Greg Chappell-best Australian batsman after Bradman ?
This grandson of Victor Richardson bid farewell to test Cricket against Pakistan with a superb 182 at Sydney in the final test in the 1983-84 series It was fitting that he retired in that manner after taking the Pakistan attack to the sword in charasterictic style.His batting contained the same elegance as he showed all through his career.The adulation he received from the Crowds was like Julius Ceasar bidding farewell to his subjects for the last time. In that same test match stalwarts like Lillee and Rod Marsh also bid farewell
.. Fittingly he also made a hundred on his test debut at Perth in 1969-70 verus Austrlai scoring 108 runs.He thus joined the select band of batsman who scored centuries on debut and in their final tests.
In the 1971-72 unofficial tset series against Rest of he World Greg revealed why he would become one of the true greats of the game.He averaged 114 runs including 2 centuries ,.His 197 in the 3rd test was as an exhibition of unflawed brilliance.He exhibited perfect balance and made his opponents look like pawns on a chessboard.
The first sign of true greatness in Greg’s batting was displayed in the 1971-72 Ashes in England. At Lords he scored a chanceless match-winning 131.Greg gave one of the finest exhibitions of batting ever exhibited on a cricket field.It is hard to imagine an innings played in England after the war played with such high technical skill. In difficult conditions Greg showed exemplary judgement on either foot. Never had such elegance been displayed by an Australian. .The field was pierced in a manner an artist was making curves on the board. His style and composure reminded one of the great batsman of the Golden age, mastering the moving ball.It was almost like seeing a writer recite classical prose.His 2 centuries in the series played a great role in his team drawing a test series 2-2.He shared famous partnershipwith his brother Ia at the Oval when hey both scored centuries.
In the Carribean in 1973 Greg topped the first class averages for Australia led by his brother Ian Chappell where his team triumphed 2- in the test series.In 1974-75 his batting played an instrumental role in Australia regaining the Ashes.Greg scored at an average of 55,scoring 2 centuries.
Greg’s batting had a charasterictic English style which had elegance personified in total contrast to brother Ian who had a charasterictic ruggedness and arrogance about his batting.One feature of his career was their back to back centuries at Wellington when Ian and Greg became the first brother combination to score 2centuries apiece in a test match.(Greg scored 247not out and 133 not out while Ian scpored 145 and 121)Often it was Ian who inspired Greg.It was a sight to behold watching the two brothers batting at the crease who were temperamentally so different.
After inheriting the legacy of a champion team nurtured by brother Ian Chappell, in 1975 Greg led his team to 5-1 victory in a test series against the West Indies ,billed as the World Championship contest.He compiled runs in a Bradmanesque manner taking the West India bowlers to the sword.,scoring 702 runs at 117 runs apiece.He tore the calypso attack to shreds like a sword piercing flesh.but with the grace of a violinist.No batsman ever score more prolifically in a test series in début series as captain.Greg alos scored the most number of runs by an Australian batsman ever I a test series against the West Indies. His 182 not out at Sydney was scored after Holding had injured him.He gave an exhibition of unmatched artistry. Greg plundered runs like an emperor. It must be said that Ian gave him great support as a batsman and in captaincy.Ian virtually handed a throne to Greg.
Greg had a successful series against Pakistan at home in 1976-1977.He went on to lead is taem I England in the Ashes where his team went down 3-1 Howevr Greg exhibited unmatched elegance ,making it look as though the rest were mere club batsman.There was no Australian batsman in his league.At the Oval ,he score a masterly 124 not out in rainy conditions.,in he final one day international of he Prudential trophy.Playing for ataem having lost it’s stalwarts in Packer Ricket Greg led and played with immaculate skill.
In World Series Cricket Greg gave some breathtaking exhibitions of batting.He sored 246 not out against aWorld 11 and 174 against the West Indies. He tore the bowling like a sword piercing flesh when scoring 246 not out ,(which won the match against aChampion team)reminding one of a bomber destroying an enemy base.No batsman was more elegant and in full flow he resembled an emperor conquering territory after territory.He conquered the likes of Sir Richard Hadlee,Michael Holding, Andy Robers,Imran Khan Etc. He bisected the fields superbly with he skill of a surgeon.Often the bowlers looked like demoralized soldiers who had suffered a crushing defeat in a battle.He scored 1416 runs ,523 more than any Australian.He dominated the bowling in the Carribean in the Supertests aggregating 621 runs at an average of 69 runs.
In the post Packer era Greg dominated bowling with equal ease. He scored profically in a home series against India,(drawn rubber) 2 home series versus Pakistan,(led his team in 1981 but played under Kim Hughes in 1983-84)in an away series in New Zealand,in 2 home series against England.and in an away series.against Pakistan.In 1979-9-80 he averaged 45 against West Indies(side lost 2-0 when he scored 124 to help save the first test at Brisbane) but then averaged 79.80 against England, including a century and a match-winning 98 not out at Sydney on a rained pitch.(led his team to 2-0 win in test series) He followed that up averaging 76.80 in a 3 test series in 1980 in Pakistan including a brilliant 235 at Faisalabad against Pakistan.(lost series 1-0) Greg showed his class on turning tracks and his exempelary footwork. In 1980-81 he wasn’t successful against New Zealand(won series 2-0) but averaged 73.60 against India including a masterly 204 against India at Sydney,(drawn rubber despite his prolific scoring)where he made the Indian bowlers look like cattle walking to a slaughterhouse.In 1981-82,Greg average 50.4 against Pakistan scoring a superb 201 in the 2nd test at Brisbane where he tore the likes of Imran Khan by the sword, giving a masterly exhibition of strokeplay. However Greg had a nightmare series against the West Indies.(failed as a batsman but still his side drew the rubber 1-1)Repeatedly the West Indian bowlers penetrated his defence or beat his bat and Greg chappell seemed to be hopelessly out of sorts.. However just after that he proved the fact that all great batsman only go through patches of failure scoring a brilliant 176 against New Zealand at ChristChurch.He simply tore Sir Richard Hadlee and looked like a bomber destroying a airbase. His batting enabled Australia to regain the Ashes at home in 1982-83,when he scored over 450 runs averaging around 48,including 2 centuries. while he set seal to is brilliant career winning test series against Pakistan at home,retiring scoring a superb 182.True the Pakistan attack was handicapped without Imran Khan bowling but Greg retired batting like a true great.
Where would Greg rank overall as a batsman?No batsman in the 1970's dominated bowling attacks to such an extent combining technical elegance and grace.In his era with Viv Richards and Sunil Gavaskar he was the greatest batsman.He had the best test average by any batsman in his era ahead of Viv Richards at 50.24 and Gavaskar at 51.10 To me he is just a hare’s breadth below Viv Richards,Sachin Tendulkar or Brian Lara and is among the 10 best batsman of all time.I would still rate him the best post-war Australian batsman.Ricky Ponting was statistically better but did posesse Greg's technical excelence or mastery on bad wickets.Ponting did not face the same type of opposition or the same caliber of bowling.(Though he played the bouncing ball better).Dennis Lillee and Sir Richard Hadlee rate him the most perfect batsman they have ever bowled to. Dennis Lille rates him only behind Viv Richards,Gary Sobers,Barry Richards and Graeme Pollock.In is era Greg was the greatest Competitor to Viv Richards and Sunil Gavaskar.Unfortunately statisticians have not taken into account the run she scored in the World series super tests or the unofficial tests against the Rest of the World.
Statistically Greg averaged 53.86 scoring 7110 runs in 151 innings in 87 tests.I rate him 2 nd best amongst Australian batsman behind only Bradman.Though Ian Chappell was better in a crisis(as well as against the boucing ball or on bad wickets) or Allan Border was more prolific they could not dominate an attack like Greg Chappell or win as many matches.14 out of his 24 centuries in test matches were match-winning affairs and Greg had a phenomenal average of 70 in test matches won by Australia.(better than Viv Richards,Tendulakr or Lara in modern times .)Ricky Ponting or Matthew Hayden may match Greg Chappell’s ability to dominate or been greater match-winners statistically but to me have not faced the same calibre of bolwing and had the advantage of playing for a champion team.Greg Chappel has faced the greatest bowlers of any era.(Andy Roberts,Imran Khan Etc).) True playerslike Gary Sobers ,Imran Khan or Michael Holding rated brother Ian Chappell a better batsman but silmuntaneously Sir Don Bradman,Sir Richard Hadlee and Sunil Gavaskar and Dennis Lillee rated Greg better. Greg Chappell’s scores in Packer CRicket in the 1977-79 period and in the 1972 Rest of the World versus Australia series in Australia have been excluded from the record books .Otherwise he would have a higher ranking amongst the all -time great batsman.Infcat adding his Packer stats and scores v.Rest of the World Greg Chappell's average would be elevated to 55.8.,with 20 centuries.In Packer Cricket he averaged over 45+against the likes of Andy Roberts,Holding and Imran Khan including a .classic 246 not out verus Rest of the World and 174 versus West Indies. Against rest of the World at home in 1972.he averaged over 100 including scores of 115 and 197 not out .Greg’s best Innings wsa possibly his 131 at Lords i 1972 against England..He scored prolifically against the Calypso paceman like in his debut series as skipper (when he scored a record for a debut series as skipper) scoring 702 runs at 117 including a classic 182 not out at Sydney.He also scored 621 runs at a 69 run average in the Packer Series in the West Indies.Greg also showed he was a master on the sub-continent with aclassical 235 at Faislabad against Pakistan in 1980.Greg was rated as the 10 best batsman of all in the Wisden Rankings.the 17th best cricketer of all in the E.S P.N rankings while Geoff Armstrong puts him as he23rd best Cricketer of all.(better than Ricky Ponting or Allan Border)Mushtaq Muhammad places Greg in his alltime xi with Tendulkar.,while Jeff Thomson rates him the best batsman of his time and Richard Hadlee,the most perfect.At the no 4 position Greg would rank as amongst the best in cricket history with Tendulkar ,Graeme Pollock and Lara.I would rate Greg above Jacques Kallis because Greg had more flamboyance ,style and match-winning ability.One thing that may have gone against Greg was his frequently missing tours like i England i 1981,Pakistan in 1982 etc.Some critiques felt that he did not relish fast bowling,but remember he scored prolifically against the likes of all great paceman of his era.Greg is rated very highly by Colin Croft who rated him the most difficult batsman he ever bowled to.,as well as Richie Richardson and Andy Roberts.
Technically Greg was the best Australian batsman after Sir Don.Greg had a unique composure with an impregnable defence.In the post-war era there has not been a more correct Australian batsman.He had extraordinary judgement whether he should defend with a perfectly straight bat or launch a blistering attack,including majestic drives,cuts and flicks on either side of the wicket.In the Arc region he batted like a surgeon performing an a operation and he was the best ever player of the flicked drive through mid wicket.. When in full flow he was reminiscent of an emperor dicating his knights but scored his runs with the precision of asurgeon performing an operation.He was a perfect model for a schoolboy batsman. Few batsman ever have combined such technical correctness with the ability to destroy bowling.In Greg’s only weakness was his vulnerability against the bouncing ball which was exposed on fast tracks against the West Indian paceman,particularyly in 1979-80 He often top edged bouncers attempting the hook shot and his predominantly Front foot Technique got him into trouble.Greg mastered the seaming English wickets,the turning tracks in the sub-continent and the bouncy Australian tracks.
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Greg also exhibited great will power after a string of failures against West Indies at home in 1981-82 and he contemplated retirement.Howevere he returned like a Muhammad Ali scoring 176 in New Zealand in 1982and went on to play 3 relatively succesful Australian INternational seasons.(4Centuries against England and Pakistan )
As a skipper brother Ian was vastly better and Greg could never motivate his team to the same extent as Ian and was not as sound a tactician..Ian virtually handed over an empire to Greg in the 1975-76 series against West Indies(Austrlai triumphed 5-1)The base of Austrlalia’s great rise was built by none other than Ian Chappellwhich paved the way for Greg leading Austrlia to a 5-1 triumph in his debut series as skipper. after making Australia a world beating side.Greg was an outstanding slip fielder taking 122 catches.Greg was amore than useful medium pace bowler who often made crucial breakthroughs..
Greg Chappell played some great one day International knocks and sometimes he was unbowlabe in the shorter version.He averaged around 36 with some useful match-winning hundreds and fifties displaing classical improvisation.
.Howevere his career had blemishes like when he made brother Trevor Chappel bowl an underarm ball when opponents New Zealand required 6 of the last ball against New Zealand in 1980-81.It was one of the game’s most unsporting incidents.He also morally justified Dennis Lillee’s assault on Javed Mianda at Perth in 1981-82.Although very cool and graceful thes 2 incidents spoke against his sportsmanship.Sadly he also contributed to a rift in Indian cricket between Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid and his role as a manager had an adverse effect on Indian cricket as a whole.To me this was the greatest blot on Greg Chappell's career.
Greg rate Gary Sobers,Vivian Richards ,Graeme Pollock,Sachin Tendulkar,Brian Lara and Barry Richards as his 5 best batsman,while rated Denis Lilllee,Andy Roberts.Malcolm Marshall,Jeff Thomson and Shane Warne as his 5 best bowlers.
After retiring Greg became asuccesful commentator and at present is the coach of the Indian team..His memories will remain forever till the game exists.Few batsman have displayed such feline grace while batting.It is really sad that he never played in India where many a ricket school boy modelled his batting style on Greg..He was an ornament to the game.
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. Can't quite remeber what no. he was though.
...His average vs every single team, home or away is astonishing.
