Harsh Thakor
First Class Star
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2012
- Runs
- 3,520
- Post of the Week
- 2
The best batsmen in their tenure as captains in order of merit after Don Bradman.Bradman was simply in another league Assesed batsmen only in tests when they were skippers.I have not gone by mere averages run aggregate and no .of centuries but asessed the conditions and opposition of the batsmen.
1.Brian Lara
2.Gary Sobers
3.Virat Kohli
4.Steve Smith
5.Mahela Jayewardene
6.Michael Clarke
7.Peter May
8.Graham Gooch.
9.Ian Chapell
10.Ricky Ponting
11.Graeme Smith
12.Greg Chapell
13.Steve Waugh
14.Misbah Ul Haq
15.Sunil Gavaskar
16.Clive Lloyd
The Don was league above everyone but his runner up was a very close affair with many candidates.
I ranked Lara and Sobers ahead as batsmen as skippers than contemporary greats like Smith and Kohli as they faced more challenging bowling attacks in more testing conditions.Both took domination to regions of the divine.No batsmen as skipper bore so much of his team's responsibility on his shoulders as Brian Lara .True he championed many a losing cause but on countless occasions ressurected his team from the grave.Remember his classic unbeaten 400 v England in 2004 as well as 211 and unbeaten 153 versus Australia on difficult tracks in 1999.Sobers not only championed a crisis but won many a test with the bat.He also batted like a champion leading the rest of the world team down under in 1972.His 254 then was considered by some to be the finest cricketing knock of all in the International arena.
I placed Kohli in 3rd because his batting has defined the fate of games and series in the world and was the ultimate man to steer a sinking ship first to safety and then reach the pinnacle of glory.I can think of very few batsmen who have bated more responsibly or more in tune with the given situation as Virat.Few batsmen ever have made the team;s batting revolved around them like Kohli.Steve Smith is an emperor statistically but did not prove himself on the seaming Englsih conditions or the turning pitches on the sub-continent.No doubt still right up there.
Graham Gooch averaged over 58 as a skipper and so did Jayewardene and Michael Clarke.I always felt that Clarke was at his best as a batsmen as a skipper,even more away.No skipper batted better against West Indies as Gooch.Mahela was simply elegance personified.Peter May came as close to batting perfection as few batsmen ever. Scored 285 v West Indies in Birmingham in 1957 in a record 411 run stand with Colin Cowdrey for the 5th wicket.
Although he had a lesser average Ricky Ponting was prolific as a skipper playing some truly sensational innings and averaging over 50.Placed Ian Chappell highly because he championed a crisis better than anyone ,including brother Greg.Greg ,no doubt has the record aggregate for a skipper in a debut series and statistically is right up there being match-winner against West Indies.Even Gavaskar had an outstanding average of over 50 as a skipper better than any India,including Tendulkar.Had aggregate of 732 runs with 4 centuries versus West Indies at home in 1978-79 and scored 2 centuries facing Imran Khan as a skipper.Graeme Smith was an epitome of git and consistency as an opening batsmen,being a major architect in South Africa emerging the no 1 test team.
Misbah Ul Haq played the role of an architect as a skipper always rising to the occasion.Overshadowed every Pakistani batsmen as a leader.
Clive Lloyd as captain was one of the most consistent of batsmen often even overshadowing Viv Richards.
I excluded Walter Hammond and Len Hutton as they played relatively few or fewer tests as a captain.
1.Brian Lara
2.Gary Sobers
3.Virat Kohli
4.Steve Smith
5.Mahela Jayewardene
6.Michael Clarke
7.Peter May
8.Graham Gooch.
9.Ian Chapell
10.Ricky Ponting
11.Graeme Smith
12.Greg Chapell
13.Steve Waugh
14.Misbah Ul Haq
15.Sunil Gavaskar
16.Clive Lloyd
The Don was league above everyone but his runner up was a very close affair with many candidates.
I ranked Lara and Sobers ahead as batsmen as skippers than contemporary greats like Smith and Kohli as they faced more challenging bowling attacks in more testing conditions.Both took domination to regions of the divine.No batsmen as skipper bore so much of his team's responsibility on his shoulders as Brian Lara .True he championed many a losing cause but on countless occasions ressurected his team from the grave.Remember his classic unbeaten 400 v England in 2004 as well as 211 and unbeaten 153 versus Australia on difficult tracks in 1999.Sobers not only championed a crisis but won many a test with the bat.He also batted like a champion leading the rest of the world team down under in 1972.His 254 then was considered by some to be the finest cricketing knock of all in the International arena.
I placed Kohli in 3rd because his batting has defined the fate of games and series in the world and was the ultimate man to steer a sinking ship first to safety and then reach the pinnacle of glory.I can think of very few batsmen who have bated more responsibly or more in tune with the given situation as Virat.Few batsmen ever have made the team;s batting revolved around them like Kohli.Steve Smith is an emperor statistically but did not prove himself on the seaming Englsih conditions or the turning pitches on the sub-continent.No doubt still right up there.
Graham Gooch averaged over 58 as a skipper and so did Jayewardene and Michael Clarke.I always felt that Clarke was at his best as a batsmen as a skipper,even more away.No skipper batted better against West Indies as Gooch.Mahela was simply elegance personified.Peter May came as close to batting perfection as few batsmen ever. Scored 285 v West Indies in Birmingham in 1957 in a record 411 run stand with Colin Cowdrey for the 5th wicket.
Although he had a lesser average Ricky Ponting was prolific as a skipper playing some truly sensational innings and averaging over 50.Placed Ian Chappell highly because he championed a crisis better than anyone ,including brother Greg.Greg ,no doubt has the record aggregate for a skipper in a debut series and statistically is right up there being match-winner against West Indies.Even Gavaskar had an outstanding average of over 50 as a skipper better than any India,including Tendulkar.Had aggregate of 732 runs with 4 centuries versus West Indies at home in 1978-79 and scored 2 centuries facing Imran Khan as a skipper.Graeme Smith was an epitome of git and consistency as an opening batsmen,being a major architect in South Africa emerging the no 1 test team.
Misbah Ul Haq played the role of an architect as a skipper always rising to the occasion.Overshadowed every Pakistani batsmen as a leader.
Clive Lloyd as captain was one of the most consistent of batsmen often even overshadowing Viv Richards.
I excluded Walter Hammond and Len Hutton as they played relatively few or fewer tests as a captain.
So did Lara. In fact, Lara has a better SR than Smith. And Smith averaged 32 against Australia. Kindly check out Sachin and Lara's performance against the Aussies.
