Celebrating 500th Test of India : Best ever batsmen to play for India?

[Harsh Thakor]

This is in general order of merit the best batsmen who have ever played for India .Very close between Tendulkar and Gavaskar,just a whisker.Dravid is also in the same category.Given preference to Sachin's flamboyance and overall mastery.In a crisis Dravid was the ultimate champion As match-winners Vishy and Sehwag stood out.Dravid's fifties and hundreds were played more in situation than any Indian great but cricket is also about artistry and entertainment.Sachin was closest to the perfect batsmen while considering the bowling he faced Gavaskar was arguably only Braman's runner -up.Vijay Merchant was the king statistically in first-class cricket averaging 2nd only to Bradman and tackling wet pitches like Jack Hobbs in 1936 and 1946.At their best Vishy and Sehwag could even overshadow Tendulkar while Azharuddin took batting to it's deepest divinity on his day.For a while from 1986-88 Vengsarakar was the best batsmen in the world averaging over 90 in that peak era.Virat Kohli's epic batting in this era compares with that of any Indian great.I seperated Vishy and Azhar by just a margin of a whisker as Vishy was more succesful against top pace attacks.At his best Sidhu was class act ,particularly against great pace.

1.Sachin Tendulkar
2.Sunil Gavaskar
3.Rahul Dravid
4.Vijay Merchant
5.Virendra Sehwag
6.Virat Kohli
7.V.V.S.Laxman
8.Gundappa Vishwanath
9.Mohammad Azharrudin
10.Dilip Vengsarkar
11.Vijay Hazare
12.Vijay Manjrekar
13.Polly Umrigar
14.Mohinder Amarnath
15.Tiger Pataudi
16.Saurav Ganguly
17 Navjot Singh Sidhu
18.Mushtaq Ali
19.M.L.Jaisimha
20.Dilip Sardesai

 

[Snow]

Kohli averaging 40s in this era doesn't put him at #6, i think even Ganguly was better test player than him.

 

[Dman]

Kohli already at Number 6, well ahead of Ganguly Dada and Azhar Bhai. What a joke of a ranking Order.

Jeez, he's already ahead of VVS Laxman too. What is left to say further?

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Kohli already at Number 6, well ahead of Ganguly Dada and Azhar Bhai. What a joke of a ranking Order.

Jeez, he's already ahead of VVS Laxman too. What is left to say further?

I have also considered performances in ODI's where his performances are outstanding.Considering only test cricket I agree VVS is better or even Azhar.I also considered Kohli's great performance in Australia in 2014-15.
O.K.if only tests I may relegate Kohli to around 10.Still to me ahead of Ganguly or maybe Vengsarkar.

 

[javiersuka]

Why is Gavaskar so high if Odi performances are also considered?

If Odis are considered, then Gavaskar and Dravid do not deserve such high rankings and Sehwag deserves to be ranked a bit higher.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Why is Gavaskar so high if Odi performances are also considered?

If Odis are considered, then Gavaskar and Dravid do not deserve such high rankings and Sehwag deserves to be ranked a bit higher.

hardly one day cricket in days of Sunny never forget his best O.D.I.efforts like in Berbice,Guyana when scoring 90 .

 

[Chrish]

Vijay Merchant

 

[TQ89]

Why is Gavaskar so high if Odi performances are also considered?

If Odis are considered, then Gavaskar and Dravid do not deserve such high rankings and Sehwag deserves to be ranked a bit higher.

Brother You should check other lists about greatest batsmen & most commentators/ex-cricketers world eleven. Sunny G is always there as first pick.

That man was your best bat until sachin came along & is undoubtedly the greatest test opener of all time. Ask any old timer of yours who has witnessed both Sunny G's era & after that azhar tendulkar ganguly era. They will tell you why he is rated so high by almost everyone of that era.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Kohli already at Number 6, well ahead of Ganguly Dada and Azhar Bhai. What a joke of a ranking Order.

Jeez, he's already ahead of VVS Laxman too. What is left to say further?

Respect to Harsh bhai's vision. Nothing like bhaijaan but right up there as an analyst, a futurist, a humanist.

 

[Last Monetarist]

1. Tendulkar
2. Gavaskar
3. Dravid
4. Kohli
5. Hazare
6. Sehwag
7. Laxman
8. Amarnath
9. Vengsarkar
10. Viswanath

 

[Justcrazy]

In Test its Gavaskar.

 

[BaankeJi]

This is in general order of merit the best batsmen who have ever played for India .Very close between Tendulkar and Gavaskar,just a whisker.Dravid is also in the same category.Given preference to Sachin's flamboyance and overall mastery.In a crisis Dravid was the ultimate champion As match-winners Vishy and Sehwag stood out.Dravid's fifties and hundreds were played more in situation than any Indian great but cricket is also about artistry and entertainment.Sachin was closest to the perfect batsmen while considering the bowling he faced Gavaskar was arguably only Braman's runner -up.Vijay Merchant was the king statistically in first-class cricket averaging 2nd only to Bradman and tackling wet pitches like Jack Hobbs in 1936 and 1946.At their best Vishy and Sehwag could even overshadow Tendulkar while Azharuddin took batting to it's deepest divinity on his day.For a while from 1986-88 Vengsarakar was the best batsmen in the world averaging over 90 in that peak era.Virat Kohli's epic batting in this era compares with that of any Indian great.I seperated Vishy and Azhar by just a margin of a whisker as Vishy was more succesful against top pace attacks.At his best Sidhu was class act ,particularly against great pace.

1.Sachin Tendulkar
2.Sunil Gavaskar
3.Rahul Dravid
4.Vijay Merchant
5.Virendra Sehwag
6.Virat Kohli
7.V.V.S.Laxman
8.Gundappa Vishwanath
9.Mohammad Azharrudin
10.Dilip Vengsarkar
11.Vijay Hazare
12.Vijay Manjrekar
13.Polly Umrigar
14.Mohinder Amarnath
15.Tiger Pataudi
16.Saurav Ganguly
17 Navjot Singh Sidhu
18.Mushtaq Ali
19.M.L.Jaisimha
20.Dilip Sardesai

1. Gavaskar
2. Tendulkar
3. V V S
4. Kohli
5. Dravid
6. Sehwag

 

[TM Riddle]

Overall Tendulkar is comfortably at the top.
You can make a case for Gavaskar in tests since he was an opener and had to face the new ball. Never easy without an helmet esp when you have monster looking bowlers coming at you.

 

[Ab Fan]

Tendulkar
Kohli
Gavaskar
Dravid
Sehwag
Laxman
Amarnath
Azharuddin
Hazare
Vishwanath

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Sachin
Kohli = Gavaskar
Dravid
Merchant
Gundappa
Hazare
Laxman
Vengsarkar
Amarnath
Pataudi


PS: I have excluded Sehwag as he was not that good outside SC.

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

1. Gavaskar
2. Tendulkar
3. V V S
4. Kohli
5. Dravid
6. Sehwag

VVS over Kohli and Dravid? How?

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Kohli averaging 40s in this era doesn't put him at #6, i think even Ganguly was better test player than him.

How things have changed!

 

[Hasan123]

Sachin Tendulkar

 

[Abdul]

Kohli.