How Good is This English Team – Cricket
England are crowned as world champions in cricket, but in real terms this team is not a patch on the great Auusie team of 1948 and the West Indies team of Clive Lloyd.
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Image via Wikipedia
Image via Wikipedia
England have beaten India 4-0 and claimed the title of the world’s best test cricket team. But in all liklihood this team does not look like it can sustain retaining this title for any length of time. Beating India is no great shakes as India has always performed poorly in England and abroad. Moreover the Indian team had an insipid bowling attack and the English batsmen led by Ian Bell and Peterson could make hay against a weak bowling attack.
But this English team needs to be measured against the teams of yore like Clive Lloyds team and Don Bradmans team. A comparison will show that this English team will not be able to replicate the performance of the other world beating teams.
Take their bowling , which is their weakest link. there is no genuine speed merchant and most o fthe bowlers are good swing bowlers. This is ok in England where the ball moves because of teh heavy atmosphere , but in dry conditions like in India, Pakistan and lanka these bowlers will look very ordinary. In contrast s team had 2 express pace bowlers in Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller. Loyd had 4/5 express pace bowlers who could bowl at sustained speeds over 150km an hour. The name of Garner, Holding, Marshall and Roberts come to ones lips. These bowlers even in dry conditions in Australia and India struck terror in the hearts of the opposing batsmen.
As far as batting is concerned the present lot of English batsmen have made runs againsta depleted Indian attack. But they are not a patch on the class of Bradman, Lindsey Hasset from Australia and Viv Richards, Greenidge and Kalicharan from Lloyds team. People do feel that these English batsmen on slow turners will find it difficult to score.
thus let us look at this English team in perspective and conclude taht they are good at the momnets but certainly no comparison for the great cricket teams of the past.
There is no doubt about the fact that England is a force to be reckoned with at home. India can directly testify to this. However, you make a good point about England in alien conditions. Their bowling attack will not take 20 wickets in the subcontinent regularly, and their winning ratio is much lower.
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