Sanath Jayasuriya vs Adam Gilchrist - Who do you think was the better ODI opener?

[Uzair Tariq]

The title says it all. Who is the better ODI opener of the two.

 

[The_Odd_One]

The title says it all. Who is the better ODI opener of the two.

Jayasuriya in my opinion was a better opener.

 

[Hasan123]

An extremely difficult one here. Both changed the face of batting at the top of the order in LO cricket.

I'll go with Sanath just. Tbf if someone went with Gilly I wouldn't complain.

 

[Justcrazy]

Purely as a batsman GilChrist

 

[Pete Rose]

Gilchrist

 

[todfod 11]

Jaya in asian pitches

Gilchrist in faster bouncier pitches.

 

[Ab Fan]

Not much to chose between.

In a world XI, If you have Tendulkar then go with Gilly and if you have Lara then go with Jaya.

You get an Asian/non Asian pair each although the latter looks a bit inferior because the former already has got the keeping option.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Gilchrist for me

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Gilchrist marginally. Although they're almost the same

 

[Dr_Bassim]

Now this one is impossible to call.

Jayasuriya in his prime was ravenous.

Gilchrist had better defense I would assume.

Very very difficult.

I would go with Gilchrist just because of my own bias, but if someone picks Jayasuriya he wouldn't be wrong as well.

 

[khurram39]

I pick Jaysauria as he is the one who change the game of cricket and out class Aus in 96.

 

[Hitman]

Gilly.

 

[SL_Fan]

Tough call but I will probably give it to Jayasuriya because for the most part SL’s batting was heavily reliant on him providing a solid platform at the top. Gilly on the other hand was fortunate enough to have played in ATG sides where there wasn’t much pressure on him, his runs were more like a bonus.

A good example of it is Gilly’s WC record. Now a lot of people might remember him as a clutch bat because of his heroics in WC finals. But in reality he was a massive flop in the prelims/quarters/semis. He was carried to all those finals by the ATG teams he was fortunate to be a part of. Otherwise this is what his WC record minus minnows would have ended up as.

 

[volcyz]

I'd rather watch Jayasuriya anyday of the week.

 

[Arsalan Pro]

Adam Gilchrist.

 

[mayankp.sverige]

Adam Gilchrist.

sanath was best

 

[sshakir411]

Tough one. They both were really strong on anything outside off, Gilly I think was the better puller but Sanath was better of his legs. I'd go with Sanath but I'm biased.

 

[Lefthanded]

It wasn't a tough one but I figured that Gilchrist and Sehwag are my openers in an all-time ODI XI, which settles it. Even purely as a batsman, Gilchrist over Sanath. I can't help but feel that if he had given up keeping, without the wear and tear, the strain on his back he would've risen higher the way Sanga did.

Setting aside his best Test knocks, I've never been blown by many innings the way I was by Gilchrist's 149 in the WC '07 Final.

By the 30th over, while batting first, there was only one winner with 80 overs to go.