Who was technically the best middle-order batsmen of all time?

[Harsh Thakor]

In order of merit I am ranking the technically most correct middle-order batsmen of all time .It does not ***** overall merit.

1.Sachin Tendulkar
2.Greg Chappell
3.Colin Cowdrey
4.Lawrence Rowe
5.Peter May
6.Rohan Kanhai
7.Frank Worrell
8.Alvin Kalicharan
9.Gary Sobers
10.Rahul Dravid
11.Aravinda de'Silva
12.Zaheer Abbas


No middle-order batsmen was as complete as Tendulkar whose straight drive and strokes in the "v' region was cricketing perfection personified.Greg Chappel displayed mastery on the onside like no other batsmen and composure more than anyone.Cowdrey was a n epitome of technical skill considered by many to be the closest technical equivalent of Len Hutton.Lawrence Rowe is ranked by Sobers and Holding as technically more correct than even Sobers or Viv Richards.Peter May displayed batting skill at it's supreme zenith being the most complete post-war English batsmen.Kanhai was very sound technically and also executed strokes that were out of the book like his falling hok 'roti' shot.Worrell was the ultimate epitome of grace and elegance.Kalicharan was virtually a left-handed Kanhai.Sobers blended power,timing and technical skill like few batsmen ever with a stunning range of strokes.Dravid was simply the 'wall' posessing better defence than any batsmen of his era and a master on bad wickets.Aravinda had technical skill of the Tendulkar class displaying supreme application in a crisis and on badwickets.Zaheer Abbas was like a poet and architect blended into one executing the drive on either side of extra-cover better than any batsmen ever.

 

[Junaids]

I think it's between Peter May and Greg Chappell.

May was a beautiful batsman.

I'd also add Basil D'Oliveira. He officially had his Test career between the ages of 34.9 and 41, but his real age was at least five years older.

Which means that Apartheid robbed the world of a true ATG batsman, and we saw only the remnants in a man in his forties.

 

[TQ89]

Sachin and greg chapell

 

[PakLFC]

I would say Rahul Dravid is the best I have seen. He was as solid as a rock capable of playing both an attacking and defensive innings. Perhaps there was someone in the 1960' or 1970's that I didn't watch, it would be someone very special to outdo the wall. Javed Miandad was also a brilliant middle order batsman as well.

 

[Abdullah]

Kallis was pretty smooth

 

[Daniyal 13]

Mohammad Yousuf

 

[Justcrazy]

Chappel for me.

 

[Mobashir]

In recent years, no one comes close to Kallis and Ponting.

 

[Hasan123]

The best I have seen from a technical standpoint of view are Sangakara and Tendulkar

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Kallis.

Tendulkar couldn't play bodyline bowling and struggled against inward lateral movement because he took legstump guard and was of a short stature therefore could not gauge the line accurately often leading to his head falling outside the line.

Technically, his offensive game on the frontfoot and square of the wicket on the backfoot is arguably the best ever. But Kallis had that and more.

 

[Tusker]

I think it's between Peter May and Greg Chappell.

May was a beautiful batsman.

you can see Plenty of Peter May batting here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdbCk4hMCg8

so again I ask (knowing very well that you will stay clear from the specifics as can be seen from the clip ) : what is sooo great about his technique ?? that too while batting against absolutely tripe bowling (please spare me the name dropping Iam aware of Davidson, Benaud and Co's stature ... just don't see the actual skills to go with that stature.

 

[Junaids]

you can see Plenty of Peter May batting here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdbCk4hMCg8

so again I ask (knowing very well that you will stay clear from the specifics as can be seen from the clip ) : what is sooo great about his technique ?? that too while batting against absolutely tripe bowling (please spare me the name dropping Iam aware of Davidson, Benaud and Co's stature ... just don't see the actual skills to go with that stature.

You've answered your own question.

Davidson had the world record for most Test wickets by a left-arm quick.

Benaud had the world record for most Test wickets by a spinner.

This wasn't the dawn of time. This was the NINTH DECADE of Test cricket.

 

[Tusker]

You've answered your own question.

Davidson had the world record for most Test wickets by a left-arm quick.

Benaud had the world record for most Test wickets by a spinner.

This wasn't the dawn of time. This was the NINTH DECADE of Test cricket.

So let me get this straight ...

The bowling looks top quality better than anything you see today *IN THAT CLIP* to you ? Simple Yes/ No please.

 

[Junaids]

So let me get this straight ...

The bowling looks top quality better than anything you see today *IN THAT CLIP* to you ? Simple Yes/ No please.

Yes.

Alan Davidson is the equal best left-arm quick of all-time with Wasim Akram.

Ergo, superior to Starc, Amir or Boult.

Richie Benaud is the third or fourth best leggie of all-time.

Ergo, better than Yasir Shah or Imran Tahir or Mason Crane.

 

[Tusker]

Yes.

Alan Davidson is the equal best left-arm quick of all-time with Wasim Akram.

Ergo, superior to Starc, Amir or Boult.

Richie Benaud is the third or fourth best leggie of all-time.

Ergo, better than Yasir Shah or Imran Tahir or Mason Crane.

From what I can see the bowling in that clip is modest (to put it politely).

Obviously to you they are all bowling top stuff and therefore the batting quality is great.

So there is quite clearly a dispute here ... how do we resolve this impartially ? I don't trust ANY of written accounts whatsoever as I have proven numerous times. So how do we go about this.

Can you post a modern day clip where the bowling is worse than that you see in that clip ?

 

[The_Odd_One]

Kallis has been the most compact middle order batsman I have ever seen.

 

[Tusker]

From what I can see the bowling in that clip is modest (to put it politely).

Obviously to you they are all bowling top stuff and therefore the batting quality is great.

So there is quite clearly a dispute here ... how do we resolve this impartially ? I don't trust ANY of written accounts whatsoever as I have proven numerous times. So how do we go about this.

Can you post a modern day clip where the bowling is worse than that you see in that clip ?

No Response? [MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION]

 

[Harsh Thakor]

I think it's between Peter May and Greg Chappell.

May was a beautiful batsman.




I'd also add Basil D'Oliveira. He officially had his Test career between the ages of 34.9 and 41, but his real age was at least five years older.

Which means that Apartheid robbed the world of a true ATG batsman, and we saw only the remnants in a man in his forties.

What about Lawrence Rowe or Rohan Kanhai>not technically champions?Also was not Kalicharan a left-handed Rohan Kanhai?

Cowdrey to may was Hutton's technical equivalent .Was Graeme Pollock great technically?

 

[Harsh Thakor]

I would say Rahul Dravid is the best I have seen. He was as solid as a rock capable of playing both an attacking and defensive innings. Perhaps there was someone in the 1960' or 1970's that I didn't watch, it would be someone very special to outdo the wall. Javed Miandad was also a brilliant middle order batsman as well.

Did not posesse Tendulkar's balance and correctness of the straight drive or strokes in the 'V.'.More solid and better exponent of the cover drive and defence than Sachin.Stil I preferred Sachin's overall game.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Sachin and greg chapell

we absolutely agree

 

[Hasan123]

The best I have seen from a technical standpoint of view are Sangakara and Tendulkar

Kallis as well. Forgot about him.

 

[Lefthanded]

Dravid.

Dravid.

Dravid.

And then Kallis.

 

[James]

It doesn't get much better than Dravid and Tendulkar for this one.