When these famous squads stepped onto the cricket field, other teams took notice. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the teams that have ruled the cricketing world.
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00:00 "Tody finishes off in style! A magnificent strike into the crowd! India lift the World Cup!"
00:07 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the teams that have ruled the cricketing world.
00:11 Number 10. Sri Lanka.
00:19 Considered among the weaker teams at the beginning of the 90s,
00:22 the Lankans turned things around like never before. Led by Arjuna Ranatunga,
00:27 the team revolutionized batting to perfect the pinch-hitting technique.
00:30 Batsmen like Sanath Jadhasudia and Aravinda Da Silva clobbered bowlers from the get-go,
00:42 pushing Sri Lanka toward a big total or an easy chase. With future bowling legends like
00:48 Matthaiya Muralidharan and Chaminda Vasco coming into their own, the team found a perfect recipe
00:53 for success. Particularly strong in Asian conditions, the Lankan team rode their newfound
01:03 momentum to win the 1996 World Cup. Although their time at the top was short-lived,
01:19 the Lankans proved they belonged on the big stage as a force to be reckoned with.
01:24 Number 9. Australia Women.
01:27 Few sports teams are so far ahead of the competition that victory is a foregone conclusion.
01:32 The Australian team has always been the best in women's cricket,
01:36 but they've been a class apart since 2018.
01:48 Finishing up matches with extreme ruthlessness, the Australians have won every tournament they've
01:53 been a part of. Whether it's the 50-over World Cup, multiple T20 World Cups, or the Ashes,
01:59 these women have torn down their opponents time and again. It's true that the quality of the
02:10 opposition hasn't been the best, but the one-sided victories in Australia's favor are way too many
02:16 to ignore. Barring the rare upset, the team has hardly ever been tested, as no one seems capable
02:22 of stopping them anytime soon. Number 8. India.
02:26 After the disastrous 50-over 2007 World Cup, MS Dhoni engineered a remarkable comeback that won
02:33 India the inaugural World T20. From then on, Dhoni established India as the team to beat.
02:53 Hall of Famers like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid were well-supported by young stars like
02:58 Yuvaraj Singh, Virat Kohli, and R. Ashwin, as Dhoni looked for both experience and talent.
03:04 India's home grounds became their stronghold, with opposition teams finding little to no
03:08 room for success. The one blip in an otherwise incredible run was the lack of wins in overseas
03:18 test tours, although they held their own in white ball cricket. Dhoni's men were always
03:22 the favorites in global tournaments, ultimately winning the 50-over World Cup and the 2013
03:28 Champions Trophy. Number 7. England.
03:41 While the number one ranking generally varies across formats, England topped each in 2012.
03:47 It was the culmination of a golden run kickstarted two years before, led by Andrew
03:51 Strauss and Alistair Cook. The English were near flawless in sealing overseas victories.
03:56 "Tremlitz the man, put the beer away, put the champagne on ice.
04:04 24 years of pain in Australia. Finally they're beaten at home by England."
04:14 After beating Australia on their own turf with authority, England achieved the impossible by
04:19 winning in India. This test team is easily the strongest in their history, as batsmen like Cook,
04:24 Joe Root, and Kevin Peterson were complimented by bowlers Stuart Broad,
04:28 James Anderson, and Graham Swan. Although global tournaments were still a weak point,
04:32 the English team bagged several bilateral home and abroad series to make winning a natural habit.
04:37 Number 6. South Africa. It's hard to go wrong when you've got hard-hitting batsmen like Gary
04:47 Kirsten, world-class all-rounders like Jacques Callis and Lance Klusener, and an intimidating
04:52 bowling attack led by Alan Donald, Sean Pollock, and Micaiah Anttini. The Proteus are famously
04:57 known for choking on the big stage. However, the 1998 squad won the inaugural champions trophy,
05:04 beginning Hansi Kroenius' charge of taking South Africa to new heights.
05:08 "Salutes the trophy from the Honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Her Excellency Sheikh
05:18 Haseena." With coach Bob Wollmer, Kroenius' team used technological techniques to study the
05:23 opposition and target their weak spots. Apart from world champions Australia, the Proteus bossed
05:29 every other team around to become serious threats. Kroenius' role in the infamous match-fixing scandal
05:34 destroyed the team's aura, but their glory days cannot be forgotten. Number 5. Pakistan. In the
05:52 80s, no team seemed to challenge the mighty West Indies apart from Pakistan. The men in green
05:58 propelled themselves in the early 90s thanks to Imran Khan's captaincy. Embracing the cornered
06:06 "tigers mentality," Khan's men roared through global events like the Austral Asia Cup before
06:11 becoming world champions in 1992. It was an era defined by Pakistan's bowling attack, with Khan,
06:22 Waqar Younis, and Waseem Akram ruling the roost. Batting heavyweights like Javed Miarad, Saeed
06:27 Anwar, and Indamam Ul Haq balanced the squad's depth, this team carried a fearless attitude
06:32 that brought a heightened level of excitement into the game. They might not have been invincible,
06:37 but their daring approach enabled Pakistan to land at the top of the ratings at their peak.
06:48 Number 4. Australia. Coming in straight after the end of World War II, Don Bradman ended his
06:54 career in the best way possible. The legendary batsmen continued to rack up the runs, leading
06:59 a team that is now known as the Invincibles. Their peak saw the Australians play an entire
07:11 English summer undefeated, remaining the only team to ever do so. Australia also dominated
07:20 the other sides they faced, blanking New Zealand, South Africa, and India, while West Indies were
07:26 handily defeated as well. This marvelous run brought cricket back to popularity in a post-war
07:31 world, as crowds broke attendance match records to watch Bradman's Invincibles in action.
07:39 Although Bradman himself ended his career with a duck, the winning mentality he injected into
07:44 his team continued after his retirement. Number 3. India. Virat Kohli's appointment
07:50 as captain in 2015 signaled India's ongoing ascension. Kohli re-established home conditions
07:56 as an impenetrable fortress, but took one step further overseas. The Indians became the first
08:06 Asian side to win a Test Series in Australia, repeating this feat later on. They also adapted
08:12 to English conditions, representing India's constant improvement. Although global trophies
08:17 have eluded them, they generally win all the group stage matches before an unlucky knockout defeat.
08:23 Batsmen like Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shubhman Gill strike fear into opposition lineups.
08:32 India finally overcame bowling shortcomings with match winners like Mohamed Shami,
08:36 Jasprit Bumrah, and Kuldeep Yadav who cut through batting orders in their opening spells.
08:41 Their consistency paid off when India topped the rankings in all three formats,
08:46 consolidating themselves above their opponents.
08:57 Number 2. West Indies. For a long time, it seemed as if the West Indies would rule cricket forever.
09:03 Easily winning the first two editions of the World Cup,
09:06 the Windies kept their hold on the sport in both ODIs and Tests.
09:09 Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall, Kirtley Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, and Michael Holding were among
09:20 the pace brigade that decimated batting orders with ease. Batting legends Vivian Richards,
09:36 Gordon Greenwich, and Desmond Haynes piled up runs and then some,
09:40 making for a team that was complete in every way.
09:42 The Windies still hold the record for the longest unbeaten Test streak,
09:49 remaining unconquered for a mind-boggling 15 years. Simply avoiding defeat against
09:54 this team was considered a success, although few ever achieved it.
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10:14 Number 1. Australia
10:16 Heading into the 21st century, Australia remained far and away superior to everyone else. During
10:22 this run, they managed a 16-match Test winning streak twice. The team won the World Cup three
10:28 times in a row, undefeated in their 2003 and 2007 campaigns. From trouncing a World XI in
10:43 the Super Series to winning the Champions Trophy, Australia captured every piece of
10:47 silverware available. Apart from the 2005 Ashes, the team largely dominated arch-rivals England,
10:59 whitewashed fellow heavyweights South Africa, and overcame the final frontier India in 2004.
11:05 Whether it was batsmen Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, and Matthew Hayden, or bowlers
11:09 Glenn McGraw and Shane Warne, the entire team was filled with legends of the game.
11:13 When it comes to achieving excellence, look no further than this Australian era.
11:25 Which cricket team do you think is perfect in every way? Let us know in the comments.
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11:51 [Music]