espnstar columnists Glenn Connley and Arvind Iyengar share thoughts about the Ind-Eng Test and Australia’s chances against SA.

The Writer's Round Table

 1. Was India's victory over England their greatest Test triumph this year?

Arvind: India has had a lot of good wins this year, including two at home against the Aussies. I'd have to say this ranks better than either of those wins- even with their backs to the wall the Indians remained aggressive and fought back. And the context of the victory, after the Mumbai terror attacks, makes this even greater. But I have to say the win at Perth, after the Sydney controversy was India's best win of the year.
Glenn: This was India's best win of the year by the length of Ishant Sharma's run-up. Cricket is not just about beating the best opposition you can get (India did that a few weeks earlier) it's about winning at the right time, in the right manner, with the right individuals delivering the right performances. To have Sachin hit the winning runs while, at the same time reaching 100, was pure poetry. It was also an amazing victory in a cricket sense - what a run chase! But what makes this Test one of the most memorable of my lifetime is the fact that after all that Mumbai and India have been through over the past few weeks, our great game delivered a few moments/hours/days of joy to a nation which has never needed or deserved it more. All these things make this one of the best wins in the history of cricket. I will never forget it. You ask me if it was India's greatest triumph of the year ... I say it was one of their greatest ever.

2. Can South Africa finally pull off a Test series win in Australia?
Glenn: Of course they can. I'd be an idiot if I tried to pretend Australia hasn't come back to the field over the past 12 months. This day was always coming. I knew it would. It's just a matter of how far the Australians fall. So far they've fallen to ... well, nowhere. They're still top of the heap in Test cricket. They can still mix it with - and probably - beat any team in the world. It's a question of how quickly they can replace those retired stars. How quickly the youngsters come on. South Africa has their best chance ever to win on Australian soil. Let's just hope they choke like every time before.
Arvind: They've fallen to nowhere because the ICC rankings still considers past performances- including the 5-0 whitewash of England when a couple of blokes named Warne and McGrath were still around. But yes, Australia is still a force to be reckoned with thanks to their strong batting line-up. I'm less convinced of their bowlers with Pete Siddle and Jason Krejza/Shane Watson in the playing eleven. And just for that, I label South Africa as slight favourites. In Smith, McKenzie and Amla, they have three of the six highest run-getters in 2008. In Steyn, Morkel and Ntini they have a potent bowling attack that could swing the match their way.
Glenn: But do the South Africans have the ticker for such a battle? Have they got the jam tart for an all-out cricket war? I doubt it. They've always landed in Australia with big hopes (not to mention big mouths) and responded by curling up in the foetal position as soon as the going got tough. I know they'll be more confident this time simply by looking at the Aussie team sheet ... the absence of Warne, alone, will enable most of their batsmen to sleep at night where, in the past, they were afraid to turn off the light at night. Their record in Australia is diabolical. Their record against Australia anywhere is awful. They have a lot to prove because they've choked against Australia so many times. But while they have, arguably, a more talented squad, don't forget that the Australians are a proud bunch and won't be sliding back into the world of cricketing mediocrity without a fight. That's a world for countries like England, Pakistan and India ... not Australia.
Arvind: Glenn, remember the 1983 World Cup when Australia got beat by Zimbabwe- when a South African named Kepler Wessels was the best batsman in your side. Sounds pretty mediocre to me.

3. Brett Lee or Dale Steyn?

Arvind: Tough call, Steyn has been devastating over the past year. But I'd rather have Lee on my side; he's proven in a number of conditions. Plus he plays in a rock band- that's a nice add-to have for a guy on your side.

Glenn: Are you insane - a 25-year-old in the form of his life or a 32-year-old whose best years are behind him? I'll take Steyn any day of the week.

Arvind: Hate to bring one out of the "cliché" bag, but- Form is temporary and class permanent. Steyn still needs the consistency to be great- just take his ODI numbers for instance where he averages 31 with an economy rate of 5.5.

Glenn: Mate, when you're resorting to tried (and tired) clichés, I know the argument is over. I'd love to be wrong on this one. More than anyone, I'd like Binga tear the South African batting attack to shreds, but I must confess I genuinely fear what Steyn could do on Australian soil.

Arvind: A scared Aussie, what has the world come to!

4. Should Matthew Hayden call it quits?

Glenn: No. I resent you even asking the question. If you think he should quit, you tell him. I dare you!

Arvind: I'll tell him alright....maybe in an anonymous letter over the internet. But Matty, it's time to go. His year has been chequered with injuries and inconsistent scores- he's on the decline. Phil Jaques on the other hand, has done well in his short Test career and still has to peak. And you still have guys like Shaun Marsh in the background. Maybe Hayden can work on his fishing in his free time.

Glenn: It's certainly make-or-break time for Hayden but, don't forget, this is a guy who had to fight for more than three years to re-gain his place in the Test team when everyone was saying he'd never make it back. Well, he's not even out of the team yet and there's plenty of fight left in that giant Queensland frame. His pride wouldn't allow him to walk away now. Nor should it. I'm sure plenty of English and Indian cricketers have quit the game to protect a record or reputation, but Hayden is not like that. He's unselfish, the ultimate team man ... and he's still got plenty to offer. If he thinks he can help Australia stay at the pinnacle of cricket he'll do it, even if that means risking his reputation as one of the all-time greats.

5. Four great teams in action right now- India, England, Australia and South Africa; all four with dynamic captains. Who would you want captaining your side?

Arvind: All good guys to have leading your side- lets go by a process of elimination. Ricky Ponting has had a turbulent year as captain and doesn't show much creativity in the field when his side is down- I'm not going with him. Graeme Smith, well, he's a choker. Probably not as bad as his predecessors, but he still has to deliver consistently in the big matches. It's down to KP versus MSD. And given his 4-0 Test record, his Midas touch and his wicket-keeping skills, I'll go with Dhoni. He just brings so much more to the table
Glenn: Punter. Dhoni has the potential to be one of the all-time greats but, as you point out, he's only captained four Tests. I'd already rank him as one of the best ODI and Twenty20 captains I've seen. But captains can have a far greater impact in a Test match or, indeed, an entire Test series. Ponting took over as captain when the big names started retiring from Australian cricket - when Steve Waugh retired in 2004. Aside from the odd slip-up (England 2005) he kept winning. And winning. And winning. Yes, he made a bad decision on the fourth day in Nagpur but, Arvind - don't be like those short-sighted Indian cricket writers who hang someone over one mistake. Smith is a brilliant leader but South Africa plays too much cricket against rubbish opposition. I would reassess this if he performs well as captain (and batsmen) in the next two series against Australia. KP's been in the job for five minutes - the jury's still out.
Arvind: Spoken like a true Aussie. Glenn, you could have captained a side with Warne and McGrath in it and won all those Tests (as a non-playing captain of course!) Ponting's true Test is only now, with an inexperienced, unproven side trying to be the World's best. Dhoni already did that at the Twenty20 World Championship.
Glenn: Non-playing captain? I like the sound of that. I'm available. All Kris Srikkanth needs to do is pick up the phone! In all seriousness, I agree with you. For all I've said about Ponting this is a critical time for him and Australian cricket. Not since the days of Greg Chappell and Kim Hughes has Australia faced such an enormous challenge. While I've enjoyed beating everyone easily for the last million years or so, it will be truly fascinating to see who emerges over the next couple of years as the strongest force in world cricket.

6. Best batsman in the world right now?
Glenn: This time last year I'd have said Mohammad Yousuf - what a shame Pakistan have hardly played any cricket this year and that he's stuck in the mess which is the ICL. All my favorites - Punter, Mr. Cricket, Chanderpaul, Sangakkara, Smith and KP have been a bit up-and-down this year ... and have perhaps had better spells in their careers than at this point in time. No-one has dominated attacks for match after match, series after series. I'll go out on a limb here and say I reckon Viru is hitting the ball better than anyone in the world. Having watched him destroy Australia on regular occasions throughout his career, I was distraught at the prospect he may lose his place in the team for good about a year ago and, similarly, have celebrated his return to the top of the tree. I know he's a loose canon, but on his day (which is right now) there's no-one better.
Arvind: We might actually agree on something! If I had to start a team from scratch, Viru would be the first batsman I would pick. That said, the numbers make it hard to look past Chanderpaul- he has scored 5 fifties and 2 hundreds in his last eight innings. He's averaging close to 90 in the last one year and he NEVER gets out! It's just that nobody watches him play much these days, because the West Indies have sadly become irrelevant in cricket. Chanderpaul is the best batsman in the world right now.

7. Nathan Bracken trying to make it in the Aussie Test side as a spinner- good idea or bad idea?

Arvind: Anyone remember Manoj Prabhakar bowling off-spin against Sanath Jayasuriya when he didn't know what to do. Stick to what you are good at Bracken.
Glenn: Bad idea. I think he's taking us all for a ride. It sounds like an April fool's joke. He's a great one-day bowler but with Mitch Johnson and Stuart Clark now Test 'regulars' (if there is such a thing) his chances will be limited. He should do what every other bowler on the fringe of their national Test team does - work hard, train hard and take wickets at the domestic level. What next - Glenn McGrath making a comeback as a batsman?
Arvind: Yes, work hard, train hard or.... switch nationalities! Let's not go there.

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