1st Test: Pakistan v England at Dubai (DSC) Jan 17-21, 2012

[Gidley Up]

10 wickets for Ajmal. Really bowled* well.

 

[Mr2046]

After getting a mammoth 192 in the first innings and holding Pakistan to a measly 338, England outdo themselves with a glorious 160, leaving Pakistan the difficult task of chasing 15 for the win.

Best team in the world my arse. This is why 'world rankings' mean nothing. Its all about how teams perform on the day.

 

[Fast Eddie]

So Pakistan are now the best team in the world then huh? Sure.

 

[Mr2046]

No of course they aren't. The very idea of 'best team in the world' has no legitimacy though. It's a made up title to try and fake some league table style order on a sport which doesn't have or need such a structure. If the 'No.1 team in the world' is humiliated so badly like that, it makes a mockery of a ranking system. It's stupid.

 

[Fast Eddie]

England are the best team in the world because they dominated last year, and despite one loss I would still view their current side as the best Test side in the world. So you're saying you can't single out a side that is the best Test side going round atm?

 

[Mr2046]

It may well be possible to speculate that one team or another is playing the best at any given time but to attempt to rank them on a scale with points etc is nonsensical. I'm not against people saying a team is the best going around, but doing it because of a phony ranking scale is just stupid. England play the rest of this series in the manner of the 1st test and no, I don't think they could be considered the best team going around at all.

 

[aussies1st]

No better sight in world cricket to see us smashing India and England being smashed.

 

[TheParraboy]

No better sight in world cricket to see us smashing India and England being smashed.

no1 and no2 test sides getting well and truly bent over =P~

 

[hineyrulz]

The Pakis win by 10 wickets, they must have got lucky like Australia did :crazy:

 

[Meth]

You can probably put it down somewhat to rustiness on England's part.

Pakistan have had a pretty busy Test cricket schedule since September last year. And, for what it's worth, it's been a successful one. They've been building. England's been sleeping. England were caught off guard. Great to see.

Ajmal come over to NZ and Australia in 2009 and wasn't flash. Since then, he's been very successful.

 

[aussies1st]

He's definitely improved since the Aussie tour (didn't see the NZ one) although tbf he only played 1 game in Australia plus even if he played the full series and struggled, so to did Murali and others before him.

 

[Meth]

He's definitely improved since the Aussie tour (didn't see the NZ one) although tbf he only played 1 game in Australia plus even if he played the full series and struggled, so to did Murali and others before him.

I think he only played one game in NZ as well. The series was dominated by the quicks. I think he still picked up a couple of wickets- including Taylor in the 90's.

 

[undertaker]

I'm very surprised both teams scored at very slow run rates during this game, as well as the match finishing within 3 days. The pitch was very flat, didn't bounce/seam/turn much at all (Graeme Swann didn't get much spin. The only one that spun a lot was the delivery that he got someone out LBW (can't remember who)).