why not go to SA? that seems a bit unfair, india haven't played many top teams outside india lately.
as long as SA is the biggest contender then until India can go to SA and win india cannot be considered a no.1 side in any meaningful sense.
Again untrue. It is not as if India deliberately don`t tour or that SA and Australia play tough opponents away from home. Seriously, this is getting annoying. Its all scheduled according to the FTP, not by the BCCI. Each team plays the other home and away as much as other sides. As a matter of fact, India have actually not faced two of the weakest test sides in Bangladesh and West Indies at home for sometime. The last time that the Windies came to India was in 2002 and Bangladesh have never toured India at all. That busts another myth about India not facing tough opponents. Other sides have all feasted on the West Indies and have recorded big series wins against them at home.
India faced SA,England and Australia away within the span of 12 months in 2007/08. That is the reason why they do no have a tour to SA/ENG/AUS scheduled till 2010 Dec and 2011. Nothing unfair in that. India will again face SA/England/Aus within a space of 12 months in late 2010 and 2011.
India are touring SA in Dec 2010 and will be touring England (June 2011) and Australia in Dec 2011. I doubt whether we will have any home series during that period but I don`t see anyone calling it unfair on India.
Why is it only necessary for India to win in SA to prove themselves while it becomes unfair on if the others fail to win on turning tracks in the subcontinent?
Also, England,Australia and SA all have a fixed home season while India don`t have the same these days. You do not see England or Australia compromising on their home season and are guaranteed at least 6/7 home tests every season which is`nt the case with India. It must be noted taht whenever we tour Australia, we are missing out on almost our entire home season. Same is the case with tours to SA.
aditya123 added 5 Minutes and 29 Seconds later...
I wouldn't be too fussed if India bring out the dust bowl. As long as its not a dead track or a track like in 01 against us.
2001 was one of the best test series ever in history. Those were superb test match wickets. Everyone got wickets on those, even McGrath and Gillespie. Australia crumbled under pressure and it had nothing to do with the pitches.
There is absolutely no way anyone can suggest that seamer friendly tracks are a lot better than turning tracks. You`ve got to have both skillsets to be considered a good test batsman.
aditya123 added 6 Minutes and 36 Seconds later...
There cannot be anything in this world which would favor everyone or please everyone, same with pitches.
To suggest that pitches in Australia,England, SA and NZ are good for spinners as well is trivial. Show me how spinners have done there and don`t bring in Warne or Murali into this. they are geniuses. In fact, even Murali has`nt done well in Australia. If you can accept pacemen doing better than spinners in those countres, you`ll have to accept that spinners do better than pacemen in the subcontinent. If anything, pace bowlers have also had success in the subcontinent, at least more than spinners have had in the above mentioned pitches.