Virat Kohli when asked a bowler from the past who would have troubled him? Wasim Akram

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

 

[Ab Fan]

Is there any legendary batsman in the game that has not mentioned Wasim as the toughest to face?

 

[Proactive_]

Is there any legendary batsman in the game that has not mentioned Wasim as the toughest to face?

Sachin Tendulkar.

He found Hansie Cronje to be a bigger challenge than Wasim Akram (among a plethora of other great bowlers).

 

[IMMY69]

Sachin Tendulkar.

He found Hansie Cronje to be a bigger challenge than Wasim Akram (among a plethora of other great bowlers).

Do you think Cronje "fixed" it for him to say that?

 

[gazza619]

Sachin Tendulkar.

He found Hansie Cronje to be a bigger challenge than Wasim Akram (among a plethora of other great bowlers).

Very rarely did I see Sachin facing issues against Wasim. He had figured him out.

 

[BaankeJi]

Sachin Tendulkar.

He found Hansie Cronje to be a bigger challenge than Wasim Akram (among a plethora of other great bowlers).

To be honest, he found Abdul Razzaq more difficult to deal with than he did the great Wasim Akram.

Strange but true.

Back to topic , I am not surprised by Virat's answer.

 

[Ab Fan]

Sachin Tendulkar.

He found Hansie Cronje to be a bigger challenge than Wasim Akram (among a plethora of other great bowlers).

He hardly played against him so hard for him to put an opinion for that.

It is the same reason why Dravid also doesn't mentioned Wasim. Dravid has mentioned McGrath as the toughest he faced though.

However, Lara, Ponting, Kallis and Sanga have rated Wasim as the toughest/greatest they faced.

 

[Hitman]

Not surprised by Virat's answer. I would have loved to see him against McGarth and Warne.

 

[Third_Umpire]

Wasim bhai would trouble anyone, past and future. Absolute legend.

 

[MesonK]

Wasim of 1992-1997 would have taken kohlis edge just bit outside off stump.

 

[Hitman]

And people still debate whether Waqar was a better bowler than Wasim.

 

[Saj]

Imagine that Wasim v Kohli.

What a battle it could have been.

A battle of two of the greatest cricketers of all time.

 

[Rana]

Wasim Akram is the Sultan of left arm seamers. And Kohli has always struggled most against Left arm seam. Without a doubt, Wasim Akram (peak) would pose a major threat to Virat Kohli

 

[ishtiaq_ctg]

Not surprised by Virat's answer. I would have loved to see him against McGarth and Warne.

Brutal sledging War is guaranteed

 

[Hitman]

Brutal sledging War is guaranteed

Well said.

 

[Varun]

No offense, but this is a fashionable answer to give.

Unless said batsman and bowler really square off against each, they genuinely have no idea about the strengths and capabilities of the other.

 

[Rana]

No offense, but this is a fashionable answer to give.

Unless said batsman and bowler really square off against each, they genuinely have no idea about the strengths and capabilities of the other.

Kohli is a jobber against left arm seam. Especially on the grand stage. What makes you think that he would dominate Peak Wasim Akram?

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I think a more interesting question would have been who is the bowler he considers the toughest to face in modern day cricket?

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Kohli is a jobber against left arm seam. Especially on the grand stage. What makes you think that he would dominate Peak Wasim Akram?

Who's to say that Wasim exposing Virat's weaknesses better than anyone wouldn't have led to Virat working on them? At the end of the day, he still has that champion mindset that has made him one of the greatest players of his generation. Which is why these comparisons are pointless and don't accomplish anything. Its better to just appreciate the fact that game recognizes game.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

No offense, but this is a fashionable answer to give.

Unless said batsman and bowler really square off against each, they genuinely have no idea about the strengths and capabilities of the other.

More than pretending to be fashionable, most batsmen/experts try to rate the "skill"; which by definition is intangible, as far as cricket is concerned. There are many bowlers with better average, strike rate or pace etc. But as a package and being a leftie, Wasim is a unique bowler in televised history of game (so far).

 

[Gullycricket]

Well Amir did trouble him. He would be Wasim's bunny

 

[NishanKonar]

Sachin Tendulkar.

He found Hansie Cronje to be a bigger challenge than Wasim Akram (among a plethora of other great bowlers).

I still remember the 1997 Tri series final in Durban against South Africa

Facing a stiff target, Sachin came out out guns blazing & blasted 45 of 25 balls - taking Donald & Pollock to the cleaners. Then Hansie Cronje decided to bowl himself & guess what Sachin got put & our chase faltered . Wat an anti climax

 

[speed_thrills]

Well Amir did trouble him. He would be Wasim's bunny

True, before Amir, he was dominated by Junaid Khan to.

 

[Savak]

Wasims formed slipped after getting diabetes in 1997. The insulin medication he had to take frequently resulted in weight gain. He should have taken 500 test wickets

 

[Yasir_ch]

Wasim Akram is the goat.He is the most skilfull bowler ever.He had everything.virat kohli is an excellent player but he will surely struggle against Wasim Akram.He would dance on wasim's tunes.

 

[Majid Khan]

As great a batsman as Virat Kohli is , personally I think having seen how Kohli coped against Junaid Khan and Mohammed Amir — I have no doubt all of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar at their best would have had him hopping and looking behind in amazement at seeing stumps being uprooted — but no shame in that , these great bowlers even gave this experience to many great batsmen before Kohli.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Would have been a really nice battle. Wasim is one of the kost challenging bowlers to face as a batsman and no one likes a challenge as much as Virat Kohli. O think it would have been an even battle slightly in favour of Wasim Akram.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Do you think Cronje "fixed" it for him to say that?

One reason for not mentioning Wasim's name could be that he didn't want to hurt Shiv Sainiks at that time and wanted to stay away from any controversy.

 

[street cricketer]

As great a batsman as Virat Kohli is , personally I think having seen how Kohli coped against Junaid Khan and Mohammed Amir — I have no doubt all of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar at their best would have had him hopping and looking behind in amazement at seeing stumps being uprooted — but no shame in that , these great bowlers even gave this experience to many great batsmen before Kohli.

Might as well include Rana Naved while you're at it!

 

[Majid Khan]

Might as well include Rana Naved while you're at it!

Well you can include whoever you want in your list and maybe even Venkatesh Prasad , but the bowlers I’ve listed in Imran/Wasim/Waqar are fast bowling all time greats with their test records as fast bowlers with averages, strike rates, 5 wicket hauls which speak for themselves. Shoaib might not have the legend status of Imran/Wasim/Waqar but his stats and impact of being able to rip out middle stumps and run through batting line ups like these guys is known all over the cricket world.

Now that’s not to say Kohli would not have had his success against these bowlers too, as he is a class batsman , but I’m sure he would have had his share of stumps cart wheeling dismissals too , being beaten by unplayable deliveries.

And the fact of the matter is when it’s a contest between a top batsman and a top class fast bowler , remember the batsman is only allowed one mistake or one moment of misfortune when that unplayable ball comes - be that Tendulkar, Lara , Ponting or Kohli.

 

[ChTab]

Some Pakistani's are celebrating Virat's answer like Pakistan just won the WC. This shows we're on our way to become a minnow in world cricket.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Well Amir did trouble him. He would be Wasim's bunny

Yes Amir troubled him
Wahab got whacked

Problem is not left arm bowling or pace.. Difference is movement and swing at good/decent pace.

He will find way more difficult to play Wasim than Amir.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

It will be one hell of a challenge for sure.

As for all the hyperboles -
If Ganguly can handle Wasim why can't Kohli do the same. Lol
Actually Kohli has been quite successful against Amir, Starc and Boult apart from one or two times.

 

[Majid Khan]

It will be one hell of a challenge for sure.

As for all the hyperboles -
If Ganguly can handle Wasim why can't Kohli do the same. Lol
Actually Kohli has been quite successful against Amir, Starc and Boult apart from one or two times.

It depends what you mean by ‘handle’ , and also as far as I recall when Wasim and Waqar were at their peaks from 89-94 (and bear in mind fast bowlers , genuine fast bowlers that is , have a peak of about 5 yrs at the max) - India did not play Pakistan in test cricket and other than Tendulkar’s debut where he had a bloody nose and himself has stated in interviews how intimidated he felt facing up to these Pakistani fast bowlers, we will never know how well he would have coped in later years, never mind Ganguly.

And for the record , even when W’s were well past it and a young Shoaib emerged in late 90s, even the mighty Tendulkar and Dravid had a glimpse of what unplayable fast bowling can do - Calcutta 1999 was it, if I remember ? Are we saying Wasim/Waqar/Imran were not capable doing far more damage at their peaks against the same batsmen as they produced the unplayable beauties more regularly than Shoaib even.

As far as ODI cricket is concerned , any quality batsman can on a given day take on just about any bowler in ideal batting conditions and ‘handle’ them reasonably well. Note I said ‘quality’ batsman. Jayasuriya managed to get on top of Wasim/Waqar in occasional one day games , but I don’t recall Jayasuriya scoring piles of runs in test cricket when the W’s were at their peak.

This is why Gavaskar is rated very highly as a batsman , as he delivered in test cricket facing some of the greatest fast bowlers at their peaks.. that’s what you call ‘handling’ fast bowling .

 

[King_Kohli]

Tough to predict.
Of course Wasim Akram is a legend, a magician with the ball in hand.

 

[King_Kohli]

Old one:

I will be worried to bowl at Virat Kohli, Wasim Akram tells Rajdeep Sardesai
With 919 runs and four centuries in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League, Virat Kohli is head and shoulders ahead of the rest of the batsmen in his league.

NO COMPARISON
Akram, however, stopped short of comparing both the modern-day stars.

"Very difficult to compare both of them. They have different techniques, they are different players but are very consistent and match-winners. Not just in this format but in all the formats. That's why these guys are the best in the world," Akram concluded.

https://www.indiatoday.in/indian-premier-league-2016/news/story/ipl-2016-virat-kohli-wasim-akram-rajdeep-sardesai-325771-2016-05-27

 

[King_Kohli]

And people still debate whether Waqar was a better bowler than Wasim.

Waqar Younis Claims Virat Kohli Would Have Had A Tough Time Against Him

Waqar Younis feels that even Virat Kohli, who is considered as the greatest player in modern day cricket, would have found it difficult to face him.

Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis has denied his former teammate Wasim Akram's claim on Virat Kohli that the Indian skipper would have given the former bowlers a run for their money. Waqar Younis is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers Pakistan ever produced alongside Wasim Akram. However, Waqar Younis said that that contrary to Wasim Akram's claim, it would be unfair to say that bowlers from the past didn't come across a player like Virat Kohli during their playing days.

https://www.republicworld.com/sports-news/cricket-news/waqar-younis-rubbishes-akram-comparison-virat-kohli-sachin-tendulkar.html

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Jayasuriya also rated Wasim and Ambrose as the toughest bowlers he faced

 

[street cricketer]

Well you can include whoever you want in your list and maybe even Venkatesh Prasad , but the bowlers I’ve listed in Imran/Wasim/Waqar are fast bowling all time greats with their test records as fast bowlers with averages, strike rates, 5 wicket hauls which speak for themselves. Shoaib might not have the legend status of Imran/Wasim/Waqar but his stats and impact of being able to rip out middle stumps and run through batting line ups like these guys is known all over the cricket world.

Now that’s not to say Kohli would not have had his success against these bowlers too, as he is a class batsman , but I’m sure he would have had his share of stumps cart wheeling dismissals too , being beaten by unplayable deliveries.

And the fact of the matter is when it’s a contest between a top batsman and a top class fast bowler , remember the batsman is only allowed one mistake or one moment of misfortune when that unplayable ball comes - be that Tendulkar, Lara , Ponting or Kohli.

The thing is, while Imran, Wasim and Waqar are undoubtedly ATG quicks, Kohli is also an ATG batsman. So it's a bit simplistic to say that it would've been a one sided battle in favour of the quicks.

Kohli has had his struggles against left arm seam bowling, so it's fair to think he might have had issues against Wasim. But even against Amir, it's not like it's one sided. While Amir obviously bested Kohli in the CT final, I remember Kohli getting India to victory chasing admittedly a low total in a T20 but with Amir wreaking havoc and running through India at one end. And then the CT group match and the WC 2019 match when Kohli didn't appear to be troubled by Amir. But Kohli has never really been seriously troubled by sheer pace as much as he has been against conventional swing. I doubt he would have struggled against Akhtar or even Waqar for that matter. Wasim, yeah.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Jayasuriya also rated Wasim and Ambrose as the toughest bowlers he faced

Nikhil Chopra would be disappointed

 

[UzmanBeast]

The thing is, while Imran, Wasim and Waqar are undoubtedly ATG quicks, Kohli is also an ATG batsman. So it's a bit simplistic to say that it would've been a one sided battle in favour of the quicks.

Kohli has had his struggles against left arm seam bowling, so it's fair to think he might have had issues against Wasim. But even against Amir, it's not like it's one sided. While Amir obviously bested Kohli in the CT final, I remember Kohli getting India to victory chasing admittedly a low total in a T20 but with Amir wreaking havoc and running through India at one end. And then the CT group match and the WC 2019 match when Kohli didn't appear to be troubled by Amir. But Kohli has never really been seriously troubled by sheer pace as much as he has been against conventional swing. I doubt he would have struggled against Akhtar or even Waqar for that matter. Wasim, yeah.

I agree with the fact that it won't be one-sided.

Wasim with the new ball would have perhaps been the favourite in this battle, but if the ball became older, I'm pretty sure Kohli would be able to handle him.

Nevertheless, an interesting question I'd want Kohli to answer is who he finds the toughest international bowler to face (not on the Indian team). He has dominated almost all of the world's best bowlers, so it will be interesting to see who he picks.

 

[Savak]

Even Wasim in an interview admitted that the best he ever felt in his career when he felt he was at his fastest and could do whatever he wanted with the ball was 1989-90 Australia Tour. I agree with him, he was effortlessly getting vicious pace, bounce and swinging the ball both ways on that tour and bowling long spells as well

 

[Savak]

Tendulkar played Wasims reverse swing masterfully in 1999 in that first test whereas everyone else struggled. Don't forget, Wasim was the best at covering and hiding the shine off the ball and that combined with his fast arm action made it very hard to pick the ball out of his hand.

Tendulkar literally had to pick him from the pitch. Has Kohli ever had to face a super examination against a great bowler and deal with tough reverse swing?

I like how he solved his problem vs Anderson in England so it shows he can adapt which is good

 

[Bhaijaan]

Tendulkar played Wasims reverse swing masterfully in 1999 in that first test whereas everyone else struggled. Don't forget, Wasim was the best at covering and hiding the shine off the ball and that combined with his fast arm action made it very hard to pick the ball out of his hand.

Tendulkar literally had to pick him from the pitch. Has Kohli ever had to face a super examination against a great bowler and deal with tough reverse swing?

I like how he solved his problem vs Anderson in England so it shows he can adapt which is good

Kohli or any batsman of last 10-15 years for that matter has not been subjected to the level of fast as well as spin bowling that 90s batsmen were subjected to.

Kohli's record against Lyon is average so i assume Warne and Murali would have been a lot tougher too.

Tendulkar played in the era India had the weakest bowling and even we had Srinath and Kumble who would have been a lethal duo in 2021.

 

[street cricketer]

I agree with the fact that it won't be one-sided.

Wasim with the new ball would have perhaps been the favourite in this battle, but if the ball became older, I'm pretty sure Kohli would be able to handle him.

Nevertheless, an interesting question I'd want Kohli to answer is who he finds the toughest international bowler to face (not on the Indian team). He has dominated almost all of the world's best bowlers, so it will be interesting to see who he picks.

Pretty sure he would pick Anderson.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Very rarely did I see Sachin facing issues against Wasim. He had figured him out.

He also mentioned Abdul Razzaq.

Strange. Ponting Kallis Dravid Lara, all i think mentioned Wasim.

Wasim mentioned Martin Crowe and Gavaskar i believe.

But there is no doubt, Wasim Akram is among the top 2 fast bowlers ever.

 

[UzmanBeast]

Pretty sure he would pick Anderson.

I was thinking more along all-format players.

But no name really jumps out as someone who has troubled Kohli a lot across all formats.

Anderson has a good record against Kohli so that's a reasonable choice.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Kohli's record against Lyon is average so i assume Warne and Murali would have been a lot tougher too.

Kohli averages 60 against Lyon.

His recent failures vs spin clouds our judgement.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

India toured SA in 2018 when South Africa played an attack comprising of:
Kagiso Rabada
Vernon Philander
Dale Steyn
Morne Morkel
Lungi Ngidi

Kohli averaged 48 in the series in difficult conditions and outscored ab devilliers by 70 runs.
Gave me enough proof that Kohli could handle any bowling lineup of the 90s.

 

[Farabi]

Sachin Tendulkar.

He found Hansie Cronje to be a bigger challenge than Wasim Akram (among a plethora of other great bowlers).

That could also be because Sachin never played Wasim Akram in test cricket though his peak years in the 90s.

 

[Proactive_]

India toured SA in 2018 when South Africa played an attack comprising of:
Kagiso Rabada
Vernon Philander
Dale Steyn
Morne Morkel
Lungi Ngidi

Kohli averaged 48 in the series in difficult conditions and outscored ab devilliers by 70 runs.
Gave me enough proof that Kohli could handle any bowling lineup of the 90s.

Kohli's 153 was on a subcontinent like track in which Ashwin bowled close to 70 overs and even opened the bowling in one of the innings. Hell, even SA opened the bowling with Maharaj in that innings.

Barring that innings he didn't do anything special in the entire series. It's the most overrated batting performance in a long time.

 

[Majestic]

Kohli's 153 was on a subcontinent like track in which Ashwin bowled close to 70 overs and even opened the bowling in one of the innings. Hell, even SA opened the bowling with Maharaj in that innings.

Barring that innings he didn't do anything special in the entire series. It's the most overrated batting performance in a long time.

Kohli always scores runs but he has not impacted and won test matches overseas like Gavaskar, Dravid and Sehwag have done.

 

[shaz619]

Unless it was a high profile game post 92 with ££££££ involved, Wasim would clown Kohli and make him look like a novice and man handle him

 

[big_gamer007]

As great a batsman as Virat Kohli is , personally I think having seen how Kohli coped against Junaid Khan and Mohammed Amir — I have no doubt all of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar at their best would have had him hopping and looking behind in amazement at seeing stumps being uprooted — but no shame in that , these great bowlers even gave this experience to many great batsmen before Kohli.

It shows your lack of basic cricketing knowledge.

Kohli's issue is against left armers who have the capability to bring the ball in at decent pace. He has always struggled against that and in nets made Jadeja throw balls at him from height slanting across him and bringing one in.

He had issues with Right armers moving ball away from him but with practice he figured that out as was seen during last England tour.

Kohli never had problem with pace, going forward he might when he gets older and reflexes slow down. But as of now he dealt with pace fairly easily.

So Kohli wouldn't have much of an issue with Waqar and Shoaib even at their peak.
Imran would have been a good challenge and could go either way depending on who is on top that day. Slight edge to kohli as he worked and eradicates his weakness against right arm swing bowlers.
Against Wasim he would have struggled, wasim would have got the better of him on most occasions.

 

[Majid Khan]

It shows your lack of basic cricketing knowledge.

Kohli's issue is against left armers who have the capability to bring the ball in at decent pace. He has always struggled against that and in nets made Jadeja throw balls at him from height slanting across him and bringing one in.

He had issues with Right armers moving ball away from him but with practice he figured that out as was seen during last England tour.

Kohli never had problem with pace, going forward he might when he gets older and reflexes slow down. But as of now he dealt with pace fairly easily.

So Kohli wouldn't have much of an issue with Waqar and Shoaib even at their peak.
Imran would have been a good challenge and could go either way depending on who is on top that day. Slight edge to kohli as he worked and eradicates his weakness against right arm swing bowlers.
Against Wasim he would have struggled, wasim would have got the better of him on most occasions.

Ok , at no point was I implying that Kohli would have a batting average of 5 and be clean bowled 9 out of 10 innings in the first over against Imran/Wasim/Waqar/Shoaib.

He’s a top batsman and would have his share of success too, but remember I am talking about facing these fast bowlers at their peak - and yes I agree with your view that Wasim/Imran would trouble Kohli more then Waqar/Shoaib , but... by ‘trouble’ here we mean a batsman playing and missing, looking clueless and unable to score runs fluently and then getting out, right?

Waqar and Shoaib were different kind of fast bowler , even at their peaks they were not bowling tight maiden overs like Wasim/Imran could do, yes they would go for runs and bowl loose balls and half-volleys when attempting inswingers or yorkers, which even average batsmen could put away — but the point is they were lethal weapons and their consistency in bowling that unplayable beauty that would defy the laws of physics even was unprecedented. Wasim and Imran could do this as their peak also but they were
Indeed more versatile fast bowlers with greater repertoire of skills. But let’s not take that away from Waqar, no bowler in cricket history would have bowled as many unplayable deliveries heading for middle stump as this guy - and having seen them , wether it’s Lara or Sachin or Kohli, those missiles were still going to be unplayable.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Kohli's 153 was on a subcontinent like track in which Ashwin bowled close to 70 overs and even opened the bowling in one of the innings. Hell, even SA opened the bowling with Maharaj in that innings.

Barring that innings he didn't do anything special in the entire series. It's the most overrated batting performance in a long time.

If it was a subcontinent like track then:
1. Other Indian ftb's would have scored runs
2.We should have won the match
3.Ashwin should have been super effective, which he wasn't.

You clearly didn't watch the match, there was uneven bounce on that pitch starting from day 1 and that is why other ftbs and htbs of our team weren't able to score much.

My point was that, if someone can score runs against that South African attack then we have no basis to doubt his ability to play genuine world class pace attack. Apart from that his 52 and 43 in the final match on a deadly pitch proves my point.

 

[street cricketer]

Kohli's 153 was on a subcontinent like track in which Ashwin bowled close to 70 overs and even opened the bowling in one of the innings. Hell, even SA opened the bowling with Maharaj in that innings.

Barring that innings he didn't do anything special in the entire series. It's the most overrated batting performance in a long time.

2018 was the most difficult year for batting statistically in about 50 years and Kohli was by far the best batsman in that year. All while travelling overseas throughout the year.

 

[Majid Khan]

Ok , at no point was I implying that Kohli would have a batting average of 5 and be clean bowled 9 out of 10 innings in the first over against Imran/Wasim/Waqar/Shoaib.

He’s a top batsman and would have his share of success too, but remember I am talking about facing these fast bowlers at their peak - and yes I agree with your view that Wasim/Imran would trouble Kohli more then Waqar/Shoaib , but... by ‘trouble’ here we mean a batsman playing and missing, looking clueless and unable to score runs fluently and then getting out, right?

Waqar and Shoaib were different kind of fast bowler , even at their peaks they were not bowling tight maiden overs like Wasim/Imran could do, yes they would go for runs and bowl loose balls and half-volleys when attempting inswingers or yorkers, which even average batsmen could put away — but the point is they were lethal weapons and their consistency in bowling that unplayable beauty that would defy the laws of physics even was unprecedented. Wasim and Imran could do this as their peak also but they were
Indeed more versatile fast bowlers with greater repertoire of skills. But let’s not take that away from Waqar, no bowler in cricket history would have bowled as many unplayable deliveries heading for middle stump as this guy - and having seen them , wether it’s Lara or Sachin or Kohli, those missiles were still going to be unplayable.

To his credit, Virat Kohli is a gentleman and does not hesitate giving compliments to others if they are good enough, even if they are from Pakistan.

Interesting views on Shoaib Akhtar shared in this video by Kohli - he himself acknowledges that he played in a game with Shoaib near the end of his career and did not face him but even then he looked intimidating and he preferred batting at the other end , and Virat used to think to himself how lethal Shoaib would have been at his peak and he would prefer to bat at the other end against that kind of bowler.

Okay - that's Virat being humble which is a good quality as he's a batsman of the highest class and could handle Shoaib , but he also acknowledges and knows that facing a lethal fast bowler like Shoaib at his peak would be intimidating and pose a challenge for him and indeed any other batsman.

My view is when there's a duel between a great batsman and a great fast bowler in test cricket, with both at their peaks, the bowler will always have the edge , simply because the batsman can only afford to make one mistake, the bowler can go for three boundaries in the over and still make up for it by bowling an unplayable middle stump uprooting delivery and have the last laugh.

 

[Majid Khan]

Incidentally the quote below is from the Hindustan Times , of a former Indian batsman who ended up with a broken rib while facing Shoaib Akhtar, and could not sleep peacefully for about 2 months due to this injury :-


“ I got hit in my rib cage in 2007. We were playing Pakistan in India and in the first over itself I got hit in the rib cage off a Shoaib Akhtar ball. It was quite painful. For a month and a half or two months, I was not able to cough or sleep on my tummy”

Does anyone want to guess who this famous Indian batsman was ?

 

[street cricketer]

Incidentally the quote below is from the Hindustan Times , of a former Indian batsman who ended up with a broken rib while facing Shoaib Akhtar, and could not sleep peacefully for about 2 months due to this injury :-


“ I got hit in my rib cage in 2007. We were playing Pakistan in India and in the first over itself I got hit in the rib cage off a Shoaib Akhtar ball. It was quite painful. For a month and a half or two months, I was not able to cough or sleep on my tummy”

Does anyone want to guess who this famous Indian batsman was ?

There's no doubt about the intimidation that Shoaib caused with sheer pace. But at the end of the day, he always strived for that extra yard of pace which ended up compromising his accuracy, which made him bowl wayward deliveries from time to time. It's why he had average records against the two best batting sides of his era - Australia and India.

Wasim was much more well rounded as a bowler, he had pace, swing, great yorker and very good accuracy which is why he was a level above Akhtar as a bowler.

 

[big_gamer007]

Ok , at no point was I implying that Kohli would have a batting average of 5 and be clean bowled 9 out of 10 innings in the first over against Imran/Wasim/Waqar/Shoaib.

He’s a top batsman and would have his share of success too, but remember I am talking about facing these fast bowlers at their peak - and yes I agree with your view that Wasim/Imran would trouble Kohli more then Waqar/Shoaib , but... by ‘trouble’ here we mean a batsman playing and missing, looking clueless and unable to score runs fluently and then getting out, right?

Waqar and Shoaib were different kind of fast bowler , even at their peaks they were not bowling tight maiden overs like Wasim/Imran could do, yes they would go for runs and bowl loose balls and half-volleys when attempting inswingers or yorkers, which even average batsmen could put away — but the point is they were lethal weapons and their consistency in bowling that unplayable beauty that would defy the laws of physics even was unprecedented. Wasim and Imran could do this as their peak also but they were
Indeed more versatile fast bowlers with greater repertoire of skills. But let’s not take that away from Waqar, no bowler in cricket history would have bowled as many unplayable deliveries heading for middle stump as this guy - and having seen them , wether it’s Lara or Sachin or Kohli, those missiles were still going to be unplayable.

I misunderstood your initial post then.

You are right in a way that any great bowler can deliver an unplayable delivery which can fix any great batsmen. So the four bowlers you mentioned will always have a chance against Kohli or for that matter any great batsman.

By trouble, I meant going from the data we have Kohli struggles mostly against left arm fast bowlers who angle the ball away from him and then have the ability to bring that one ball into his pads at a decent pace. Eg: Amir, JK. If the left arm bowler cannot move the ball in both direction then Kohli can just leave and survive without much of an issue. Wasim was the master of moving the ball in both directions, sometimes more than three times the ball moved in one direction or the other, so he will be most difficult challenge for Kohli who already has a weakness against such bowlers.
You are right by trouble I meant missing the ball, getting edges, basically just not comfortable against such bowling.

Kohli did fairly good against bowlers with pace, He destroyed a peak Malinga who is similar to Waqar albeit not as good as Waqar in his peak with the made ball. However, Waqar's greatest strength was his ability to reverse the ball into the right hander at good pace, Kohli's strength is playing the ball late of his pads and that counters Waqar's strength. Ofcourse, Waqar can always produce an unplayable delivery, but his biggest strength will be countered by the strength of Kohli.
With age Kohli's reflexes will deterioriate so you will see him struggle against reverse swing and pace too now. That is to be expected but at his peak and highest concentration level he countered Waqar's strength quite well.

Regarding Shoaib there is no data on how Kohli would do, simply because he or anyone else for that matter hasn't faced such consistent high speeds in recent times. However, from the data we have Kohli has done quiet well against pace (though it's lower than Shoaib) and bounce. So we can only assume that he will have no problem against Shoaib as well since pace is not his weak point.

Like you mentioned all these 4 bowlers, and not just thes four any good bowler can produce an unplayable delivery at any point of time or the batsmen can lose his concentration at any point of time and lose his wicket to an average delivery. So bowlers will always be in reckoning.

 

[Ab Fan]

Kohli is a terrific player of pace and bounce. He will never really struggle vs any genuine fast bowler except maybe when he is past his prime.

The bowlers that Kohli may struggle against are Wasim Akram, Glenn McGrath, Richard Hadlee, James Anderson and Mohammad Asif.

He will not struggle vs Steyn, Imran, Donald, Holding or Waqar.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Many people don't realize that Shoaib wasn't only fast but also extremely accurate. Without a properly planned line and length, sheer pace is pointless. For example, Sami despite having all the pace needed to trouble batsmen only received phaintas.

Same goes for conventional or reverse swing. You have to bowl some deliveries away and then surprise them bowling one in... For example Rahat Ali can bowl jaffas but doesn't get wickets.

 

[King_Kohli]

Most international runs in won matches:

Ricky Ponting - 20,140 @ 53.42
Sachin Tendulkar - 17,113 @ 58.20
Jacques Kallis - 14,827 @ 55.32
Virat Kohli - 14,827 @ 68.96
Kumar Sangakkara - 14,605 @ 53.69

 

[OMB]

Kohli is a terrific player of pace and bounce. He will never really struggle vs any genuine fast bowler except maybe when he is past his prime.

The bowlers that Kohli may struggle against are Wasim Akram, Glenn McGrath, Richard Hadlee, James Anderson and Mohammad Asif.

He will not struggle vs Steyn, Imran, Donald, Holding or Waqar.

Kohli struggle against all of them? one of them is 69 yrs old lol

 

[Ab Fan]

Kohli struggle against all of them? one of them is 69 yrs old lol

I meant at its peak. All the mentioned names are all time greats of the game except Asif, who was also an extremely skillful bowler when at its best.

 

[Yasir_ch]

There's no doubt about the intimidation that Shoaib caused with sheer pace. But at the end of the day, he always strived for that extra yard of pace which ended up compromising his accuracy, which made him bowl wayward deliveries from time to time. It's why he had average records against the two best batting sides of his era - Australia and India.

Wasim was much more well rounded as a bowler, he had pace, swing, great yorker and very good accuracy which is why he was a level above Akhtar as a bowler.

Virat kohli has mentioned in one of his interviews that it would have been scary to Face Shoaib akhtar at his peak.

 

[Yasir_ch]

To his credit, Virat Kohli is a gentleman and does not hesitate giving compliments to others if they are good enough, even if they are from Pakistan.

Interesting views on Shoaib Akhtar shared in this video by Kohli - he himself acknowledges that he played in a game with Shoaib near the end of his career and did not face him but even then he looked intimidating and he preferred batting at the other end , and Virat used to think to himself how lethal Shoaib would have been at his peak and he would prefer to bat at the other end against that kind of bowler.

Okay - that's Virat being humble which is a good quality as he's a batsman of the highest class and could handle Shoaib , but he also acknowledges and knows that facing a lethal fast bowler like Shoaib at his peak would be intimidating and pose a challenge for him and indeed any other batsman.

My view is when there's a duel between a great batsman and a great fast bowler in test cricket, with both at their peaks, the bowler will always have the edge , simply because the batsman can only afford to make one mistake, the bowler can go for three boundaries in the over and still make up for it by bowling an unplayable middle stump uprooting delivery and have the last laugh.

that's the interview I was looking for.Virat might have survived Shoaib akhtar but still it would have been scary for virat to face Shoaib.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

Kohli's 153 was on a subcontinent like track in which Ashwin bowled close to 70 overs and even opened the bowling in one of the innings. Hell, even SA opened the bowling with Maharaj in that innings.

Barring that innings he didn't do anything special in the entire series. It's the most overrated batting performance in a long time.

Lol.....

Even after being comprehensively proven wrong about many players, you will resort to underplaying the performances of those whom you dislike.

Ashwin and Maharaj opened the bowling in the 2nd innings.

In the first innings, Rabada was bowling thunderbolts.

It wasnt like the first or third test but it was still very hard.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

2018 was the most difficult year for batting statistically in about 50 years and Kohli was by far the best batsman in that year. All while travelling overseas throughout the year.

Anyone who denies 2018 Kohli performance is either ignorant or simply dislikes him.

There are a gazzilion angles to put down Kohli but 2018 isnt one of them.

It was a GOAT level performance in SA and Eng.

 

[JattMaula]

Glad our kaptaan still has a little bit of self-awareness left in himself.

Almost every left arm pacer has troubled him one time or other. No doubt then that GOAT amongst left arm pacer's would have eaten him alive.

 

[street cricketer]

Virat kohli has mentioned in one of his interviews that it would have been scary to Face Shoaib akhtar at his peak.

That's how most cricketers give interviews. What did you expect Kohli to say, that he would have blasted Akhtar to all corners? If you had interviewed Shoaib, he would've been similarly humble.

Okay, maybe not Shoaib. But Wasim would've been. Point is great cricketers tend to be humble while talking about other great cricketers.

 

[street cricketer]

Anyone who denies 2018 Kohli performance is either ignorant or simply dislikes him.

There are a gazzilion angles to put down Kohli but 2018 isnt one of them.

It was a GOAT level performance in SA and Eng.

You'd have to have an axe to grind against Kohli to discredit his performance in 2018.

Sure, it's true that Centurion was a subcontinent like wicket. But the next match on an absolute spitting green wicket at the the Wanderers, he appeared the least troubled out of all batsmen including AB. He also was the best batsman on a very spicy wicket at Perth and I'm not even going into his incredible performance in England which had very bowling friendly conditions.

 

[Ab Fan]

Anyone who denies 2018 Kohli performance is either ignorant or simply dislikes him.

There are a gazzilion angles to put down Kohli but 2018 isnt one of them.

It was a GOAT level performance in SA and Eng.

We really should have won one of the first two tests we played in SA and then go to Wanderers with series on line. AB really got those two innings at a completely perfect time and saved the test series for SA.

Hopefully, we cash on this time. I expect flat wickets coming in South Africa later this year.

 

[moghul]

And people still debate whether Waqar was a better bowler than Wasim.

Yes, there should be no debate, Waqar was better .

 

[Yasir_ch]

That's how most cricketers give interviews. What did you expect Kohli to say, that he would have blasted Akhtar to all corners? If you had interviewed Shoaib, he would've been similarly humble.

Okay, maybe not Shoaib. But Wasim would've been. Point is great cricketers tend to be humble while talking about other great cricketers.

No man Shoaib ain't humble and even in one of his interview he has said how he would have gotten him out.

 

[Hitman]

Yes, there should be no debate, Waqar was better .

Yea, as seen how he was taken to the cleaners in both the World Cup matches he played against India, once by Jadeja , once by Tendulkar.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Nikhil Chopra would be disappointed

He was a chucker though

 

[shamaan]

Well Amir did trouble him. He would be Wasim's bunny

Junaid too