Dr Cricket wrote:only really from 2000 did india get a strong batting line up which funny enough coincided with Tendulkar Elbow injury
I dont really agree with that at all. Ganguly and Dravid must appear around 1995. Both played in the 95 (maybe 96) tour of England. The former exploded into test cricket back in those days, Id have to guess by 2000s hed played a lot of tests and ODIs and was batting at very impressive scoring rates/averages (hed have to have been averaging 50 in tests for his first half a decade). He'd certainly done enough by 2000 to be appointed captain for the first Indian match of the millennium. I believe Sourav's career then nosedived in 2000-01 after becoming captain, his batting fell apart badly. Never the same player after accepting that responsibility.
Dravid also performed very well to begin with. Again I might be wrong, but I seem to remember the constant narrative in the 90s was that Dravid could become a legend of the game if he could convert 50s. I believe he scored 50s for fun, but much like Joe Root, kept getting out before reaching 3 figures. Still, overall he must have been performing very well in terms of runs per innings.
So say but 1996 you have Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly all averaging around 50. You had Sidhu opening with a comfortble plus 40 average, and when he retired Ramesh filled the gap in the 90s very well (until Brett Lee on debut shattered his hand, along with his confidence). Azharuddin in the middle order. VVS Laxman struggling until that magnificent Sydney hundred right at the end of the century.
I wonder how many teams had that? As a comparison, the touring Aussie team to England in 1997 had Slats and Taylor who's careers fell of a cliff after 1995. Greg Blewitt had a pretty forgettable career. Justin Langer's career in the 90s was well under par, and its well noted the selectors didnt want to pick him, but Steve Waugh was adamant he'd come good (his career was saved by one of the worst lbw decisions you will ever seen at Adelaide in 2000 v India. By memory, Srinath had him middle of middle, no bat...umpire gave it not out, Langer scored a majestic 225 to win the series and never looked back). Mark Waugh produced very little in the late 90s after his earlier period. Michael Bevan flopped badly. Ian Healy's batting had all but disappeared. Damien Martyn and Matthew Hayden had been tried and both failed badly. Matthew Elliot never lived up on his promise, smashing the shield apart, but became edge central in tests. Gilchrist only appeared in the last game of the 90s, or last series. Ponting's first test hundred came in that series, a peach at Headingly in a damp, seaming conditions, but he must have generally not done brilliantly until those Asian team home series right at the end of the 90s, when he scored 3-4 100s in the Aussie summer. Steve Waugh = Tendulkar.
England's batting had one player averaging 40 (Thorpe). West Indies at the time chopped and changed a lot, especially 1-3. But names that come to mind are Sherwin Campbell, Stuart Williams, Clayton Lambert, Philo Wallace, Adrian Griffth, Suruj Ragoonath, David (might not have been David, scored a wonderful 50 at POS then looked like me batting for the rest of the series) Joseph, Carl Hooper, Ridley Jacobs..... Chanderpaul I dont think did well in the 90s, seem to remember it was at maybe Bridgetown in our tour in the late 90s he scored his first 100, on a pitch Ramps made 150 odd and England finally looked like a cricket team. I seem to remember there is an insane stat about Chanderpaul, that he took over 50 test caps to get his 2nd 100. After 2000s he turned into a quality bat, scored another 30 hundreds in a little over 100 tests.
I think to put West Indies in context at the time, by that 1999 series Ridley Jacobs was batting in the top 6, and Pedro Collins was coming in at 7 in some tests.... with a best score of 20 odd in FC cricket
Id say in this 96-00 period, it was generally acknowledged everywhere India had the best batting line up around, and sod all bowlers. Id put my mortgage on that point, everyone acknowledged it.