Who was a better cricketer or batsman between Alan Border and Steve Waugh?

[Harsh Thakor]

In the history of cricket few batsmen or cricketers have come so close to each other as Steve Waugh and Alan Border.Even a whisker may not have separated them.Both were masters in a crisis,great batsmen on bad wickets,champions batting with the tail,outstanding skippers and statistically averaged over 50.

In terms of averages Border is just 1 run below averaging 50.56 as against Waugh's 51.06 but Border aggregated 11174 runs in 156 tests as against Waugh's 10927 run sin 168 tests.Steve was considerably ahead in terms of stats as a skipper winning 41 out of 57 tests ,the best ever record by a skipper.However it was Alan Border who laid the nucleus or sowed the seeds for Australia emerging into a world champion test and one day team.Border was the glue that knit a bunch of talented individual into a cohesive unit.Steve virtually inherited an empire while Border constructed it.Border wast he architect of the Renaissance in Australian cricket.Border performed better against great pace bowling than Steve or on turning tracks.Borders averaging over 74 in West Indies in 1984 including an epic 98 and 100 not out at Trinidad and his averaging 131.11 including 2, 150's at Faisalabad testify this.Steve was more flamboyant like when averaging over 92 in England in 1989 and averaging over 80 including a double hundred at Kingston in 1995 which secured Australia the Frank Worrel trophy for the 1st time since 1975-76 and gave Australia the unofficial world championship test title.Waugh's averaging over 70 in the series and century in the 1st test v South Africa in 1997 played a major role in Australia retaining it's top spot in the world test table. Waugh won more series and tests with the bat than Border who scored the majority of his runs and centuries in losing causes or drawn games.Steve had a considerably better record with 25 centuries in games won as against Border's 5 and averaging over 69 against Border's 51.However it was Alan who bore the brunt for a weak team in which the batting revolved around him like on both the 1981 and 1985 Ashes tours and in West Indies in 1984.From 1983-89 Border was statistically the best test batsmen in the world.Steve had the advantage of playing for a great team.

To bat for your life on bad wicket Border and Waugh cannot be seperated.I recollect Borders unbeaten 123 at Old Trafford with a broken finger in 1981 and his unbeaten 98 and unbeaten 100 that ressurected Australia from the grave like a Houdini act being performed.At Trinidad in 1995 and at Delhi in 1996 Steve batted better on bad wickets than even Tendulkar would.Steve was the better strokemaker and could keep the scoreboard moving better.However it was Border who throughout his career played marginally better bowlers like Marshall,Holding,Imran,Kapil Dev,Botham and Hadlee.Alan Border had a superior test batting average than Waugh Overseas which is a crucial factor.Border averaged 56.57 as against Steve's 47.76.Thus by a whisker I would rate Border ahead of Waugh .I feel Border was marginally greater scourge in the eyes of the great opposing bowlers like Marshall than Steve.

Alan Border's record


pan Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 0 4s 6s
overall 1978-1994 156 265 44 11174 205 50.56 27 63 11 1161 28

away 1979-1994 70 120 24 5431 200* 56.57 14 28 4 617 18 view innings
home 1978-1994 86 145 20 5743 205 45.94 13 35 7 544 10 view innings



won match 1978-1994 50 74 12 3186 200* 51.38 5 23 4 319 6 view innings
lost match 1979-1994 46 92 9 2771 152* 33.38 5 13 7 287 5 view innings
tied match 1986-1986 1 2 0 133 106 66.50 1 0 0 18 1 view innings
drawn match 1979-1994 59 97 23 5084 205 68.70 16 27 0 537 16



Steve Waugh's record

pan Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 0 4s 6s
overall 1985-2004 168 260 46 10927 200 51.06 22461 48.64 32 50 22 1175 20


home 1985-2004 89 140 20 5710 170 47.58 11569 49.35 15 30 9 581 6 view innings
away 1986-2003 76 116 25 5083 200 55.85 10642 47.76 16 20 11 579 11 view innings
neutral 2002-2002 3 4 1 134 103* 44.66 250 53.60 1 0 2 15 3 view innings





won match 1987-2003 86 120 27 6460 200 69.46 12847 50.28 25 25 6 690 12 view innings
lost match 1986-2003 36 71 8 2380 199 37.77 4963 47.95 5 9 10 273 6 view innings
tied match 1986-1986 1 2 2 14 12* - 55 25.45 0 0 0 0 0 view innings
drawn match 1985-2004 45 67 9 2073 112 35.74 4596 45.10 2 16 6 212 2

 

[Hitman]

Both were wonderful players and wonderful servants of Australian cricket. But if I have to pick one, I'd pick Allan Border by a hair.

 

[iasamejo]

Allan broder is the best

 

[Robert]

Marshall said that AB was the most difficult batter he ever bowled at. He was certainly the best Aussie batter I ever saw (never saw Chappell).

Tugga started off as a bowling all-rounder. He became a free-scoring batsman who hammered England in 1989. I well remember him, Lawson and Hughes piling up two hundred runs between them at Lord's. Later on he was dropped for playing too many loose shots. He returned to play a percentage game, cutting out risky shots, sticking with the drives, pulls and leg glances. I remember him getting a ton in each innings on a tricky Ashes seamer in 1997.

Both were all-conditions batters of a type Australia no longer produces. I would put AB ahead by a nose just as a batter, but then Waugh could bowl second change. But then AB won a rest against WI with his SLAs.....

 

[SL_Fan]

Tough one 50/50 for mine.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Allan Border. Played for a weak Australian team and was a brilliant player of both pace and spin from what I've read. Waugh was relatively limited as a batsman I think.

 

[Ab Fan]

AB..

But yeah not much to seperate the two.

 

[jeetu]

Border was slightly better

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Most Australians would pick Border I reckon.

 

[Justcrazy]

I would pick Border .

I doubt anyone will not say Border.

 

[MMHS]

AB, but some margin.

 

[Buffet]

Comfortably AB for me.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Comfortably AB for me.

Not neck to neck?Steve was a greater match-winner as the records show.He was also an all-rounder in the early part of his test career.What makes Border so much ahead?I chose Border by a whisker.

 

[Big Mac]

It's got to be Tugga, if only for upsetting Shane Warne so much that over 15 years later he's still feeling the jalan and trying to convince the world that Waugh was a useless captain