot. Btw, how much I do NOT want to see this show;

Chappell and former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar aired their views in Time Out, Cricinfo's new fortnightly audio show hosted by the leading commentator Harsha Bhogle

Chappell is an old fart, Manjrekar is a gutless 'Yessir' type and Bhogle is a motor mouth suffering from an uncontrolled bout of self-obsession.

[vvvslaxman]

Chappell is an old fart, Manjrekar is a gutless 'Yessir' type and Bhogle is a motor mouth suffering from an uncontrolled bout of self-obsession.

:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:

[putrevus]

No side becomes the mighty West indies/Australia overnight, didn't Australia take small baby steps by beating West Indies in 1995 then after 1999 only they started their domination so it took like 4 years for them to establish as clear no1, so why are we in a hurry to make or break India's reign as no1 in a hurry. And This statement from Ian Chappell that India needs a all rounder to be no1 is just bogus.Did Australia and West Indies have all rounders.Australia didn't even have a dominant tear way fast bowler.They had Warne and Mcgrath along with strong supporting cast. As Ian was pointed out India did not catch Australia in Ranking rather it waited for Australia to fade to get to no1, was it not the case with Australia too, did it not wait for West Indies to fade away to become No1.How soon they forget their history. What is with this guy Manjerakar,His comments show why he was symbol of India's failures in 1990s the way he talks in reverence about fast bowling attacks and his lack of confidence becomes so apparent. Pakistan had Waqar/Wasim in their prime in 1990s did they dominate world cricket no because their batting never had anybody who could bat away from pakistan. for Ian to make such stupid comment how you need a champion bowler in full of ****.

[Karan114]

We have a powerful batting line-up, seamers who can do the job in the right conditions, a varied group of spinners (we may criticize them as fans, but they are superior to anything the other countries have), reliable catchers in the slips and a fine captain who leads us well. Just having a champion bowler is not enough. Druggie Asif has 81 wickets from 16 Tests but how many games has Pakistan won since his return? He could not prevent a 2-0 defeat to Australia and only rain prevented a 2-1 defeat in New Zealand. Chappell and his ilk can burn in their jealousy, but India is the NUMBER ONE Test nation and will remain there for quite some time to come, looking at teams like South Africa who are struggling to even draw home series.

[saneindian]

I am simply lovinnnnn it. The heartburn that a lot of people are getting from our number 1 ranking makes me feel so happy. All these idiots were silent when SA became the number 1 team last year. Had SA beaten SL, Ind or Eng away from home in their last series? Did they have a good spinner? No, but the ranking was working fine till then, and heavens have fallen since India became the number 1 team! Did anyone question Aussies dominance till 2004 (they beat SL and Ind only in 2004-05)? Mr Chappel struggles to find a chamion bowler in Team India, but who cares. Our bowlers work as a unit in test matches, keep taking 20 wickets and keep winning tests for us. I will have a "bowling unit" winning us test matches anyday over a set of champion bowlers who cant win a test for their side.

[zen]

The point Ian Chappell is missing out is that not many expect Ind to dominate the decade or be #1 like Australia or WI did when they were super teams. It's like he is manufacturing those criteria to air stuff against India What folks are happy about is Ind becoming #1 for the first time and that too despite lacking bowling fire power that he is talking about. Many teams can become #1 with players like he described but what's creditable is that India managed to become #1 with the resources it has, by putting in that extra effort, by making up for weaknesses with getting most out of its strengths, etc