The Best Indian Team to visit Australia

Ever since the miserable condition that this Indian team has landed itself in 2011-12 and particularly against a side which was playing at par with New Zealand little over two weeks back, I have been wondering which was the best Indian team to have toured Australia and for that matter the West Indies.I will go into a detailed analysis later on.However the Indian team to tour Australia in 1977-78 appears to be the best indian side ever to tour Australia.Forget the loss and also the fact that this team was playing a side wekened by packer exodus.Forget also that a team comprising the bulk lost to Pakistan later that year, managed to lose all its World Cup engagements and also lose 1-0 to England before going on to defeat Australia at home.The only competition this side has is with the 1980-81 tourists.This was the series with full strength Australia and India drew the series by bowling out Australia for 83 at the MCG.

The difference between the two teams was simply of selection or India could have had a 5-0 result in 1978.We lost three close matches, the decider on the sixth day. India refused to play ghavri and Madan Lal together though between them they took 20 wickets.Doshi and Shiv Lal Yadav in a team which had Ghavri bowling with Kapil and Patil as the fifth bowler perhaps the best team ever.