2 January 2012
Australia v India 2011-12
After Australia's rapid fall from the top of the Test rankings to Number Five there was really one way to go.
In reality, of course, there were two, but we don't want to think bout that one, do we?
Being ranked outside the top four is, for any Australian supporter, bad enough, but there's a more practical reason for looking to have the Baggy Greens heading back up the rankings. If and when they ever manage to get the Championship of Test Cricket up and running into reality rather than lurking in the background as a talking point the only workable format is going to involve the Top For Test-Playing nations, and Australia definitely wants to be there, don't we?
On current form that Top Four is going to include some permutation of England, South Africa, India, Australia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
A resurgent West Indies or New Zealand would complicate matters, but when you're trying to fit six names into four spots through a process of promotion and relegation Number Four isn't a very good place to be.
At the moment (actually, as of 21 December 2011 with wins to Australia and Sri Lanka over the Christmas/New Year period) according to this source we have England (37 Matches 4634 Points; Rating 125) leading India (41 Matches 4846 Points; Rating 118) and South Africa (24 Matches 2781 Points: Rating 116). There’s a gap to Australia (37 Matches 3815 Points: Rating 103) with Pakistan (31 Matches 3081 Points; Rating 99) and Sri Lanka (31 Matches 3062 Points: Rating 99) breathing down our necks.
So there's not much between Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, or between South Africa and India (the recent losers against Australia and Sri Lanka) so the remainder of the Test series between Australia and India is going to have a profound influence on the pecking order with Australia playing South Africa (and Sri Lanka, but I assume you don't move further up the rankings by beating those below you without those above you suffering losses against weaker ranked teams) next domestic season a spot in the Top Three definitely looks possible.
But first we need to beat India here. Somewhere along the line we need to beat England and India on their home turf, but first things first.
That task lines up our bowling against their batting, a confrontation that's going to give our emerging attack a fairly rigorous examination, and the clash between their maybe not so strong attack and an Australian batting order with significant question marks over their heads won't be far behind.
At the time of writing, the day before the Second Test, with Australia up One-Nil and playing an unchanged eleven those two clashes will be back on again in earnest and it's a confrontation to look forward to on its own terms.
Beyond those terms, of course, it's a chance, and maybe the last chance, to see the Little Master and his cohorts in action against an emerging Australian attack that looks to have immense potential...
