Fatsam...loving the 'try supporting them' ! So lets get this straight a supporter is someone who in absolute blind faith says that his team will win no matter what the odds against it are on a cricket blog as opposed to someone who spends time and money travelling to watch his team but dares to question their abilities? How times have changed. I suppose this new internet fan is the new armchair football fan of 15 years ago ! As for your India / SL final predictions. If you chuck enough mud at a wall some of it will stick. Lets face it your predictions changed with immense frequency. You even had the Bangers in the mix for a while (although we still await them becoming a world power!)....as for my predictions. Bless your little cotton socks, you still have not worked out the recurring theme, have you? Here is a clue. I predicted us to lose the Bangers test series as well.

@51Allout - Some of your predictions since the English summer of 2009 and these are the all important ones for me. Ashes 2009 - England would lose - South Africa 2009-10 - England would lose - Ashes 2010-11 - England would lose. My predictions and correct me if I am wrong were an England win in the 2 Ashes Series (Won 2-1 & 3-1) and holding our own in SA (1-1 draw). I will admit my recent prediction of an England world cup win was more of hope than expectation and before that I had actually predicted and India - Sri Lanka final with India winning. 51allout let go of the England team from 1999-2003 when we were basically awfull this England team does have great potential try supporting them instead of knocking them. No wonder you support Peterborough god they are even worse than the mighty Crystal Palace safe for another year almost.

@51_all_out. Barring the barmy army, is there much support for the English team? The English delegation I received 2 months back believed that England had no chance whatsoever in the World Cup even labelling the ashes win a fluke. While I did my best to convince them otherwise, (the ashes were pretty one-sided in favour of England), seems they just love to be critical of everything. The same thing happened in 2008 when under Pieterson, England were pummeled 5-0 in India. They said "A high school team comprising of the third gender would play better than England". I dont see anything wrong with fatsam's predictions. England IS a decent side in tests. And the subcontinent teams are always slow-starters there. Realistically speaking, they have more than a chance to beat both of them.

51_all_out / JollyZuluBoy with all your countries talent poaching I can tell you what I do behind my monitor......I LAUGH MY A$$ OFF at how useless you guys are even though you have managed to form a World XI / Commonwealth XI to break your decade of being whipped by Australia in the Ashes :)

What pray tell were you thinking?

xspear...oh the 'metaphorical top team'... Of course no one would mind England calling themselves the 'metaphorical top test team' primarily because it would mean absolutely nothing to anyone except those trying to persuade anyone that will listen that England are the best team in the world...I am sure the two teams, who in the real world would remain above us would simply laugh (or whatever it is that Shaunswindon does behind his monitor other than giggle) at our continued delusions of grandeur.

India leads Pakistan 7 - 0 in World Cups (including World T20), the most important tournaments in these formats. Pakistan have not managed even one victory. Probably they choke when they meet India in the big stage or are not good enough to compete against India in the games that matter. Bitter truth, will hurt.

I was thinking about this T20 and Test road which we are talking about. I thought to myself why not bring back "timeless" Tests? Basically say the Test starts today and finishes when both teams have batted? Surely that would be a true Test then?

In my humble opinion 5 days is not long enough for the top two teams in the World to battle in. How many are played and by who is something which we can discuss but the top two teams at the end of the Test season should play in a "timeless" final to decide the top Test nation for that season? Any ideas?

51_all_out / JollyZuluBoy.....trust me we are doing more than giggling at your expense :)

Kenobee..."England need some rock-hard supporters. People who can stick with them through and through. Im talking about crazy, wild optimism. keep going Fatsam. Unbridled support it is"...what a lot of old tosh. England have the best travelling support bar none. For nearly 20 years the Barmy Army pitched up in Oz in huge numbers knowing defeat was imminent and did the same just about everywhere apart from in the sub continent throughout the virtual entirety of the 90's. The actual 'support' of English fans is undeniably good...and is vastly different to people just writing 'we will win' all the time on a forum/blog...however it should not mean that we cannot be realistic about our chances in series / tournaments. His predictions regarding our success in the WC were just ridiculous and after being handed our collective asses in the previous ODI series against Oz was completely without foundation. Such pragmatism did not mean that the alleged detractors did not support the team.

@51, I really don't think Fatsam was referring to being the number 1 in a statistical sense. Its just that, for people who have been following the English test team under SAF (Sir Andy Flower) expect them to achieve victories both over Lanka and India. If they do that, then I believe that no one would grudge them of a metaphorical number one spot. If this English team can keep up this form they might even hold the number one "ICC" ranking in about an year. Don't be so harsh on Fatsam.

@Peekay..."I think they will always be No 1 to Fatsam :) And good on him I say, England have more than their fair share of detractors, so its good to see such unbridled optimism from one of our own for a change! Bring on them Tests!"...You have got to be kidding right? We are the laughing stock of cricket due to the fact that our supporters always over inflate our abilities and chances. Fatsam just says to himself, "Oh England are playing therefore they will win". We could be playing the celestial god appointed unbeatable 1st XI of the entire universe and he would still predict a 5-0 whitewash in Englands favour, even in a three game series ! There is a difference between supporting your team wholeheartedly in total and utter blind faith and supporting your team wholeheartedly but being honest about their abilities / chances. When you add to this stupid 'impossible' claims of being no.1 by the end of the summer you can see why people have such a giggle at our expense.

Even if Indians treat cricket as a religion and Pak as a sport,stats show Pak lead India 12/9 in tests and 69/47 in ODIs.I wonder what would happen if Pak would also take cricket seriously like Indians?All world saw how Indians ran away from sharjah after losing too much in their religious cermonies to Pak.Did truth hurt ;)

@SAman - Roger's achilles heel is a guy called Rafa Nadal not Ronald Garros which he only added to his lot because Rafa was injured. And yes guys I have no cricket to watch atm so sorry for the tennis post!

I agree with Peekay there. There is some amount of similarity with the English and the Indian media/fans. A series win and they're the hailed as the next big thing since Churchill. That quickly turns to undue criticism when a series is lost. Although, there are no effigies burnt, idolisation and castration are quickly implemented. England need some rock-hard supporters. People who can stick with them through and through. Im talking about crazy, wild optimism. keep going Fatsam. Unbridled support it is.

"Fatsam...you do realise that even if England win both series with whitewashes...they would not be no 1?" - I think they will always be No 1 to Fatsam :) And good on him I say, England have more than their fair share of detractors, so its good to see such unbridled optimism from one of our own for a change! Bring on them Tests!