The one-team domination in Test cricket has ended with Australia’s decline, feels Rahul Dravid, who foresees the number one spot changing hands every few months between India, Sri Lanka and South Africa.
“I don’t think you’ll see one-team dominating like Australia did, at least not in the immediate future,” Dravid said.
“There are three or four teams that are evenly matched and you could see the number one spot change hands a few times in the next couple of years,” the 36-year-old, who makes a comeback to the Indian ODI side after two years, added.
Asked whether India would also face the transitional crisis that the Australians are battling once the likes of Sachin Tendulkar retire, Dravid said it would boil down to how well the Indian pace bowling attack shapes up.
“We’ve got a great blend of experienced cricketers, and promising talent coming through. We’ve done really well over the past couple of years and if we can keep a core group of fast bowlers fit enough to support the spinners then we have as good a chance as anyone,” he told The Guardian .
“When Australia dominated, it was the bowling of (Glenn) McGrath and (Shane) Warne that was the key and I believe that England won Ashes series because they had the more balanced bowling attack. We certainly have that balance, and so do Sri Lanka and South Africa. I think the bowling strength will determine which team gets to top,” he added.
On his assessment of the Ashes that England won 2-1, Dravid said the series never looked one-sided and could have gone either way.
“I always expected it to be close, and it was. But England won the moments that mattered, and over the course of the five Tests, I’d say that they just about edged it,” he said.
