Harsh Thakor
First Class Star
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2012
- Runs
- 3,520
- Post of the Week
- 2
This is my list in tentative order of merit of the best batsmen against genuine pace in the 1970's decade.I have excluded names like Sobers and Kanhai or Cowdrey who retired from test cricket in 1945 and considered those who atleast played out more than half the decade like Viv Richards.
1.Viv Richards
2.Barry Richards
3.Ian Chappell
4.Gundapaa Vishwanath/Sunil Gavaskar
6.Majid Khan
7.Greg Chappell
8.Lawrence Rowe
9.Clive Lloyd
10.Alvin Kalicharan
11.Roy Fredericks
12.Denis Amiss
13.Gordon Greenidge
14.Wasim Raja
15.Asif Iqbal
Although statistically the best Greg Chappell is rated lower than some because he was not comfortable against the short,bouncing disconcerting delivery.On a good wicket I would have promoted Greg just behind Viv and Barry Richards.In 1979 in the West Indies Greg scored 621 runs with 3 centuries at an average of 69 which is remarkable and had the highest bating aggregate of any batsmen in Kerry Packer WSC cricket of 1416 runs including a 174 and a 246.n.o.Similarly on flat track I would have promoted Gavaskar to join the very best against fiery pace.
Viv and Barry's performances in WSC supertests from 1977-78 against the likes of Dennis Lillee speak for themselves with Barry topping averages and Viv by a far margin the best batsmen in 1977-78 averaging 86.2.Never has a great paceman been treated with such disdain or contempt as Barry and Viv treated Lillee in that era.
Statistics do not reveal how great Ian Chappel was against great pace whose 449 run sin 1975-76 versus West Indise at home had a greater role to play in the 5-1 series victory than the 702 run contribution of brother Greg.Ian also scored 141 in the 3rd supertest v West Indies in 1977 and made some fine scores as a n opening batsmen in the Carribean in 1979.His 156 out of a total of 328 v the West Indies at Perth in 1975-76 must go down as one of the game's finest exhibition s of batting against genuine pace on a fast strip.
Vishwanath's 97 in 1974-75 and 124 in 1978-79 at Madras against West Indies are included in Wisden's 100 best test inning sever.On both occasion she took a fiery pace attack apart on the fastest of tracks with a disconcerting bounce.He averaged 56.8 in the home series in 1974-75 and over 70 on the home series in 1978-79 v West Indies.Vishy alos had a higher bating average than Gavaskar in Australia in 1977-78.
Gavaskar scored centuries against the likes of Imran,Thomson,Roberts,Holding,Snow and Willis but was overshadowed by Vishwanath on fast,bouncy surfaces.He averaged over 89 in Pakistan with 2 centuries averaging over 89 in 1978-79,Averaged 50 with 3 centuries in Australia facing Jeff Thomson in 1977-78 and scored 2 centuries averaging over 55 facing Holding and Roberts in West Indies in 1975-76.On a brown or flat wicket he was virtually the best in the world.
Majid Khan's 167 at Georgetwon in a crisis speaks for itself and his 158 at Melbourne in 1972-73.On his day on the fastest track she could have joined Viv or Barry.Sadly not so consistent after 1977 .
Asif Iqbal played 2 gems in Australia including a 120 on a green top at Sydney and a classic 135 on pitch of lightning pace at Kingston in 1976-77.
1.Viv Richards
2.Barry Richards
3.Ian Chappell
4.Gundapaa Vishwanath/Sunil Gavaskar
6.Majid Khan
7.Greg Chappell
8.Lawrence Rowe
9.Clive Lloyd
10.Alvin Kalicharan
11.Roy Fredericks
12.Denis Amiss
13.Gordon Greenidge
14.Wasim Raja
15.Asif Iqbal
Although statistically the best Greg Chappell is rated lower than some because he was not comfortable against the short,bouncing disconcerting delivery.On a good wicket I would have promoted Greg just behind Viv and Barry Richards.In 1979 in the West Indies Greg scored 621 runs with 3 centuries at an average of 69 which is remarkable and had the highest bating aggregate of any batsmen in Kerry Packer WSC cricket of 1416 runs including a 174 and a 246.n.o.Similarly on flat track I would have promoted Gavaskar to join the very best against fiery pace.
Viv and Barry's performances in WSC supertests from 1977-78 against the likes of Dennis Lillee speak for themselves with Barry topping averages and Viv by a far margin the best batsmen in 1977-78 averaging 86.2.Never has a great paceman been treated with such disdain or contempt as Barry and Viv treated Lillee in that era.
Statistics do not reveal how great Ian Chappel was against great pace whose 449 run sin 1975-76 versus West Indise at home had a greater role to play in the 5-1 series victory than the 702 run contribution of brother Greg.Ian also scored 141 in the 3rd supertest v West Indies in 1977 and made some fine scores as a n opening batsmen in the Carribean in 1979.His 156 out of a total of 328 v the West Indies at Perth in 1975-76 must go down as one of the game's finest exhibition s of batting against genuine pace on a fast strip.
Vishwanath's 97 in 1974-75 and 124 in 1978-79 at Madras against West Indies are included in Wisden's 100 best test inning sever.On both occasion she took a fiery pace attack apart on the fastest of tracks with a disconcerting bounce.He averaged 56.8 in the home series in 1974-75 and over 70 on the home series in 1978-79 v West Indies.Vishy alos had a higher bating average than Gavaskar in Australia in 1977-78.
Gavaskar scored centuries against the likes of Imran,Thomson,Roberts,Holding,Snow and Willis but was overshadowed by Vishwanath on fast,bouncy surfaces.He averaged over 89 in Pakistan with 2 centuries averaging over 89 in 1978-79,Averaged 50 with 3 centuries in Australia facing Jeff Thomson in 1977-78 and scored 2 centuries averaging over 55 facing Holding and Roberts in West Indies in 1975-76.On a brown or flat wicket he was virtually the best in the world.
Majid Khan's 167 at Georgetwon in a crisis speaks for itself and his 158 at Melbourne in 1972-73.On his day on the fastest track she could have joined Viv or Barry.Sadly not so consistent after 1977 .
Asif Iqbal played 2 gems in Australia including a 120 on a green top at Sydney and a classic 135 on pitch of lightning pace at Kingston in 1976-77.
