Which batsmen-bowler combination created cricket's ultimate duel?

[Harsh Thakor]

Here I am listing pairs of batsmen and bowlers I have seen ranked in order of merit which took cricketing intensity,agression and combat to its highest zenith.Watching them against each other was similar to witnessing a boxing bout.

list of pairs players of single era

1.Viv Richards-Dennis Lillee
2.Brian Lara-Wasim Akram
3.Sachin Tendulkar-Shane Warne
4.Sunil Gavaskar-Imran Khan
5.Sachin Tendulkar-Glen Mcgrath
6.Brian Lara-Glen Mcgrath
7.Javed Miandad-Malcolm Marshall
8.Ian Chappell-Andy Roberts
9.Clive Lloyd-Jeff Thomson
10.Inzamam Ul Haq-Alan Donald
11.Majid Khan-Andy Roberts
12.Graham Gooch-Michael Holding
13.Virat Kohli-Mitchelle Johnson
14.Rahul Dravid -Wasim Akram
15.Kevin Pieterson -Dale Steyn

Viv combating Lillee would be cricket's ultimate spectacle.Visualize the fury and hostility of Lillee against the sheer audacity and agression of Viv.similar to a tiger fighting a lion.Reminiscent of a bomber attacking an airbase which before counting Jack Robinson is shot down.Viv tearing apart Lillee was like a big fire being extinguished.I always remember their dues from world series cricket to 1979-82.


Brian Lara facing Wasim is witnesing cricketing genius at it's ultimate or supreme height.,like 2 magician sout there in the middle.Lara would caress the best of Wasim's deliveries to the fence while often Wasim would dismiss Brian with unplayable deliveries.Both took creativity to regions of the sublime.


Tendulkar facing Mcgrath or playing Warne would display cricketing perception at it it's ultimate zenith.The most complete batsmen of all time with the most perfect of bowlers.


Imran v Gavaskar was reminscent of a boulder resisting a thunderstorm.

Lara and Mcgrath was simply a battle of a wizard against a metronome who was the ultimate epitome of control and intelligence.An artist against a master.

Miandad was the ultimate batsmen to create a scrap or niggle the best of bowlers and was a supreme craftsmen.Javed facing the greatest bowler of his time Malcolm Marshall would create cricket's ultimate battle.

Ian Chapell was the best batsmen of his day and was the ideal choice to counter one of the most complete pacemen of his day,Andy Roberts.

Few batsmen ever resembled more courage in facing Jeff Thomson at his fastest as Clive Lloyd in 1975-76.

Arguably after Viv Richards no batsmen had better reflexes or an eye for combating express pace like Inzamam who was a joy to watch facing Alan Donald,who was the fastest paceman of his day.

List of pairs of players from different eras

1.Viv Richards-Wasim Akram
2.Sachin Tendulkar-Malcolm Marshall
3.Brian Lara-Dennis Lillee
4.Sunil Gavaskar-Wasim Akram
5.Viv Richards -Glen Mcgrath
6.Inzamam Ul Haq-Jeff Thomson
7.Sunil Gavaskar-Alan Donald
8.Viv Richards-Shoaib Akhtar
9.Virat-Kohli-Dennis Lillee
10.Rahul Dravid -Ian Botham


Viv versus Wasim was like a bomber plane against a magician.Power and artistry at it's supreme height.Tendulkar-Marshall is simply the epitome of cricketing perfection.Lara -Lillee is like a duel between an artist and a surgeon.Virtual replica between Gavaskar-Wasim.Viv -Mcgrath could be very fascinating with the most devsatating batsmen of all up aginst the oacemn with the most supreme intelligence and control.Inzy may have been more effective in combating the express pace of Jeff Thomson than even Lara or Tendulkar.


Overall top5
1.Viv Richards-Lillee
2.Viv Richards-Wasim
3.Lara-Wasim
4.Tendulkar-Malcolm Marshall
5.Lara-Lillee

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Please come back here every one

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Waiting [MENTION=538]bilal[/MENTION] [MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION] [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] @freelance cricketer [MENTION=139595]Ab Fan[/MENTION] [MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION] [MENTION=133315]Hitman[/MENTION] and all you others.A fascinating topic.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

SRT - Shoaib Akhtar
VK - Anderson
VK - Amir
Lara - Everybody

 

[Ab Fan]

Joginder Sharma-Misbah ul haq

 

[Green Patriot]

You forgot the legendary duel between Professor and Steyn.

 

[big_gamer007]

You can't have Kohli-Mitchell Johnson, by the time Kohli entered his peak Johnson was already finished. So their careers never actually overlapped (peak period)..

Kohli has no equal right now, none of the bowlers match him in current era.. only one who comes close is rabada.. Maybe we can go for Kohli-Rabada or Kohli-Bumrah but both rabada and Bumrah need 2-3 years at the zenith to be included in same breath as Kohli.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Sehwag-brett lee
Sachin-mcgrath
Sachin-warne
Sachin-anderson
Pietersen - johnson
Virat - anderson
Virat - johnson
Virat - amir
Rohit-amir

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Anderson is the only one who has dominated kohli, that too in just one series. Sachin was much more talented than kohli but still he was dominated by many bowlers,kohli on the other hand has never been dominated, he even gave a fitting reply to anderson in 2016 and 2018.
Maybe it is due to dearth of quality fast bowlers, but still dominating rabada, dale, morkel, broad, anderson, starc, boult, lyon, malinga is no mean feat

 

[MMHS]

Waiting [MENTION=538]bilal[/MENTION] [MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION] [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] @freelance cricketer [MENTION=139595]Ab Fan[/MENTION] [MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION] [MENTION=133315]Hitman[/MENTION] and all you others.A fascinating topic.

DK-Viv obviously. My 2nd pick will be Imran-Viv - they had a go at each other in 1976 Series and then in WSC. Later, as Imran wrote he always found an extra gear when Viv was facing.

I don't see Greg Chappel any where in your list - GC against Roberts & Snow/Willis has to be there. In olden days, for a decade Fred Truman & Gary Sobers exchanged punches. Great IND-PAK team played so little against each others that we hardly got an epic like WW-SRT; but it would have been a contest in mid 90s. Marshall - Vengsarkar/Gavaskar another one.

But yes, my top 5 picks will be Viv-DK, Viv-Imran, Wasim-Lara, Sunny-Imran & the 5th one not so famous, but I liked Athers against Donald, first at J'burg, then at Trent bridge. Apart from top 3, others are too close to call.

 

[Suleiman]

Sachin-Saeed Ajmal

Ajmal got the last laugh and ended his ODI a career. But I think Sachin got a few good blows in too.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

DK-Viv obviously. My 2nd pick will be Imran-Viv - they had a go at each other in 1976 Series and then in WSC. Later, as Imran wrote he always found an extra gear when Viv was facing.

I don't see Greg Chappel any where in your list - GC against Roberts & Snow/Willis has to be there. In olden days, for a decade Fred Truman & Gary Sobers exchanged punches. Great IND-PAK team played so little against each others that we hardly got an epic like WW-SRT; but it would have been a contest in mid 90s. Marshall - Vengsarkar/Gavaskar another one.

But yes, my top 5 picks will be Viv-DK, Viv-Imran, Wasim-Lara, Sunny-Imran & the 5th one not so famous, but I liked Athers against Donald, first at J'burg, then at Trent bridge. Apart from top 3, others are too close to call.

Great evaluation.Maybe I left out Greg Chappellvfeeling brother Ian was more combative and a better executor of the hook shot.,Infact. I may have had Kanhai instead of Sobers who batted more like Bradman than anyone.Left out a Sai could not specify a bowler.I almost had Viv versus Imran which is a great selection. Remember Greg was not at his best against the bouncing ball and Kanhai was more complete than Sobers.Any place for Kohli in your list with anyone?

 

[Harsh Thakor]

DK-Viv obviously. My 2nd pick will be Imran-Viv - they had a go at each other in 1976 Series and then in WSC. Later, as Imran wrote he always found an extra gear when Viv was facing.

I don't see Greg Chappel any where in your list - GC against Roberts & Snow/Willis has to be there. In olden days, for a decade Fred Truman & Gary Sobers exchanged punches. Great IND-PAK team played so little against each others that we hardly got an epic like WW-SRT; but it would have been a contest in mid 90s. Marshall - Vengsarkar/Gavaskar another one.

But yes, my top 5 picks will be Viv-DK, Viv-Imran, Wasim-Lara, Sunny-Imran & the 5th one not so famous, but I liked Athers against Donald, first at J'burg, then at Trent bridge. Apart from top 3, others are too close to call.

What about Tendulkar-McGrath duel or with Donald?

 

[Chokli]

Afridi and Irfan Pathan