In January 2009 I wrote a piece on cricket, predicting the downfall of Australian cricket. Also, I predicted that it will be a close fight between India and South Africa to be the number one cricket team in the world by the end of the year. It gives me extreme pleasure to say that I was spot on. India is the number one team in the world, closely followed by South Africa at number two spot. The readers interested in the preview of year 2010 in test match cricket are at the right place. Read on.

The 2010 Test match calendar is bleak. It is barred by the popular yet frivolous formats of the game namely ODI and T20. However, the ICC future tour programs must go on and this year we have few interesting test series.

India and South Africa playing 2 test matches in India. It is a shame, the worlds top 2 teams deserve at least a 4 test match series, if not 5. However, like a homeless man who prefers to sleep in the subway station than out in the open, I will take 2 Test matches over nothing. It is going to be a close series and India will triumph just marginally.

Next big series will be South Africa in the West Indies for 3 test matches. Most people don’t rate the current WI team. I am an exception. I think the team suffers from being compared day in and out with their highly successful predecessors. I see men in WI team that have tremendous ability to upstage South Africa. Gayle with his flair, Chanderpaul with his steel, Benn with his spin and Edwards, Taylor and Roach with their 90 miles per hour bowling are as deadly a test match team as there is one around. Barring any major injuries, I predict that series to actually be a draw. Make no mistake that South Africa is a highly talented, structured and motivated team. But there is something about WI at home, they are dangerous.

Next up is Australia vs Pakistan. Given the state of Pakistan, the series will be held in England. I don’t honestly see Pakistan team having any chance against the Australians in English conditions. It is unfair to Pakistan that they cannot hold test matches at home, but they are not a sharp team and there are no guarantees they would win at home either. I give that one to Australia - easy.

The last one is the mother of all series. The Ashes. England will travel to Australia at the end of 2010 and play 5 test matches. Oh boy, I derive more pleasure from The Ashes than I derive from anything else in the world. And I predict that England will uproot the Aussies at home this time around, and will retain the Ashes.

So nothing much will change this year - no team will take the claims to uproot India from number one slot. England team will move up - they will be the number 2 ranked cricket team in the world by the end of it, very closely followed by South Africa at number 3 position.

This is your cricket analyst, Shekhar Khera, siging off for StaleFresh, Chicago. Have a great cricketing year.