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The series between Australia and South Africa is a rarity that should be savoured. While the competing systems for rating Test teams may diverge on who is the top nation, there is one thing they share in common. The best two teams are without any doubt Australia and South Africa.
Since the demise of the West Indies in mid 1996, Australia and South Africa have been the two dominant teams.
Australia has had the more consistent ratings success over the period and their recent run of 16 straight victories raised their rating to the equal fourth best by any nation of all time of 1214 points after they defeated West Indies last January.
This was the second best rating by any Australian team, topped only by Hassett's Australians in 1951-52 with 1217 points.
In the last twelve months the current Australians have set four of the 25 highest ratings set by any team in history. Only Sir Vivian Richards' West Indians held a higher rating in April 1986 (1236) and November 1986 (1225).
Without doubt, the current Australians are among a handful of the strongest teams in history. But, there is always an inevitable slide. The sort of domination that Australia has shown over the last two years does not go on forever. One only needs to look back in history to see the rise and fall of teams over time. So the question is, how much longer can they hold off the South Africans?
South Africa returned to Test cricket in early 1992 after 22 years of isolation imposed over the apartheid system. Since that time the South African?s have steadily built their rating.
In 1998-99 South Africa defeated the West Indian tourists 5-0. This unexpected result announced that they had arrived on the world stage and that the West Indians had deep-seated problems from which they are yet to recover.
That series was enough to thrust South Africa to the top position in the ratings with 1151 points. South Africa kept their lead for only a year before Australia took back the top spot.
Since that time, South Africa has maintained a steady rating between 1148 and 1160 points, their highest rating in history. They begin this series with 1156 points compared to Australia?s 1193 points. This 37-point difference is the narrowest gap between these teams prior to a series since South Africa?s return.
However, while South Africa has not scaled the dizzy ratings heights that Australia has over the intervening period, they have had the better touring record. Especially in places Australia has found difficulty.
Where Australia drew in the Caribbean in 1999, the South Africans won two years later. Australia lost in Sri Lanka in 1999, yet South Africa drew one year afterwards. Finally, Australia lost in India in 2001, yet South Africa defeated India 2-0 the year before.
The reason Australia has held a rating dominance despite South Africa better record on tour is that when Australia wins a series, they have slaughtered the opposition. South Africa tends to just do enough to win the series and has conceded more draws and defeats over the period.
Since the beginning of 1999 Australia has played 33 Test with a win rate of 67% compared with South Africa's 53% over 30 Tests.
On a head to head basis, Australia has held a slight advantage. Since 1992, Australia has not lost any of their four Test series to South Africa. Australia has won 5, lost 3 and drawn 4 Tests in this time.
South Africa has not defeated Australia in a Test since the third Test in March 1997 at Centurion. Australia has not lost at home to South Africa since the Sydney Test in January 1994.
Overall, both teams are near the peak of their powers. Australia's rating advantage would suggest that they would have a small edge in this series. They also have the home ground advantage where they have not lost a series since 1992-93 against the West Indians.
However, it would not be a surprise if the series ended in a draw. This would not be due to the weather as was the case with New Zealand. Both teams are evenly matched and it is likely that a seesawing affair will ensue. It is just a pity that while lesser nations command an extended series, Australia will not battle South Africa over a five Test series.
The latest Test cricket ratings are: 1. Australia (1193); 2. South Africa (1156); 3. Pakistan (1061); 4. England (1059); 5. Sri Lanka (1023) 6. West Indies (1019); 7. India (1018); 8. New Zealand (1013); 9. Zimbabwe (937); 10. Bangladesh (837 provisional).
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