Toughest team in world cricket.

[expoking]

After another amazing display of resilience from India today i thought it would be a good time to bring this topic up. We have been criticised by many people for not being not true no 1's. While i understand some of the points they make, i do think we're the best test team. We are not the best because we dominate every team home or away like Australia did. We are the best because we are the toughest to beat, while SA, England and India are similarly matched India have shown a massive amount of mental strength and an incredible never say die attitude that nobody else in world cricket can match. We showed it in this test bouncing back from a thrashing and a lot of pressure from the press/opposition. We showed it against SA after being thrashed in Nagpur earlier this year and with the added pressure of losing our no 1 ranking. We showed it against Sri Lanka with the same pressure. We have won almost every CLOSE test match in the recent past. We are unbeaten in 2 years and HAVE ONLY LOST 1 HOME SERIES IN THE LAST DECADE. It gives me as a supporter an enormous amount of pride, when i see India against the ropes i have complete faith that they will bounce back. Whether you are an India fan or not don't EVER make the mistake of writing India off (**cough Graeme Smith cough**). We are like the Evander Holyfield of the cricket world!!

[Serani]

I think England are mentally tougher, Cardiff, Centurion and Cape Town recent examples where any other team would have lost. BUT THAT FAMOUS ENGLISH BULLDOG SPIRIT SHINES THROUGH.

[prinzo]

Win a test series in Australia and South Africa then you can say India is the toughest

[expoking]

Win a test series in Australia and South Africa then you can say India is the toughest

Hmm no. The definition of being the toughest team in the world is to be tougher than every other team, i believe India are. This thread is not about the places where India have not won.

[expoking]

I think England are mentally tougher' date=' Cardiff, Centurion and Cape Town recent examples where any other team would have lost. BUT THAT FAMOUS ENGLISH BULLDOG SPIRIT SHINES THROUGH.[/quote'] Fair enough that's your opinion, but India have many more than just 3 games where they have won/drawn under pressure and against the odds. India have achieved 7 such victories in the last 2 years by my count.

[goose]

Let's keep things in perspective. England have just gone 2*1 up against an Australia side ranked 5th. India matched Australia blow for blow in the 2003 and 2007 when they were still regarded as one of the greatest teams ever.

[Serani]

Going 2-0 down in 2007 does to count as going "blow for blow" thats getting knocked out and then winning some dead rubber....

[expoking]

You clearly didn't watch the series properly, Australia thrashed India in the first test at Melbourne but India matched them and arguably outplayed them the rest of the tour.

[Andy]

Win a test series in Australia and South Africa then you can say India is the toughest

No that wont do, we'll probably need to win a Test series in Afganisthan and America (When they'll start playing).

[Serani]

You clearly didn't watch the series properly' date=' Australia thrashed India in the first test at Melbourne but India matched them and arguably outplayed them the rest of the tour.[/quote'] India outplayed Australia in Perth. Going 2-0 down the series was over, dont even think about blaming umpires and crying about that like most of you still do

[Andy]

India outplayed Australia in Perth. Going 2-0 down the series was over, dont even think about blaming umpires and crying about that like most of you still do

How can a 4 match test series get over as early as the end of 2nd Test?

[Serani]

How can a 4 match test series get over as early as the end of 2nd Test?

Because they regained the BG trophy. India played well after the trophy was lost, well played.

[kabira]

^really you are funny...I mean here is your number 4 team beating number 5 team and you are calling them toughest team.. Even Pakis beat them do you know that??

[Andy]

Because they regained the BG trophy. India played well after the trophy was lost' date=' well played.[/quote'] A series drawn in AUS is no less than Beating AUS at home (India). We had to win the 3rd test to keep the hopes of 2003 alive where we drew a series in AUS. How many teams were able to repeat that feat or better before the saffers in 2009?

[expoking]

India outplayed Australia in Perth. Going 2-0 down the series was over, dont even think about blaming umpires and crying about that like most of you still do

See, that's what most Aussies and non-Indians say, 'India were just moaning and making excuses'. The truth is that there were at least 8 BLUNDERS that significantly changed the course of the game. I'm not a complainer, i have nothing against Steve Bucknor,i think the Indian reaction was extremely ott, i know that in cricket and sport in general not all decisions go your way this was something i have never seen the likes of before. The truth remains that those blunders severely changed the course of the game and the series. Even if you disregard the decisions it was still a very close test match, as was Perth and Adelaide. So 3 out of 4 close test matches, i would say that is 'blow for blow'.

[Serani]

Sydney was not close, at all. Australia were never in any kind of danger in the game, it was either a draw or Aussie win.

[expoking]

Sydney was not close' date=' at all. Australia were never in any kind of danger in the game, it was either a draw or Aussie win.[/quote'] Close was the wrong choice of words, tightly fought would be more appropriate.

[The Outsider]

Sydney was not close' date=' at all. Australia were never in any kind of danger in the game, it was either a draw or Aussie win.[/quote'] I bet that's what England thought at Adelaide in 2006. Australia were 70 runs behind on the first innings(not to mention that in their first innings they were 130/6 at one stage) and it was not until the Hussey-Symonds partnership in the second innings could you say they were not at risk of losing.

[Chalks]

[Bradman99]

Yeah India are the best team in the world. And I would rather them to be then England, put it that way.