India are the number one ranked cricket side in the world.
The ICC say so.
Rankings are obvious as important to cricket as my asshole is to your next meal.
India have done well of recent times, but away from home they are just ok.
India’s record home and away the last time they played teams for the last 4ish years:
Aus lost away, won home.
Bangladesh won away, won home.
England won away, won home
New Zealand won away, Kiwis hate India
Pakistan lost away, won home
South Africa lost away, drew home
Sri Lanka lost away, won home
West Indies won away, won home
India’s record against everyone bar Australia and South Africa is number 1 worthy.
But if they can’t beat Australia or South Africa away, or even beat South Africa at home, they are hardly the number one side.
Four series for one victory. Not great.
Also their away record, one that has always pissed off their fans.
If you take out Bangladesh, they have lost half of their away tours.
South Africa’s record in the same time:
Australia, won away, lost home
Bangladesh won away, won home
England won away, KP doesn’t like going home
India drew away, won home
New Zealand, don’t like lamb, won home
Pakistan won away, won home
Sri Lanka lost away, Sri Lanka don’t seem to tour SA
West Indies don’t like reggae music, won home
What is the problem here? South Africa don’t play enough test cricket.
There are four incompletes here, and amazingly one of them is not Pakistan. All of them are very winnable. Surely this is the reason they are not number one.
I would never try and understand the test ranking system, but it amazes me that a team that has two series in that time would not be number one and a team that has lost 4 series would be.
Perhaps if South Africa had played a few more test series in that time, instead of playing Australia all the time, they might be number one.
This year South Africa will play six test matches.
Next year India is scheduled to play two test matches against Bangladesh.
What a way to defend your title.
I have said it before, there should probably be no number one side at the moment, no one really deserves it. India because of away losses, South Africa because they don’t play all the countries. Australia because they keep losing. Sri Lanka because they lose away and almost never play. And England, because.
Although, I am quite happy that South Africa aren’t number one.
If I have missed anything, or got something wrong, feel free to buy my book so I can afford a fact checker.
