By ICF Staff
April 10 2009

Following its decisive away victory over New Zealand, India ranks number 2 after rapidly-fading Australia on the Test rankings, with South Africa nipping at its heels.

Dan Vettori's Kiwi team must have an impressive rain dance.

With most of day 5 of the third Test rained out, what should have been a massive victory for the tourists was avoided, but only by 2 wickets, due to heavy rains after lunch. A half-hour would have been sufficient to provide a result, but it was not to be.

Had Ishant Sharma held on to a sitter, or Australian umpire Simon Taufel upheld a clearly out LBW appeal from the Indians, the margin of victory could have been 2-0 instead of 1-0.

But the series was won, and the Kiwis admitted to being throughly outplayed by India. The Test victory came after a 3-1 thumping in the ODIs by the Indians.

Gautam Gambhir, who was the Man of Series and Man of Match, has confirmed his reputation as one of the top batsmen in the world.

Sachin Tendulkar showed that he is still a force to be reckoned with, turning in consistent performances in every match.

Zaheer Khan bowled with great hostility and success throughout the series, as did Harbhajan Singh who was the highest wicket taker for India and turned in his best away performance.

Mahendra Dhoni has now won most of the Tests in which he has led India. Indeed, in the one Test he missed due to injury, India did well to draw after faltering in the first innings. His appointment as captain in every form of the game has yielded impressive gains for India, which now would be favored to win against any team both at home and abroad.

India jump up rankings after NZ tour

Discussion started by Indian Cricket Fever (IP Logged), 10/04/2009 11:21

Indian Cricket Fever
10/04/2009 11:21

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anu_d
10/04/2009 13:22

I thought India has risen to number 1 ?

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anu_d
10/04/2009 13:39

Oh maan I thought we were number 1...but unfortunately, but for Dhoni's doomed declaration we would have been atleast #2...we are lingering at #3 though


Dubai, Apr 7 (PTI) India might have clinched a historic Test series triumph

over New Zealand but the team did not gain from it in the ICC rankings,

remaining static at the third spot in the latest list issued today.
Rain and stubborn New Zealand resistance led by centurion Ross Taylor

prevented India from gaining a point and keeping up the pressure on South

Africa, the side directly above it in the Test Championship table.

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Max
10/04/2009 14:02

^ With any other captain than Dhoni, India would have probably lost the series, or at best drawn it. As we saw in the 2nd Test when Sehwag was captain, and earlier Tests under Kumble I'm sure all genuine Indian fans are happy with the 1-0 victory, and the fact that their team is lucky enough to have such a brilliant captain.

India - World Cup winners 2011!!!
Champions Trophy winners 2013!!!
Congrats to Indian team and all Indian fans!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:04:10:14:04:04 by Max.

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Spirit of Cricket
10/04/2009 14:44

Rankings are subjective, and the ICC's is simply wrong.

As Rediff puts it,

---

The ICC scheme reckoned that big underdogs New Zealand actually did rather well to hold the series loss to just 1-0 -- that's also why New Zealand's points went up from 81 to 82 despite the defeat. Sadly, this argument doesn't take into account how much harder it is for a Gautam Gambhir to move from Ferozshah Kotla to Basin Reserve and score what should have been a match winning century.

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anu_d
10/04/2009 14:59

If every man and his dog can follow their own rankings .....then many will go by Amul Butter rankings ..according to whihc India is 4th

www.cricket.amul.com/

OR Bossini cricket ratings according to whiohc India may be a diffrent number.
Or ESPN ratings

Unfortunately there is only one recognized ratings.

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anu_d
10/04/2009 15:02

Quote:

Max
^ With any other captain than Dhoni, India would have probably lost the series,

==>>You are right

or at best drawn it.


==>>Nope we would have lost it

As we saw in the 2nd Test when Sehwag was captain, and earlier Tests under Kumble

==>>True..completely agree with you


I'm sure all genuine Indian fans are happy with the 1-0 victory,


==>>Very True...evenrybody is happy with a historic Indian win in NZ


and the fact that their team is lucky enough to have such a brilliant captain.

===>>>OK

BUT....all that said...he sc.rewed up the declarationm and will be duly criticized.

The historic wins do not mask a screw-up

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kappax
10/04/2009 15:24

can u move on and stop sounding like a broken record...

yawn...

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anu_d
10/04/2009 19:19

Quote:

kappax
can u move on and stop sounding like a broken record...
==>>OK same to you

yawn...

==>>what is that?

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kappax
10/04/2009 23:32

u haven't grown up from kindy too...

sigh..

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jusarrived
10/04/2009 23:50

>>>Sadly, this argument doesn't take into account how much harder it is for a Gautam Gambhir to move from Ferozshah Kotla to Basin Reserve and score what should have been a match winning century.

^

if GG or any other Indian batsmen find adapting to different conditions , its only their problem ...good teams win matches , no matter what the conditions are ...do we use the same argument when teams like NZ , SA and Aus play on our turning tracks ?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:04:10:23:50:55 by jusarrived.

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Spirit of Cricket
11/04/2009 00:07

> if GG or any other Indian batsmen find adapting to
> different conditions , its only their problem ...good
> teams win matches , no matter what the conditions are

Oh, nobody's arguing that.

But it's a fact, isn't it, that most teams do better at home than overseas? Especially in conditions very different than what they experience at home (weather, pitches, etc.)

For example, Sri Lanka are lions at home and @#$%& abroad. Australia find it a lot harder to beat India in India than in Australia. England can beat India in England a lot easier than in India. And so forth.

Clearly, it is far easier to excel in home conditions than overseas. And when overseas means NZ, as opposed to Sri Lanka, that even more different to our guys.

That's all they are pointing out, and it's valid.

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