By Anil - 25 March 2003
March 25 2003

India reached the World Cup final in SA but a rare off-day for them resulted in Australia being handed a win. After a year in which India also won the "other" World Cup (Champions Trophy), it is fair to ask if India is indeed the number 1 team in the world. In the other World Cup -- the Champions Trophy which was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka -- the conditions didn't suit Australia as well as South Africa, which have pitches, weather, and hemisphere closely approximating Australia. In the Mini World Cup, Australia were crushed by Sri Lanka in the semifinals, and the two teams that got to the final were Sri Lanka and India. The final was rained out, rescheduled, and the re-match also rained out the following day - however, there is no doubt whatsoever that India emerged winners in this tournament, after leading for much of the way before both final matches were cancelled.

In South Africa, which has conditions as different from Sri Lanka as possible, India again reached the final of the second World ODI cricket tournament in less than a year. On the way, it overwhelmed most of its opponents in one-sided matches -- something Australia simply could not do, being in losing positions against England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and even Kenya before clawing its way out of those positions. In the final, the lack of experience in the Indian team, which has an average age of 23 compared to the Aussies with an average age of 30, as well as a total off-day for the bowlers, meant that Australia was able to bat India out of the match.

Clearly, Australia cannot claim greatness unless it can compete in ALL conditions, and not just home conditions or conditions virtually identical to home. The Aussie team would freely admit, if you asked them, that if the World Cup had been held in Sri Lanka, a win would have been unlikely for them. In fact, we already know this to be the case given the results in the Champions Trophy, where all the cricket playing countries participated.

The best team ever in cricket, Test or ODI -- the Windies team of the 70's and 80's -- were able to win regardless of the conditions. In fact they were able to beat India in India comprehensively, something the Aussies have failed at time and time again, and something they desperately want to do but seem incapable of, with Steve Waugh repeatedly claiming that after losing their last several Test series there, this is his only remaining goal.

In addition, India won several other tournaments last year, including the Natwest Trophy against England and Sri Lanka in England, and the ODI series against the West Indies in the West Indies. Australia, however, have had a poor year, losing two tournaments at home: one a tri-series involving New Zealand and South Africa, the other against Pakistan on bouncy tracks that saw Shoaib Akhtar run through their batsmen on their own turf, apart from the semifinal loss in the Champions Trophy.

Considering this record, it would seem clear that India hold the upper hand over the Aussies when it comes to current world rankings. Until Australia can win convincingly in the Indian subcontinent, its claims to being the best team of today will ring hollow and sound like cheap self-praise to most cricket fans.

By contrast, India got to the final in South African conditions that were diametrically opposite to home conditions, and also won in the Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka, as well as almost every away tournament. As the only team to get to the final in both "World Cups" in completely different conditions, and winning one of them, India can be ranked number 1.

Meanwhile, South Africa which suffered early defeats in both world tournaments, certainly cannot lay claim to the number 2 spot, and is in the bottom half of the rankings. Sri Lanka, which got to the late stages of both world tournaments, can claim the number 3 spot.

Based on the performances of all the teams over the last one year, here is the ranking of the ODI teams:

1. India
2. Australia (just behind)

-- lots of daylight --

3. Sri Lanka
4. West Indies
5. Kenya
6. New Zealand
7. South Africa
8. England
9. Pakistan
10. Zimbabwe