Harsh Thakor
First Class Star
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2012
- Runs
- 3,519
- Post of the Week
- 2
Many batsmen although not so proficient against fast-medium or spin have been outstanding against pure pace bowling.They may not have been as good as Bradman,Tendulkar,Lara ,Greg Chappell,Greame Pollock.Hashim Amla,Jack Hobbs or Everton Weekes overall but against pure pace they could even surpass them.
These are my batsmen in a test xi against express pace on fast wicket.I have put them in the order they would comprise the batting line-up of the all-time xi.
1.Sunil Gavaskar
2.Graham Gooch
3.Viv Richards
4.Rohan Kanhai
5.Colin Cowdrey
6.Inzamam Ul Haq
7.Gary Sobers
Gavaskar was the ultimate defensive batsmen who amassed hoards of runs against great paceman.Gooch played some of the greatest innings ever against the best pace attack ever in 1981 and 1991.His 153 at Kingston and 154 at Leeds are knocks even Gavaskar ,Hutton or Hobbs have not equalled against lethal pace.Viv played great pacemen like spinners overshadowing even Bradman.He did not face his own quicks but neverthless shattered the guts out of Lillee in 1979-80 and earlier in WSC supertsets in 1977.Rohan Kanhai was almost Viv's equal against pure pace which he proved v Australia at Perth in 1972 when scoring 118 when every other batsmen failed.He also tore the likes of Alan Davddson,Graham Mckenzie and John Snow apart.Cowdrey had some staggering scores against the best of attacks scoring many a ton in the Carribean but his most memorable was his unbeaten 154 to steer Ken Home against the visiting Australians in 1975.With great courage he took on Lillee and Thomson in 1974-75,down under.No batsmen played Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith with such remorseless ease the the manner of putting child to sleep.Inzamam exhibit more talent than Sachin or Lara against express pace with his phenomenal reflexes.Statistics did not do justice to his ability against the great quicks.Notable are his centuries and big scores in the Carribean.Sobers had great record against top speedsters like John Snow and Fred Trueman averaging over 100 in England in 1966.
I still don't back the likes of Walter Hammond,Sachin Tendulkar,Brian Lara to equal the likes of gavaskar,Gooch,Viv Richards,Rohan Kanhai,Colin Cowdrey ,Inzamam and Sobers against express pace.Bradman was no doubt the greatest of all batsmen but never proved himself against express pace and was overshadowed in the bodyline series by Stan Mcabe.He may well have made it and probably would have had he played in later decades like the 1970's.Barry Richards hardly played test cricket so it is hard to judge him but morally he could have been the equal or better than many in my xi.
I have not only considered statistics but also skill and ability.I feel the likes of Inzy ,Cowdrey etc although statistically not in the same category;had more asssurance against express pace than Lara or Tendulkar.
These are my batsmen in a test xi against express pace on fast wicket.I have put them in the order they would comprise the batting line-up of the all-time xi.
1.Sunil Gavaskar
2.Graham Gooch
3.Viv Richards
4.Rohan Kanhai
5.Colin Cowdrey
6.Inzamam Ul Haq
7.Gary Sobers
Gavaskar was the ultimate defensive batsmen who amassed hoards of runs against great paceman.Gooch played some of the greatest innings ever against the best pace attack ever in 1981 and 1991.His 153 at Kingston and 154 at Leeds are knocks even Gavaskar ,Hutton or Hobbs have not equalled against lethal pace.Viv played great pacemen like spinners overshadowing even Bradman.He did not face his own quicks but neverthless shattered the guts out of Lillee in 1979-80 and earlier in WSC supertsets in 1977.Rohan Kanhai was almost Viv's equal against pure pace which he proved v Australia at Perth in 1972 when scoring 118 when every other batsmen failed.He also tore the likes of Alan Davddson,Graham Mckenzie and John Snow apart.Cowdrey had some staggering scores against the best of attacks scoring many a ton in the Carribean but his most memorable was his unbeaten 154 to steer Ken Home against the visiting Australians in 1975.With great courage he took on Lillee and Thomson in 1974-75,down under.No batsmen played Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith with such remorseless ease the the manner of putting child to sleep.Inzamam exhibit more talent than Sachin or Lara against express pace with his phenomenal reflexes.Statistics did not do justice to his ability against the great quicks.Notable are his centuries and big scores in the Carribean.Sobers had great record against top speedsters like John Snow and Fred Trueman averaging over 100 in England in 1966.
I still don't back the likes of Walter Hammond,Sachin Tendulkar,Brian Lara to equal the likes of gavaskar,Gooch,Viv Richards,Rohan Kanhai,Colin Cowdrey ,Inzamam and Sobers against express pace.Bradman was no doubt the greatest of all batsmen but never proved himself against express pace and was overshadowed in the bodyline series by Stan Mcabe.He may well have made it and probably would have had he played in later decades like the 1970's.Barry Richards hardly played test cricket so it is hard to judge him but morally he could have been the equal or better than many in my xi.
I have not only considered statistics but also skill and ability.I feel the likes of Inzy ,Cowdrey etc although statistically not in the same category;had more asssurance against express pace than Lara or Tendulkar.
) and ATG player of fast bowling/spin.
