Since 2005, test cricket has surely come a long way. There has been no utter domination by just one side. Rather, several teams have seen great highs and lows. Before 2005, it was Australia, who ruled the rankings and had made that numero uno rank their own. But since the last ten years, as many as 4 teams were ranked number one. That just speaks about the ever increasing competition within test cricket.
Australia ruled the rankings till late 2009, and from late 2009 to mid 2011, it were the Indians who stood at the top with some fine performances. After whitewashing India 4-0 at home, England jumped to the first spot and seemed to have earned the rank. Nonetheless, England’s dominance at the top couldn’t last for more than 12 months, as the Proteas besieged them from the first spot to make it their own thriving position. Since mid 2012, the number one rank in test matches has only been associated with the South Africans. The Australians did hold the rank for a month in early 2014, but the Proteas once again held the mace after thrashing Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.
A span of 10 years is surely a long time to assess the capability and the performance of a test side. Thus, it is only fair to segregate the teams as per the success they have achieved. Since 1st January 2005, Australia has been the most successful test side. In this case, to gauge the success of a team, we are just considering the total number of matches won. Considering that criteria, the men from Down Under rule the roost.
In the last 10 years, the Australians have played 116 test matches, and have won 65 games. The Aussies have a healthy win percentage of 56.03%. Their win loss ratio is equally phenomenal at 2.166 wins / per loss. A major reason behind such fascinating numbers has been the leadership of Ricky Ponting. Ponting led Australia till early 2011, and in this period, he achieved stupendous success. With the likes of Hayden, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey and Gilchrist flourishing with the bat, there was no worry from the batting front for the Kangaroos. The bowling department too was well settled as McGrath and Warne were lethal. The Aussies were also successful in finding able replacements for their retired individuals as new faces stepped up to the occasion.
Following the Australians, and at the second slot are the English. England have won 54 games out of the total 130 matches they played in. Among the span considered, England surely enjoyed playing at home. Away from home, their record isn’t too fascinating. The likes of Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen and James Anderson have been the pillars of the England side. While Cook, and Pietersen led their batting onslaught, it was the deadly duo of Anderson and Broad which did the trick with the ball. The success achieved by Graeme Swann with his off spin shouldn’t be forgotten either.
The third position belongs to the South Africans, who currently are the number one test side. The South Africans simply flourished under the influential leadership of Graeme Smith. A key highlight of South Africa has been that their overseas record has been simply phenomenal. The win loss ratio for South Africa in overseas has been 2.22. The second best win loss ratio in overseas test matches is almost half of South Africa’s figure! For South Africa, the emergence of Dale Steyn as one of the world’s greatest bowlers of all time was significant. Along with Steyn, AB De Villiers too burst on to the international arena, to place himself in the record books. The development of Hashim Amla into a serious run machine was another boon for the Proteas.
At number 4 are the Indians who have had a decent outing in test cricket since the last 10 years. Out of 106 games, the Indians have won 41 games and their winning percentage is 38.7%. The Indian side held the test mace for 18 months, before their misery in overseas test matches commenced. The Indians were beaten for 8 consecutive overseas tests from mid 2011 to early 2012. However, their strong show at home makes up for that.
The fifth most successful test side has been Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankans have been driven by audacious individual performers who have risen up to the challenge. The duo of Sangakkara and Jayawardene has piled up the runs at a jaw dropping rate. From the bowling perspective, Murlitharan and Herath were the key contributors. But like India, their overseas record has been pathetic while their performance at home has been brilliant,
Below is the table depicting the most successful test sides since the last 10 years.
|
Team |
Matches |
Won |
Lost |
Draw |
Win % |
WL Ratio |
|
Australia |
116 |
65 |
30 |
21 |
56.03 |
2.166 |
|
England |
130 |
54 |
39 |
37 |
41.54 |
1.384 |
|
South Africa |
96 |
50 |
24 |
22 |
52.08 |
2.083 |
|
India |
106 |
41 |
30 |
35 |
38.68 |
1.366 |
|
Sri Lanka |
91 |
35 |
29 |
27 |
38.46 |
1.206 |