India's debacle in overseas Tests against top teams

[Adarsh]

They beat England in 2007. And at least they won a Test match in most of their overseas tours including SA 2006, England 2002 (drawn series), Australia 2004 (again, drawn) etc.

They also registered their first series win in Pakistan ever. Drew a series in Sri Lanka with Murali present (I think only the Aussies managed to do that, no ?).

So in the lead up to the Number 1 spot, which took them from 2001 to 2009 to achieve India's overseas performance was very respectable and their performance at home was extremely strong. So yes, I'd say they did deserve to reach the number 1 spot. It was always apparent that they weren't going to stay there for long since the disparity between them and other countries was very small.

 

[War]

Even in recent years, including the run which lead to India becoming world number ones, India haven't been exceptionally successful over seas:


India in South Africa Test Series 2006/07 South Africa 2-1 (3)
India in Bangladesh Test Series 2007 India 1-0 (2)
Pataudi Trophy (India in England) 2007 India 1-0 (3)
Pakistan in India Test Series 2007/08 India 1-0 (3)
Border-Gavaskar Trophy (India in Australia) 2007/08 Australia 2-1 (4)
South Africa in India Test Series 2007/08 drawn 1-1 (3)
India in Sri Lanka Test Series 2008 Sri Lanka 2-1 (3)
Border-Gavaskar Trophy (Australia in India) 2008/09 India 2-0 (4)
Pataudi Trophy (England in India) 2008/09 India 1-0 (2)
India in New Zealand Test Series 2008/09 India 1-0 (3)
Sri Lanka in India Test Series 2009/10 India 2-0 (3)
India in Bangladesh Test Series 2009/10 India 2-0 (2)
South Africa in India Test Series 2009/10 drawn 1-1 (2)
India in Sri Lanka Test Series 2010 drawn 1-1 (3)
Border-Gavaskar Trophy (Australia in India) 2010/11 India 2-0 (2)
New Zealand in India Test Series 2010/11 India 1-0 (3)
India in South Africa Test Series 2010/11 drawn 1-1 (3)
India in West Indies Test Series 2011 India 1-0 (3)
Pataudi Trophy (India in England) 2011 England 4-0 (4)

As you can see, the vast majority of test series' they have won "away" have either been in the subcontinent or the WI...all teams you would expect India to beat. Against England, SA and Australia they don't register a single overseas win. So the inclusion of D Fletcher isn't that big an issue.

Ye i was just about to say this, the hammering in 2011 to me were long overdue.

Since AUS ceased being # 1 after the 2006/07 Ashes (although the flawed ranking system didn't take it away from them until 2009/10 when they lost at home to S Africa).

India's flawed rise to # 1 since 2007 was built on home wins and away wins to weak teams.

 

[War]

They beat England in 2007. And at least they won a Test match in most of their overseas tours including SA 2006, England 2002 (drawn series), Australia 2004 (again, drawn) etc.

They also registered their first series win in Pakistan ever. Drew a series in Sri Lanka with Murali present (I think only the Aussies managed to do that, no ?).

So in the lead up to the Number 1 spot, which took them from 2001 to 2009 to achieve India's overseas performance was very respectable and their performance at home was extremely strong. So yes, I'd say they did deserve to reach the number 1 spot. It was always apparent that they weren't going to stay there for long since the disparity between them and other countries was very small.

India were never # 1. The flawed ranking system fooled you. After AUS's era ended after the 2006/07 - both IND and S Africa were the equal to best teams in the form based on series wins since February 2007 - august 2011.

England won in Sri Lanka 2000/01 with murali present.

Also yes no doubt during the 2000-20009 compared to India's terrible away record in its history, those 10 years squashed the premise of them being "lions at home and cats overseas" by being more solid overseas. So of course Indian fans would be proud of this improvement.


But they didn't win many major away series. If AUS had that record overseas during a decade, I'd be pretty disappointed.

That 2007 Eng series win is hardly worth talking about either, given how injury ravaged that ENG team was in the bowling department. A full-strength ENG bowling unit just whitewashed IND, which makes that 07 win look like a joke.

Its the same thing that happened during the 1970s. In 1971 India caught won that rain affected series 1-0, when it would have at least ended 1-1, then when they came back to England in 1974 with basically the same team, without weather interruptions, they were whitewashed 3-0.

 

[cricket_icon]

^^^ You are spot on War and a lot of India's "away" wins (in terms of series') not only came against weak teams but in subcontinental conditions. Outside of Asia, they have been slightly better than normal but that doesn't count for much. Apart from the win in England (2007) they haven't won a single series out side of Asia.

 

[puddleduck]

yes no doubt during the 2000-20009 compared to India's terrible away record in its history

If you don't mind War, who wins the Grand National next year?