Who was the best batsmen ever against spin bowling?

[Harsh Thakor]

In this list I am ranking in order of merit the best batsmen to have ever played spin bowling.Don Bradman hardly played spin bowling and never toured India.I cannot really ***** Hobbs,Hammond,Hutton or Headley as players of great spin.


I.Brian Lara
2.Sachin Tendulkar
3.Sunil Gavaskar
4.Alan Border
5=Everton Weekes/RohanKanhai
7.Ian Chappell
8.Alvin Kalicharan
9.Zaheer Abbas
10.Javed Miandad
11.Aravinda de'silva
12.Mohammad Azharrudin

Lara is at the top just by a whisker ahead of Tendulkar because of his mercurial domination of Murlitharan in 2001 and Shane on all tours down under. I have never seen a batsmen play the turning ball with such flair and imagination as Brian.Tendulkar was technically more accomplished.than Lara but did not have as artistic wristwork.Still he could master the turning ball on bad wickets as in Madras v Pakistan in 1999.Gavaskar Miandad,Border and Ian Chappell could bat for their lives while Weekes,Kanhai Kalicharan and Zaheer Abbas could dominate spinners in a Bradmanseque manner.Kalicharan was a classical left -hander,virtually a left-handed version of Kanhai.Technically Aravinda de'silva was a master while Azharuddin was the supreme stylist.I have considered Kanhai and Weekes's performances against Subhash Gupte Kalicharan's against Bedi and co in 1974-75,1975-76 and 1978-79,Borders inPakistan in 1980,Ian Chappell in India in 1969-70 ,Zaheer Abbas's v India at home in 1978-79 ,Tendulkar against Warne in 1998 and 2001 as well as against Pakistan in 1999 and Gavaskar against Pakistan in 1979-80 ,1982-83and 1987.Technically the best were Tendukar,Gavaskar ,Kanhai,Kalicharan and Aravinda in that order The most agressive or dominating were Lara,Weekes,Kanhai,Tendulkar and Zaheer Abbas,in that order.At their best Zaheer Abbas's aggregating 583 runs at 195 v India in 1978-79 ,Brian Lara's phenomenal 688 run sin 2001 in Sri Lanka and Everton Weekes mammoth aggregate of 779 runs in India in 1950 stood out.They simply danced out to attack the spinners,being great readers of flight.

 

[Zak_Fan]

Sehwag was the best I have seen, by some distance.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Younis khan not even on the list?

 

[dildildalwalla]

This is a tough one. I'm not sure if I can argue with Lara or Tendulkar too much but Younis Khan has to be in there for my money and how about Jayawardene?

 

[Hitman]

Sachin and Lara. The two greatest spinners in history feel the same, Warne names Sachin while Murali names Lara.

 

[silent ischemia]

Lara; without a shadow of a doubt

 

[Hitman]

BTW, can anyone name any spinner that has named Younis Khan as the best player of spin or the best batsman they have bowled to? Fans can believe what they want, what matters is the bowlers who have bowled to such batsman and what's their opinion of them.

 

[SaadAliG]

BTW, can anyone name any spinner that has named Younis Khan as the best player of spin or the best batsman they have bowled to? Fans can believe what they want, what matters is the bowlers who have bowled to such batsman and what's their opinion of them.

Javed Miandad and Brian Lara.

 

[Hitman]

Javed Miandad and Brian Lara.

Lara is arguably the best player of spin, a lot of bowlers have rated him the best. BTW, I'd respectfully like to know which bowler has ever rated Miandad as one of the best?

 

[TQ89]

Lara is arguably the best player of spin, a lot of bowlers have rated him the best. BTW, I'd respectfully like to know which bowler has ever rated Miandad as one of the best?

Courtney walsh did. Deniss lilee too rated him as second best batsmen after king viv.

As for spin, most of the guys who played with him in 80's consider him to be the best player os spin. Martin crowe, gooch, dean jones and many more rate him as one of the best against spin

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Suprised no body has mentioned Sangakarra

 

[Chrish]

Sehwag and it's not even close..

 

[SL_Fan]

Sehwag surely should be in that list.

 

[ads101]

Lara is arguably the best player of spin, a lot of bowlers have rated him the best. BTW, I'd respectfully like to know which bowler has ever rated Miandad as one of the best?

I disagree, this really doesn't need to be the criteria to rate a player the best against spin. Tendulkar rates Cronje the hardest he faced. Doesn't make Cronje a fantastic bowler. YK is one of the best players I've seen against spin no question.

Personally best I'd go with Sehwag. Always thought Tendulkar while excellent against spin, was better against pace.