It may all soon boil down to this: Australia on the downswing, England plagued by internal rifts, and Sri Lanka yet to show their mettle outside the sub-continent. All this leaves India and South Africa as the two major contenders for Australia’s crown.

The coming year could easily see either one of these two sides grabbing the No.1 slot in both the (sane) forms of the game.

Their results in the past year an a half have been identical. Both have beaten the likes of England, Australia and Pakistan, and drew with each other on the only occasion they met. In such a scenario, a contest between these two teams could help in deciding who the real No.1 contender is.

But since that is not due for at least another couple of years, there is no harm in trying to predict which team will come up triumphant, and therefore figure out which is the better team.

The process is simple. I shall compare the important parts of each team in the different forms of the game (only Test and ODIs as they are the main bone of contention, as it were). As doing so in just one article can be tiresome, both to the reader as well as the writer, I have decided to split it into various parts.

I shall begin with the Tests, and in this particular segment, compare one of the most important parts of the teams: The decision makers.

In any international team, there are two people who could be classified as the decision makers: The Captain and the Coach.

But as we shall see, there are Other Key Members, referred to here on in as the OKM, who are also required to chip in with valuable contributions.

Cricket, they say, is very similar to chess. It is a game of strategy, and a lot of it is played in the mind, and not just on the field. Therefore, the ability of these men to out-think the opposition becomes as vital as their ability to hit a crisp cover-drive or deliver a toe-crushing yorker.

Man-management also becomes important, especially in a team like India’s, where the player pool comprises of people from different backgrounds, speaking different languages, and therefore having very different needs to prosper and play at their peaks.

So let us begin by analysing the two sides:

South Africa: Captain - Graeme Smith. Coach - Mickey Arthur. Other Key Members (OKM) - Jaques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Makhaya Ntini.

India: Captain - Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Coach - Gary Kirsten. OKM - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh.

For South Africa, the captain and coach partnership has been vital. Their comments post the Melbourne Test victory clearly suggested that these two men share a common goal, and have formed a partnership that is going to be lethal for opposing teams.

When the coach and captain are so in sync, wonders can happen for the side. The younger players feel safer, and everyone knows whatever is being done is for the benefit of the team. We don’t need to look any further than the Steve Waugh-John Buchanan pairing. The Oz captain-coach duo were at the heart of Australia becoming the powerhouse of cricket, nurturing the likes of Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden on to full greatness.

Likewise, a broken relationship between such important figures can have a devastating impact on the team.

The Sourav Ganguly-Greg Chappell fiasco is probably the best example of how not to do it. The rift between the two caused havoc, team unity was non-existent, and performance took a hit, culminating in a group stage exit at the 2007 World Cup.

Gary Kirsten, who replaced Chappell, has settled well into the role though. A lot like John Wright in his approach to coaching, the team seems to be responding well to him with Dhoni at the helm.

While Graeme Smith and Mickey Arthur have had time together, Dhoni and Kirsten are just beginning. How well they gel on in comparison to their South African counterparts, only time will tell. But they will certainly be helped along the way by the experience of Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman and Co.

Experience is probably the only area where one of these two teams can be said to be clear cut winners. India, with a pantheon of cricketing heavyweights, certainly have a deeper pool to draw from. But what it draws is the concern.

Instances of OKM contribution have been higher for the Indians in the recent past. Be it Tendulkar’s masterstroke in promoting young Irfan Pathan up the order a few seasons ago against Sri Lanka, or Zaheer Khan’s field placing tactics, have all played a very crucial part in India’s success.

It’s the approach where the two sides differ. The South Africans are fairly relaxed about who takes the limelight, as both Smith and Arthur are given equal credit in the results.

The Indians, though, seem to be much more oriental. The root problem with Chappell was the Aussie’s hunger for power. The Indian’s, being used to the behind-the-scenes functioning of John Wright, didn’t warm up to it. The captain is the real boss, or should be, screamed the former greats. And so it is now, with Kirsten rarely making public statements, and all the limelight firmly on skipper Mahi.

The captain’s differ in their handling of key bowlers as well.

While Smith prefers to set his field, and demand his bowlers to adhere to his orders, Dhoni is seen chatting to his bowlers more often. If nothing is happening, the skipper is often seen having a quick word with his bowler. It is often said that his position as wicket-keeper helps Dhoni in setting the field, and strategising a batsman’s downfall. It may well be true, as few can say they have seen Dhoni’s plan misfire.

Though Dhoni seems less dictatorial of the two, Smith’s “listen to the captain” attitude seems to work for him well, as could be seen at Melbourne, when a fired-up Dale Steyn ran through the Australian batting order after being disgruntled that the captain wouldn’t give him the field he wanted.

Which team has the better Brains Trust? Your opinion would be appreciated.