Best batting line-up and bowling attack in the tournament?

[RedwoodOriginal]

I know the tournament has just begun, but who are the best batting and bowling line-ups in this tournament according to you guys?

For me, England has the best batting line-up. Almost all their batters boast strike-rates in excess of 140, and they have the ability to play according to the situation. They have an anchor in Malan who can stabilize the innings and depth down the order with Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes. They have also got Buttler and Stokes, who are among the most dangerous batters on the planet.

If there's any batting line-up that comes close to England, it's India's. And mostly for the same reasons. The only difference is that India don't have the same depth that England have. Axar Patel is no Jadeja so there's not much to rely on after Karthik.

The best bowling attack in this tournament is Pakistan's. Besides being the fastest attack in the tournament, they have the best death bowler of the tournament in Haris Rauf, who boasts an ER of 8.00 in the death overs since the start of 2020. They have the best new-ball bowler in the world in T20Is in Shaheen Afridi who almost always picks up a wicket in his first over. They've got Naseem Shah who has pace and can make the new ball move. And, they have two versatile spinners who can choke you in the middle overs. They even have a handy part-timer in Iftikhar who can be relied on to bowl a tidy over or two if one of the main bowlers in getting a tap.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

I know the tournament has just begun, but who are the best batting and bowling line-ups in this tournament according to you guys?

For me, England has the best batting line-up. Almost all their batters boast strike-rates in excess of 140, and they have the ability to play according to the situation. They have an anchor in Malan who can stabilize the innings and depth down the order with Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes. They have also got Buttler and Stokes, who are among the most dangerous batters on the planet.

If there's any batting line-up that comes close to England, it's India's. And mostly for the same reasons. The only difference is that India don't have the same depth that England have. Axar Patel is no Jadeja so there's not much to rely on after Karthik.

The best bowling attack in this tournament is Pakistan's. Besides being the fastest attack in the tournament, they have the best death bowler of the tournament in Haris Rauf, who boasts an ER of 8.00 in the death overs since the start of 2020. They have the best new-ball bowler in the world in T20Is in Shaheen Afridi who almost always picks up a wicket in his first over. They've got Naseem Shah who has pace and can make the new ball move. And, they have two versatile spinners who can choke you in the middle overs. They even have a handy part-timer in Iftikhar who can be relied on to bowl a tidy over or two if one of the main bowlers in getting a tap.

Agree with this. I think SA have the best attack after Pakistan

 

[Ab Fan]

Best batting line-up - England, Australia, India in this order.

Best bowling line-up - Pakistan

Rest will depend on conditions, form, leadership skills and momentum.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Best spin attack Afgahnistan. Handsdown.

 

[Grunge101]

Best Batting attacks: India, Eng and Aus in that order. For me the Indian top 6 is unparalleled.

Best pace Bowling attacks: Pak, Aus and SA in that particular order.

It's basically
Shaheen. Rabada. Cummins
Rauf. VS. Nortje. VS. Hazlewood
Naseem Jansen. Starc

Best Spin Attacks : Afghanistan, South Africa and Srilanka in that order

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Best batting line-up - England, Australia, India in this order.

Best bowling line-up - Pakistan

Rest will depend on conditions, form, leadership skills and momentum.

India for me has a significantly better batting line-up than Australia's, who are vastly overrated just because they peaked at the right time last year and managed to win a tournament they never should have won.

If you get Warner out, you can easily strangle their batting with a couple of good spinners. Because besides Warner and Tim David their batters have mediocre to poor records against leg-spin and left-arm spin.

Their bowling is also very one-dimensional and lack versatility. The lack of the proper fifth bowler is a way in for just about any team. Besides Hazelwood and Zampa none of their bowlers can be considered gun bowlers in this format, with Starc struggling in the powerplay and Cummins being largely ineffective against right-handers.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Agree with this. I think SA have the best attack after Pakistan

Very good attack on paper. But I think Ngidi is a major weak link and as India showed in the last series, if you take Nortje on, he can be very erratic and all over the place. He's not as good as Haris Rauf, who is as fast as he is but uses his pace much more effectively. They will be relying heavily on Rabada, Shamsi and Maharaj: who has adapted to this format quite well.

 

[shaz619]

I would agree on England, on a bad day they will get 160-180 which is scary. Even without Bairstow, Hales can jump in and light up any bowler in the PP and run away with the game. And the depth is insane all the way down, just look how low Mo is batting.

After England’s batting I’d probably go with India on these wickets.

For bowling, I think it is between England, Australia and Pakistan; it comes down to who handles the pressure better, on paper I’d say Pakistan is the best but I feel the Aussies if they progress to the KO stage, they just take their game to another level.

England: Wood has the pace, Woakes can get the ball to do a bit, Curran has the variation and Jordon while inconsistent, he can be handy at the death, not to mention the luxury England have in getting through a few overs with Stokes, they can use Mo if needed against left handers, have a part time wrist spin option in Liam and have a specialist leg spinner in the team. This is an attack no team should sleep on

Australia: Their pace attack speaks for itself and having a good specialist leggie is a major advantage especially in Australia

Pak: Shaheen in fine form is deadly up front, there is some handy support from Naseem Shah who can also bowl quick and Rauf has developed into a shrewd bowler, Mohammad Wasim Jnr can be a solid support bowler to if needed. I’d say Pakistan have the best spin attack in the tournament with the likes of Ifthi, Nawaz and Shadab, how well Pak restrict teams will be largely dependent on how these guys control the middle and they are so varied which is a big advantage.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I would agree on England, on a bad day they will get 160-180 which is scary. Even without Bairstow, Hales can jump in and light up any bowler in the PP and run away with the game. And the depth is insane all the way down, just look how low Mo is batting.

After England’s batting I’d probably go with India on these wickets.

For bowling, I think it is between England, Australia and Pakistan; it comes down to who handles the pressure better, on paper I’d say Pakistan is the best but I feel the Aussies if they progress to the KO stage, they just take their game to another level.

England: Wood has the pace, Woakes can get the ball to do a bit, Curran has the variation and Jordon while inconsistent, he can be handy at the death, not to mention the luxury England have in getting through a few overs with Stokes, they can use Mo if needed against left handers, have a part time wrist spin option in Liam and have a specialist leg spinner in the team. This is an attack no team should sleep on

Australia: Their pace attack speaks for itself and having a good specialist leggie is a major advantage especially in Australia

Pak: Shaheen in fine form is deadly up front, there is some handy support from Naseem Shah who can also bowl quick and Rauf has developed into a shrewd bowler, Mohammad Wasim Jnr can be a solid support bowler to if needed. I’d say Pakistan have the best spin attack in the tournament with the likes of Ifthi, Nawaz and Shadab, how well Pak restrict teams will be largely dependent on how these guys control the middle and they are so varied which is a big advantage.

The thing that makes Australia such a great team in any format is that champion mentality. I think on the mental front they are ahead of just about every team in the tournament. And if they are in a position to take it home again, they probably will. Which is why I feel it's necessary to break them down from the outset. I don't expect Sri Lanka to beat them in their next game, but after that they have England. If England can capitalize on their weaknesses and beat them, then their campaign might just be over.

And they do have some major weaknesses. With alot of their batters boasting mediocre to poor records against spin...the lack of a proper fifth bowler...Cummins' ineffectiveness against right-handers...Starc averaging 55 in the powerplay since last year... Matthew Wade boasting a SR of 95 against spin.

England is a very shrewd team that tends to be mindful and aware of all this data. So I fully expect them to exploit these weak-points and hopefully come out on top. Because I don't think any team willingly wants to face Australia in the knockouts.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I would agree on England, on a bad day they will get 160-180 which is scary. Even without Bairstow, Hales can jump in and light up any bowler in the PP and run away with the game. And the depth is insane all the way down, just look how low Mo is batting.

After England’s batting I’d probably go with India on these wickets.

For bowling, I think it is between England, Australia and Pakistan; it comes down to who handles the pressure better, on paper I’d say Pakistan is the best but I feel the Aussies if they progress to the KO stage, they just take their game to another level.

England: Wood has the pace, Woakes can get the ball to do a bit, Curran has the variation and Jordon while inconsistent, he can be handy at the death, not to mention the luxury England have in getting through a few overs with Stokes, they can use Mo if needed against left handers, have a part time wrist spin option in Liam and have a specialist leg spinner in the team. This is an attack no team should sleep on

Australia: Their pace attack speaks for itself and having a good specialist leggie is a major advantage especially in Australia

Pak: Shaheen in fine form is deadly up front, there is some handy support from Naseem Shah who can also bowl quick and Rauf has developed into a shrewd bowler, Mohammad Wasim Jnr can be a solid support bowler to if needed. I’d say Pakistan have the best spin attack in the tournament with the likes of Ifthi, Nawaz and Shadab, how well Pak restrict teams will be largely dependent on how these guys control the middle and they are so varied which is a big advantage.

England and New Zealand probably have the best bowling attacks in the tournament after Pakistan. And it's precisely for the reasons you alluded to: versatility and depth. England are probably missing a key piece of the puzzle in Reece Topley who brought something different and dangerous with his left-arm swing. But this is still a highly versatile and multifaceted bowling attack.

The reason I rate Pakistan so highly (besides the reasons I mentioned) is that I can't think of any other team that is as effective at defending low-totals as Pakistan is. It's like a light-bulb just switches on for the bowlers when they have less to play with. And I haven't seen this as consistently with other teams as I have with Pakistan.

 

[Sherazkhalid]

England is the team to beat.

 

[jnaveen1980]

England and New Zealand probably have the best bowling attacks in the tournament after Pakistan. And it's precisely for the reasons you alluded to: versatility and depth. England are probably missing a key piece of the puzzle in Reece Topley who brought something different and dangerous with his left-arm swing. But this is still a highly versatile and multifaceted bowling attack.

The reason I rate Pakistan so highly (besides the reasons I mentioned) is that I can't think of any other team that is as effective at defending low-totals as Pakistan is. It's like a light-bulb just switches on for the bowlers when they have less to play with. And I haven't seen this as consistently with other teams as I have with Pakistan.

Checked the last 3 years. No team is good at defending low totals against bigger sides. They all lose 85-90% of the matches defending 150/160. India is possibly the worst in defending such totals. Once they cross 170 they pull ahead of Pakistan in defending total.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

India for me has a significantly better batting line-up than Australia's, who are vastly overrated just because they peaked at the right time last year and managed to win a tournament they never should have won.

If you get Warner out, you can easily strangle their batting with a couple of good spinners. Because besides Warner and Tim David their batters have mediocre to poor records against leg-spin and left-arm spin.

Their bowling is also very one-dimensional and lack versatility. The lack of the proper fifth bowler is a way in for just about any team. Besides Hazelwood and Zampa none of their bowlers can be considered gun bowlers in this format, with Starc struggling in the powerplay and Cummins being largely ineffective against right-handers.

Excellent post for pointing out that apart from Warner and Tim David, Australia are vulnerable to right-to-left spin.

Warner is extremely crucial in the lineup to destroy that kind of spin. It is no accident that NZ selected both Santner and Sodhi today.

But I don't understand why you rate India higher based on that metric. India does not have anybody to take down left arm spin because they don't have a single left handed batsman in the lineup!

Indian batters have poor strike rates against left arm spin in particular. Nawaz and Sgadab shut us down in the Asia Cup

 

[hitthestump]

On Australian pitches it's England who have the best everything. Maybe if Pakistan had a decent 3rd seamer. Also if Imad Wasim was also there and in good form, but he's not even in the squad.

I don't think Pakistan will get taken to the cleaners though. If Babar and Rizwan can ensure Pakistan get par/good scores then the bowlers should come through to win us the game more often than not.

 

[Suleiman]

Thing with Pak’s bowling attack is can be just as ordinary as it can be destructive. Shaheen is still a bit of an unknown quantity post comeback.

How many pacers has Pakistan had that weren’t the same post injury? How many of them were just as good pre injury? I think there’s a good amount of our previous pacers who fit into both groups. Let’s see which one Shaheen will be in over the course of the next few months (harsh to judge just based on a handful of games post comeback)

Same thing with Haris, Naseem and Hasnain. All 3 are prone to getting smashed, the latter 2 especially.

No need for alarm, they will learn with experience obviously, we have to persist with all 4 for 1-2 years at least.

But I feel like a few fans think that this attack is without its flaws, which it isn’t.

Nawaz as well is susceptible to panic when he starts darting it once he’s being targeted.

 

[Ab Fan]

India for me has a significantly better batting line-up than Australia's, who are vastly overrated just because they peaked at the right time last year and managed to win a tournament they never should have won.

If you get Warner out, you can easily strangle their batting with a couple of good spinners. Because besides Warner and Tim David their batters have mediocre to poor records against leg-spin and left-arm spin.

Their bowling is also very one-dimensional and lack versatility. The lack of the proper fifth bowler is a way in for just about any team. Besides Hazelwood and Zampa none of their bowlers can be considered gun bowlers in this format, with Starc struggling in the powerplay and Cummins being largely ineffective against right-handers.

Maxwell also plays leg spin and left arm spin pretty well. Brings the switch hit and reverse sweep into play well.

My only concern with Indian batting here is that while we have Axar batting at 7, Australia have got Wade coming in at 7. They have got more depth in batting. Axar is like what Jadeja was few years ago, his game against high pace will be tested.

 

[Justcrazy]

England have the best batting and pakistan best bowling , with variety.

 

[Kianig89]

Hales Buttler Malan Stokes Brook Livingstone MoAli Woakes Curran

2 explosive wicketkeepers opening, class batsman in Malan who can also open, Genuine allrounder in Stokes,360' player in Brook, a duo of technical openers in shape of Livi'ne & Mo, Test cricket centurion in Woakes and perfect T20 player in Curran at 9, insanity or shades of Barcelona of last decade, no to mention the backup like Salt & Duckett

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Excellent post for pointing out that apart from Warner and Tim David, Australia are vulnerable to right-to-left spin.

Warner is extremely crucial in the lineup to destroy that kind of spin. It is no accident that NZ selected both Santner and Sodhi today.

But I don't understand why you rate India higher based on that metric. India does not have anybody to take down left arm spin because they don't have a single left handed batsman in the lineup!

Indian batters have poor strike rates against left arm spin in particular. Nawaz and Sgadab shut us down in the Asia Cup

I agree with you that India's top-order has a very susceptible record against left-arm spin. Infact the numbers of Kohli, Pandya and Rahul against SLA are actually quite terrible. Packing the top-order with right-handers doesn't exactly help their cause, either. But that said, if India have a good powerplay, its very hard to stop them from ending up with a good total. And India always go in aiming for above par totals. Their approach to batting is similar to England and they have the variety in their batting to get big totals consistently.

Australia for me has a middle-order of batters that feel too similar in style. Especially now that David has taken Smith's place in the side.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Maxwell also plays leg spin and left arm spin pretty well. Brings the switch hit and reverse sweep into play well.

My only concern with Indian batting here is that while we have Axar batting at 7, Australia have got Wade coming in at 7. They have got more depth in batting. Axar is like what Jadeja was few years ago, his game against high pace will be tested.

Bro, Wade is highly one-dimensional. He's essentially a one-trick pony and teams like India and Pakistan have been stupid enough to bowl to his strengths.

He can basically only hit pace. His SR against pace is 171 and his SR against spin is 95. He has been strategically placed at 7 in the batting order to come in and play the role of the finisher for this very reason. But I think it's high time teams understand that they need to hold back at least an over of spin for Wade when they are playing against Australia.

Yeah, he is definitely untested with the bat in this format. But I think a way to counter that might to promote him up the order whenever teams try to exploit India's weakness against left-arm spin. Because it's all right-handers before him, unless they play Pant. I also think India would not mind holding Karthik back for the end at 7 considering how good Karthik is at hitting pace and finishing the innings off for India.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Maxwell also plays leg spin and left arm spin pretty well. Brings the switch hit and reverse sweep into play well.

My only concern with Indian batting here is that while we have Axar batting at 7, Australia have got Wade coming in at 7. They have got more depth in batting. Axar is like what Jadeja was few years ago, his game against high pace will be tested.

I'd say it's kind of a 'live by the sword, die by the sword' situation for Maxwell against leg-spin & left-arm spin. Yes, he can hit them and usually does not let them settle. But we have also seen him get out to that kind of bowling countless times, including last night. He is definitely much better against slower bowling than he was a few years ago and he's really good at executing that switch hit, but I think quality spinners should back themselves against him.