Why Andrew Strauss’ led England deserved to be number one – Part-1
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 Test match rankings.
Did the English team deserve the number one rank in the longest version of the game? The answer to this is not much difficult, as they certainly deserved this honour after being consistently dominant in Test match cricket in the recent past.
To become as successful as the Poms are currently, a team needs some consistent performers in every department of the game.
The British team has four batsmen in the ICC’s top 10 batsmen list. Stylish right-handed player http://www.senore.com/Cricket/IR-Bell-c1597 is currently ranked number three in the lost after giving some of the most memorable performances of his career.
Bell has the ability to time the ball to perfection and is one of the most technically correct batsmen in modern day cricket. His ability to find gaps with ease makes him a very dangerous player, as he keeps the runs flowing once he is out in the middle.
The 29-year-old middle-order batsman worked extremely hard to jump up positions in the rankings. Considering his current form, he will certainly take the top spot sooner or later.
England’s opening batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AN-Cook-c1026 shares the same ranking with Bell and has been one of the main reasons behind his side’s recent success. At just 26 years of age, Cook has 19 Test match hundreds to his name and will be a threat to India’s legendary
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SR-Tendulkar-c2556, who currently holds the record of highest number of centuries in the longest version of the game.
Tendulkar has 51 centuries in Test cricket, but might not be able to continue playing for long, as he is already 38. The veteran has 48 hundreds in One Day Internationals (ODIs), which leaves him just one short of 100 international tons.
Cook might not be able to beat the Little Master’s record in limited-over cricket, but has the time and potential to become the most successful player in Test cricket.
Another English player in the top 10 list is http://www.senore.com/Cricket/IJL-Trott-c1576. He is currently ranked sixth, but would have been in the top-five had he been able to play the entire series against India.
Trott had to miss the last two games of the four-match series following a shoulder injury. He seldom plays a wrong shot and is a very difficult player for the opposition, considering his wonderful temperament.
Although the South African born player has featured in just 23 Test matches, he is one of the most mature cricketers in the English line-up. He will certainly be eying a quick recovery in order to get back in action for his side.
Another South African born English cricketer http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KP-Pietersen-c1806 is eighth in the list of the ICC’s top 10. He is a naturally gifted batsman and has the ability to score big runs for his team.
Pietersen can bat under any circumstances, as he possesses the ability to bat against both spinners and the fast bowlers with complete control. He can also turn the game around very quickly with his powerful hitting and some innovative stroke play like the
reverse sweep.
The veteran was struggling to some extent in the longest version of the game, but climbed up many places in the rankings after his sublime performances against India.
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