VVS Laxman vs Kevin Pietersen - Better Test batsmen?

[Ab Fan]

Two similar kind of players. Absolutely magical on their day. More than being referred as great players, they are referred as "players of great innings". A kind of who would make the likes of cricket statisticians and mathematicians go jobless.

They have got similar stats although KP has a better conversion rate(23 hundreds compared to VVS 17 in 30 lesser tests). However, Laxman would deliver most of the times when the going gets tough and many of his 60s and 70s came when India needed someone to take hard yards.

If the current Indian team had VVS, they would have won more matches in recent tours to SA and England because he would deliver just when it mattered.

Now coming to KP, another player who if England had with them, would also have won more matches than they are winning now. Both absolute match winners on their day.

Who do you think was a better test batsmen? Discuss!

 

[Hasan123]

Kevin Pietersen easily.

 

[mayankp.sverige]

Kp

 

[cricketjoshila]

Vvs was the better player of spin and they were pretty equal playing on bouncy aussie pitches. But KP was better at handling seam and swing.

But VVS was as clutch as they come.

KP is slightly ahead as a batsman with overall batting ability.

 

[Varun]

I prefer Laxman for his 3rd / 4th innings exploits.

 

[MP2011]

KP overall as a batsman though VVS was far ahead as far as batting under pressure is concerned.

 

[Ab Fan]

India could have really won a couple of more matches in their previous two tours if they had someone like VVS(of his days) at 5 instead of Rahane.

Such a fantastic player. He literally scored no soft runs, although he had that advantage that the expectations were always higher from SRT, Dravid and Sehwag than Laxman, which also helped him to establish himself as a silent killer of the game.

 

[the_outsider]

Laxman. He played the greatest test innings of this century so far.

I prefer watching KP to VVS.

But VVS is as clutch as they come. My vote goes to him.

 

[MP2011]

I prefer watching VVS though. Just like Mark Waugh, such silken touch.

 

[barah_admi]

VVS or KP???? What kind of comparison is this?

VVS has one iconic innings and that too was far superior to anything he has ever done.

KPs entire career was iconic innings, Old Trafford, Faisalabad, Adelaide, Mohali...I could go on and on. He was part of THE best English side in the last probably 50 years ,won home away against Aus and India..I mean, the guy did it all. Without him, England would not have won those series.

 

[the_outsider]

VVS or KP???? What kind of comparison is this?

VVS has one iconic innings and that too was far superior to anything he has ever done.

KPs entire career was iconic innings, Old Trafford, Faisalabad, Adelaide, Mohali...I could go on and on. He was part of THE best English side in the last probably 50 years ,won home away against Aus and India..I mean, the guy did it all. Without him, England would not have won those series.

VVS has many iconic knocks dating all the way back to 1999 with a 169 in Australia.

You're just ignorant of them.

 

[happydavy]

KP an absolute champion batsman. No cricketer who played for just 9 years has created so much name for himself and achieved so much on cricket field.

 

[Saksham]

This is a very tough comparison . Both of them have been brilliant batsmen and have scored crucial runs for their team . But I would prefer Laxman over Pietersen .

 

[LastManstanding]

India could have really won a couple of more matches in their previous two tours if they had someone like VVS(of his days) at 5 instead of Rahane.

Such a fantastic player. He literally scored no soft runs, although he had that advantage that the expectations were always higher from SRT, Dravid and Sehwag than Laxman, which also helped him to establish himself as a silent killer of the game.

South Africa may be, but VVS record in England is nothing to write about. He struggled in the swinging conditions whenever he toured England.

 

[Haroon786]

Prefer KP batting at number 4 and VVS at number 5.

I'm also wondering when there'll be a thread actually comparing batsmen at the same positions rather than these functionally incorrect contrasts.

 

[Hitman]

KP was the better overall batsman. The reason why Laxman is so fondly remembered is because of his unparalleled ability to excell under pressure.

 

[troodon]

KP easily.

 

[Bhaijaan]

KP easily.

Better test batsman overall and no comparison in LOI Cricket in which KP was one of the best in the world.

 

[Bilal7]

KP was better.

 

[barah_admi]

VVS has many iconic knocks dating all the way back to 1999 with a 169 in Australia.

You're just ignorant of them.

Simply naming centuries does not make them iconic. KPs runs enabled England to win a series against India, when India were a truly top level side. Hi century at Old Trafford was series defining. His runs in Australia helped England win their first away Ashes in what was something like 20 years.

If VVS has innings that helped India win series in Aus, let me know.

 

[the_outsider]

Simply naming centuries does not make them iconic. KPs runs enabled England to win a series against India, when India were a truly top level side. Hi century at Old Trafford was series defining. His runs in Australia helped England win their first away Ashes in what was something like 20 years.

If VVS has innings that helped India win series in Aus, let me know.

VVS helped in drawing the series in Australia in 2004. That's miles more than what any SC team has managed.

And 2012 India was a weak team. There was no Ganguly, VVS, Dravid or Kumble. Sehwag, Sachin, Gambhir and Zaheer were in their last years of cricket. Kohli was in his first year in test cricket. Our 2nd spinner was Pragyan Ojha of all people. England managed to win against the weakest Indian home side in the last 15 years.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Simply naming centuries does not make them iconic. KPs runs enabled England to win a series against India, when India were a truly top level side. Hi century at Old Trafford was series defining. His runs in Australia helped England win their first away Ashes in what was something like 20 years.

If VVS has innings that helped India win series in Aus, let me know.

If wasim, waqar, imran have 5wkts that helped pak win series in aus, sa then let me know
Till then stuart broad is better than them.

Yeah Kp is better but not just due to winning knock in aus.
Logicless post.

 

[anoop]

Simply naming centuries does not make them iconic. KPs runs enabled England to win a series against India, when India were a truly top level side. Hi century at Old Trafford was series defining. His runs in Australia helped England win their first away Ashes in what was something like 20 years.

If VVS has innings that helped India win series in Aus, let me know.

No they weren't too side. In fact those were darkest days in Indian test cricket.

 

[Justcrazy]

Pieterson is far better. No doubts about it.

 

[Ab Fan]

VVS or KP???? What kind of comparison is this?

VVS has one iconic innings and that too was far superior to anything he has ever done.

KPs entire career was iconic innings, Old Trafford, Faisalabad, Adelaide, Mohali...I could go on and on. He was part of THE best English side in the last probably 50 years ,won home away against Aus and India..I mean, the guy did it all. Without him, England would not have won those series.

Sydney 1999
Kolkata 2001
Adelaide 2003
Mohali 2010
Perth 2008
Durban 2010
Napier 2009
Colombo 2010

All these were masterclass across several venues.

 

[Slog]

Lmao what kind of question is this

It is hands down KP and unless you are a biased Indian fan or hate KP, you will pick KP.

Let’s look at it like this. Take away the best innings of KP’s career and you will almost have no dent on his overall legacy. Take away the best innings of VVS’ career and his standing diminishes greatly

 

[Ab Fan]

I can understand why people are picking KP but the way people are diminishing VVS is quite absurd to say the least. Anyone who followed Indian test batting in 2000s knows the value which Laxman added in that XI. I just pointed some of the magical innings played by VVS which led his team to win/draw from pretty much an impossible situation.

This is not about one inning. The stuffs which VVS did for India is something India is missing heavily today and it isn't as easy replicating the same.

The comparison is quite interesting the way I see it and a case for VVS can be made as well. Although, KP is himself a great player as well.

 

[Bhaijaan]

I can understand why people are picking KP but the way people are diminishing VVS is quite absurd to say the least. Anyone who followed Indian test batting in 2000s knows the value which Laxman added in that XI. I just pointed some of the magical innings played by VVS which led his team to win/draw from pretty much an impossible situation.

This is not about one inning. The stuffs which VVS did for India is something India is missing heavily today and it isn't as easy replicating the same.

The comparison is quite interesting the way I see it and a case for VVS can be made as well. Although, KP is himself a great player as well.

Little brothers your opinion is well respected but please understand that while VVS was a great rescue mission specialist KP was simply one of the very best batsmen in the world. The way KP played literally every big knock he played was iconic.

 

[Ab Fan]

Little brothers your opinion is well respected but please understand that while VVS was a great rescue mission specialist KP was simply one of the very best batsmen in the world. The way KP played literally every big knock he played was iconic.

Some posters were underrating VVS because they have forgotten how great under pressure situation he was. I would pick KP as well but I felt it is closer and they have similarities. Hence, I made the comparison.

It can be argued that if KP was carried for a bit longer, he could have ended up with an average under 45 because he would have gone downhill a bit more.

 

[TeymurBlake]

For me its KP. With that being said, VVS could play some impressive clutch innings.

 

[Buffet]

I will take KP.

 

[James]

Both players I rate very highly, because when push came to shove and the conditions, pressure and atmosphere were separating the men from the boys, these two more often than not would stand strong and take their respective teams over the line.

Pietersen was just slightly better though. More destructive.

 

[Chrish]

VVS was screwed over by the selectors. He never wanted to open or bat at no.3 yet was forced to for more than 60 innings. Then he was dropped iirc for poor string of performances at those positions. Had they allowed him to start at the lower-order, his numbers would have looked quite different IMO. Still he underachieved because he was pretty much trash against all other major teams barring Australia.

 

[the_outsider]

VVS was screwed over by the selectors. He never wanted to open or bat at no.3 yet was forced to for more than 60 innings. Then he was dropped iirc for poor string of performances at those positions. Had they allowed him to start at the lower-order, his numbers would have looked quite different IMO. Still he underachieved because he was pretty much trash against all other major teams barring Australia.

Averaged 58 against NZ, 43 vs Pak, 47 vs SL, 38 vs SA and 57 vs WI.

The only team he had a poor record against was Eng - avg of 31.

 

[Ab Fan]

Averaged 58 against NZ, 43 vs Pak, 47 vs SL, 38 vs SA and 57 vs WI.

The only team he had a poor record against was Eng - avg of 31.

That's quite a balanced record. Nicely put up. He has played some fantastic innings against everyone out there except maybe England.

The likes of Kolkata 2001, Adelaide & Sydney 2003, Napier 2009(which led to India winning the series in NZ), Mohali, Durban and Perth 2008(another win) won't have seen India winning without VVS.

His performance against Australia although was just so good that it overshadowed other performance against other teams.

KP, quite like same, himself has some of the most memorable innings played with the bat.The likes of Mumbai, Oval, Colombo, Headingley, Adelaide, Napier etc.

 

[the_outsider]

That's quite a balanced record. Nicely put up. He has played some fantastic innings against everyone out there except maybe England.

The likes of Kolkata 2001, Adelaide & Sydney 2003, Napier 2009(which led to India winning the series in NZ), Mohali, Durban and Perth 2008(another win) won't have seen India winning without VVS.

His performance against Australia although was just so good that it overshadowed other performance against other teams.

KP, quite like same, himself has some of the most memorable innings played with the bat. The likes of Mumbai, Oval, Colombo, Headingley, Adelaide, Napier etc.

Precisely. KP was a more flamboyant batsman and often that sort of leaves more of an impression than the style of cricket a Dravid, Kallis, VVS or a Graeme Smith plays.

Personally even I prefer watching KP bat over Laxman.

But to say that KP was far more impactful for England than VVS was for India is completely wrong. VVS was second only to Sachin in that lineup when it came to clutch performances. They both had equal impact for their teams respectively.

And personally, for me, his 281 is the greatest test innings of this millennium.

 

[the_outsider]

Let’s look at it like this. Take away the best innings of KP’s career and you will almost have no dent on his overall legacy. Take away the best innings of VVS’ career and his standing diminishes greatly

That's because KP's best innings pales in comparison to Laxman's best innings.

 

[Bubby]

People forget one most important aspect of vvs game that is ability to bat with tail

 

[Last Monetarist]

Both players underachieved given their talent, as they should have averaged above 50 at test cricket. Both players had a knack of playing miraculous innings that could turn a match on its head. En plus, they could both play strokes that would leave the spectators gawping. If both were batting in different matches on the same day, I'd always have a hard time choosing which one to watch. En fin, I'd go with Pietersen because Laxman tended to struggle in England when the ball was swinging.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Lmao what kind of question is this

It is hands down KP and unless you are a biased Indian fan or hate KP, you will pick KP.

Let’s look at it like this. Take away the best innings of KP’s career and you will almost have no dent on his overall legacy. Take away the best innings of VVS’ career and his standing diminishes greatly

Because what VVS did have been done only thrice in the history of test cricket. Add to that the fact that the bowling attack had two ATGs ,one of them the greatest spinner ever bowling on a 4th day pitch.And had Jason Gillespie.

 

[Ab Fan]

Precisely. KP was a more flamboyant batsman and often that sort of leaves more of an impression than the style of cricket a Dravid, Kallis, VVS or a Graeme Smith plays.

Personally even I prefer watching KP bat over Laxman.

But to say that KP was far more impactful for England than VVS was for India is completely wrong. VVS was second only to Sachin in that lineup when it came to clutch performances. They both had equal impact for their teams respectively.

And personally, for me, his 281 is the greatest test innings of this millennium.

Yes, that 281 is greatest I have watched anyone ever. So, that is up for me. I agree with all your point except that VVS was second only to Sachin in lineup. Dravid's impact was quite massive as well.

 

[Chrish]

Averaged 58 against NZ, 43 vs Pak, 47 vs SL, 38 vs SA and 57 vs WI.

The only team he had a poor record against was Eng - avg of 31.

38 vs SA isn’t good at all

 

[the_outsider]

38 vs SA isn’t good at all

Partially blind, are you? You missed the others.

 

[Chrish]

Partially blind, are you? You missed the others.

Doing well against Sri Lanka or Pakistan doesn't mean much. It's like Australian players doing well against NZ. You don't brag about it. ANd WI team he faced barely had any decent bowlers left.

Feel free to ignore my post in future if you don't have mental capacity to formulate reasonable arguments. Thanks!

 

[Third Man]

Laxman. He played the greatest test innings of this century so far.

I prefer watching KP to VVS.

But VVS is as clutch as they come. My vote goes to him.

Must say they were both great to watch. Difficult to chose between them on that criteria, at least for me.

 

[dildilpak]

This is a great thread. So much better than the usual kohli vs. tendulkar vs. akram vs. imran vs. sobers vs. bradman etc. Both very good batsmen, but not great. Both have played incredible innings. Impact players but under-rated. No right answer but a great discussion, with less of the typical emotion! If i had a choice i would go with KP in England/SA and VVS in all other countries.

 

[the_outsider]

Doing well against Sri Lanka or Pakistan doesn't mean much. It's like Australian players doing well against NZ. You don't brag about it. ANd WI team he faced barely had any decent bowlers left.

Feel free to ignore my post in future if you don't have mental capacity to formulate reasonable arguments. Thanks!

Then KP's Ashes runs - which is the biggest part of his test legacy - should also be discounted.

Congratulations you have dug yourself into a hole.

 

[dildilpak]

Then KP's Ashes runs - which is the biggest part of his test legacy - should also be discounted.

Congratulations you have dug yourself into a hole.

Good point. I am always puzzled why posters here discount the performance of Ind/Pak batsmen in Asian conditions but are happy to give credit to SENA batsmen for peformances in SENA countries.

 

[the_outsider]

Good point. I am always puzzled why posters here discount the performance of Ind/Pak batsmen in Asian conditions but are happy to give credit to SENA batsmen for peformances in SENA countries.

It's down to those posters not having a cricketing brain and commenting just out of jazbat.