The exciting nature of test cricket

Note, I am not mentioning every series that has been played in the time period I am covering.

Over the last few years we have seen 4 teams top the tree in world cricket.

Aus were number when India toured in a bad blooded series. Aus benefited from terrible umpiring to win the series 2-1, this was the start of India's rise. Although Aus won the series the close nature of the series meant that there was little to choose between the sides.

Meanwhile SA had toured India twice and had been denied a series victory in the last test on both ocasions. SA maintained a good record overseas which culminated in their first ever test series win in Australia. This propelled them to the top of the ICC test rankings, the first time any team but Australia had been No.1 since the rankings had been introduced.

SA held the top spot only briefly as they lost the home series to Aus immediately after their victory. India benefited from home series victories against Aus, Eng and SL to take top spot. Then in a No.1 deciding series India bounced back from a 1-0 deficit to draw away against SA. Despite winning away against SA, Aus had started their demise as more key players continued to retire; Lee, Hayden, Symonds and Gilchrist (retired after India home series 08).

India held the spot for 18 months with few outside sub con series. I think overall India and SA were well matched at this point and it was hard to choose which team was superior. As India's team aged they began to follow the same path as Australia.

England then destroyed Australia in the Ashes and I was very surprised and began taking a team I thought good but not great seriously. England then went on to whitewash India at home and cement their place as the number 1.

England had just routed two of the teams that had held the number one spot in the previous 2 years and were regarded as the best test team on earth. Had everyone forgotten about SA? Well, England had drawn with SA away, narrowly avoiding defeat on two occasions. Again it seemed hard to pick which side was superior, England having been on the back foot but showing true grit to level the series.

England were on a high, they had won the Ashes in Australia for the first time in a generation, had drawn away to whom some considered the best test team on earth and had emphatically taken the number 1 from India.

Cracks began to show when they played Pakistan. A team who weren't fancied due to their lowly ranking, bucketloads of controversy and probably the worst batting line up of the good teams in test cricket. However, on home soil(ish) Pakistan dominated the No.1 ranked team and brownwashed England 3-0. In their first series in Asia since becoming No.1 England showed what some England fans had feared, their batsmen were still vulnerable to high quality spin bowling on dusty pitches.

Despite their problems in the heat of the UAE many still fancied England to put on a good display in home conditions against SA. The first day of the series looked to prove this opinion right. The English batsmen reached 250odd for 3 on the first day and it seemed like the batting line up had picked up right where they had been during the Ind and Aus series. An extremely strong SA side began to exert their authority and SA inflicted one of the heaviest defeats ever seen in test cricket. SA went on the win the series 2-0 and retake the No.1 ranking.

There are two teams who have been at their lowest ebb in recent years, Australia humiliated in the Ashes and scandal after scandal damaging Pakistan. Yet, out of the Ashes (ho ho) these two sides have risen, with new look sides these 2 teams have began to pick up wins and climb up the rankings. Australia in particular have been quietly going about their business and now have the opportunity, unbelievably I know, to rise again to top of the rankings, as long as they can overcome SA at home.

Two key series are on the horizon, Ind vs Eng and Aus vs SA. We know already what the Aus vs SA series means but the Ind vs Eng series is crucial as well. Can England bounce back and banish their sub continental demons? Can India recover from the 4-0 whitewash against Aus in fortress India?

With an exciting year coming up in test cricket culminating in the Ashes is there agreement that SA are the best? Can India rebuild? What now for England? Is there cause for optimism in Australia after unearthing new fast bowling stock? Will Pakistan maintain a stable team and continue to peform at a high level? Will the volatile nature of test cricket mean that no one team will dominate the nest 5 years?

Upcoming series:

Ind vs NZ
Aus vs SA
Ind vs Eng
Aus vs SL
SA vs NZ
SA vs Pak
NZ vs Eng