by Arthur Crabtree » Thu Nov 05, 2015 11:02 am
Rankings in a way matter because the bottom Test side is going to play off against the top associate side.
But from 2-7, it's all quite even, so big changes in the rankings are familiar.
Two big victories for Pakistan, so it was a well deserved series win. Their top six was a machine, and their match winning spinner was irresistible (obviously, England challenged when he wasn't playing). Very little worked for England, and they were too reliant on two of the old guard. Little of the batting was functional (Pakistan had five centurions, England just one) and the spin was a write off.
In the scheme of things, the Ashes win is looking a bit incongruous. That win, and the one against India, happened under very particular pitch conditions. Apart from on these Goldilocks pitches, England are showing little evidence of coming out of their late Flower slump.
I always say that everybody's right.