Harsh Thakor
First Class Star
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- Oct 1, 2012
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Batsmen may be champions on good wickets but not at their best on deteriorating or broken pitches.The greatest batsmen were not at their best on sticklers .In this list I am choosing in order of merit the best batsmen on bad wickets.Order controversial.In proper careers Pollock and Barry may well have been in the top 7-8 as bad wicket players while Bradman was never at his best on wet pitches.Hard to seperate the likes of Bradman,Gavaskar,Viv Richards,Lara,Gavaskar and Tendulkar on bad wickets.
1.Victor Trumper
Scoring rate and record in the early 1900's speaks for itself.104 in 1902 at Old Trafford was arguably cricket's best ever innings considering the adverse conditions.His aggregate in successive English seasons speaks for itself when no batsmen looked in his league on the wet tracks.Perhap's the closets equivalent of magician to cricket who mastered bad tracks with the precision of a surgeon or a sculptor.Arguably no batsmen could ever score run sin the manner of Trumper.
2.Jack Hobbs
Technically a master who would almost always score a 50 0r a 100 on a bad wicket.His best innings were against Australia at Melbourne and at the Oval where he enabled England to win the Ashes.The bulk of his staggering aggregate of 61237 runs and 197 centuries was scored on sticklers.
3.George Headley
Overshadowed Don Bradman on wet pitches.169 at Old Trafford was a masterpiece and his century at Brisbane.
4=.Alan Border/Javed Miandad
2 stalwarts who bated with the resilience of soldiers and the skill of surgeons.Borders 2 150's at Lahore and Miandad;s 129 at Perth in 197879 display these qualities.
6.Len Hutton
Technically the best of all batsmen who mastered Lindwall and Miller at Brisbane and Sydney in 1946-47.His 37 out of 49 and 62 out of 130 at Sydney were the best batting exhibition son bad wicket by an opening batsmen.
7.Rohan Kanhai
Would tear apart spin and pace bowling and also bat for his life on the deadliest of surfaces.Always remember Perth knock of 115 for rest of the world side in 1972 when every other great batsmen failed and his 77 at Scarborough in 1963.
8.Ian Chapell
Overshadowed even brother Greg on wickets with uneven bounce with superb improvisation and adaptation skills.Unforgettable 156 out of a total of 328 against West Indies in 1975-76 at Perth as well as a masterly unbeaten 60 against England in a world series cup O.D.I.
9.Steve Waugh
Played some great innings on bad wickets at Port of Spain in 1995 and at Delhi in 1996.Epitome of grit .
10=.Gundappa Vishwanath/Majid Khan
Both geniuses on their day who could take attacks apart on the most treacherous pitches.Majid's 156 in 1969 for Glamorgan at Wourcester and Vishy's 83 at Christchurch in 1976 ate a testimony of this.They executed strokes from their own book with the wizardry of a musical composer.
12.Don Bradman
Although the greatest batsmen of all time arguably even in another league from any great batsmen the Don was not at his best on bad on wet tracks where Headley and Hobbs outplayed him.However considering the wickets were uncovered with his staggering statistical record I have to include him in this list.Rated above Gavaskar,Viv or Sachin because of pure statistics who may have all overshadowed the Don on bad pitches.
13.Sunil Gavaskar
Brilliant judge of length on any surface tackling the bouncing ball and delivery keeping low with equally meticuluos skill.Innings of 96 against Pakistan at Bangalore in 1987 was batting's ultimate showpiece on broken wicket.Also brilliant against the Calypsos at Ahmedabad when scoring 90 in 1983-84.
14.Brian Lara
As he could execute strokes that were sureal he could master the most lethal wickets.
15.Sachin Tendulkar
Being arguably the most complete or perfect of all batsmen he would survive and dominate bowling in the hardest conditions.His 136 v Pakistan at Chennai in 1999 and his unbeaten century in the 1st test in South Africa in 2010-11 proved his mettle on bad surfaces.
16.Viv Richards/Gary Sobers
Both great strokeplayers on any surface.Viv's phenomenal eye or reflexes and Sober's extraordinary repertoire and power pulled them through in the worst of conditions.Viv's hundreds in Multan in 1980 or Delhi in 1988 and Sober's 113 v England at Kingston in 1968-69 proved this.
18.Graeme Pollock
Would have ranked much higher but for a curtailed international career.Not tested enough on really bad wickets but his 125 out of 160 at Trent Bridge in 1965 was a true classic.
19.Aravinda de 'Silva
A master craftsman who could save a sinking ship in the most precarious of batting conditions.
20.Rahul Dravid
Often would outscore even Tendulkar on bad surfaces.Kingston in 2006 and Leeds in 2002 testify this.
21.Barry Richards
Close to the greatest batsmen of all time but hardly played test cricket.In WSC cricket mastered difficult conditions as well as in 1st class games .
22.Salim Malik
Played his finest knocks in a crisis in difficult conditions.Ledds 82 and 84 are an example of this and his 68 out of 191 at Trinidad in 1988 .
23=Younis Khan and Greg Chappell
Both very different players but masters in their on wright.Greg was a supreme technician while Younus ws master craftsman.Not at their best on the fastest of wickets like Inzamam Ul Haq or Viv Richards.
25.Gordon Greenidge
His 134 out of 211 in 1976 in England proved his mettle on bad wicket.Superbly blended technical skill and power like a bulldozer and technician merged into one.
1.Victor Trumper
Scoring rate and record in the early 1900's speaks for itself.104 in 1902 at Old Trafford was arguably cricket's best ever innings considering the adverse conditions.His aggregate in successive English seasons speaks for itself when no batsmen looked in his league on the wet tracks.Perhap's the closets equivalent of magician to cricket who mastered bad tracks with the precision of a surgeon or a sculptor.Arguably no batsmen could ever score run sin the manner of Trumper.
2.Jack Hobbs
Technically a master who would almost always score a 50 0r a 100 on a bad wicket.His best innings were against Australia at Melbourne and at the Oval where he enabled England to win the Ashes.The bulk of his staggering aggregate of 61237 runs and 197 centuries was scored on sticklers.
3.George Headley
Overshadowed Don Bradman on wet pitches.169 at Old Trafford was a masterpiece and his century at Brisbane.
4=.Alan Border/Javed Miandad
2 stalwarts who bated with the resilience of soldiers and the skill of surgeons.Borders 2 150's at Lahore and Miandad;s 129 at Perth in 197879 display these qualities.
6.Len Hutton
Technically the best of all batsmen who mastered Lindwall and Miller at Brisbane and Sydney in 1946-47.His 37 out of 49 and 62 out of 130 at Sydney were the best batting exhibition son bad wicket by an opening batsmen.
7.Rohan Kanhai
Would tear apart spin and pace bowling and also bat for his life on the deadliest of surfaces.Always remember Perth knock of 115 for rest of the world side in 1972 when every other great batsmen failed and his 77 at Scarborough in 1963.
8.Ian Chapell
Overshadowed even brother Greg on wickets with uneven bounce with superb improvisation and adaptation skills.Unforgettable 156 out of a total of 328 against West Indies in 1975-76 at Perth as well as a masterly unbeaten 60 against England in a world series cup O.D.I.
9.Steve Waugh
Played some great innings on bad wickets at Port of Spain in 1995 and at Delhi in 1996.Epitome of grit .
10=.Gundappa Vishwanath/Majid Khan
Both geniuses on their day who could take attacks apart on the most treacherous pitches.Majid's 156 in 1969 for Glamorgan at Wourcester and Vishy's 83 at Christchurch in 1976 ate a testimony of this.They executed strokes from their own book with the wizardry of a musical composer.
12.Don Bradman
Although the greatest batsmen of all time arguably even in another league from any great batsmen the Don was not at his best on bad on wet tracks where Headley and Hobbs outplayed him.However considering the wickets were uncovered with his staggering statistical record I have to include him in this list.Rated above Gavaskar,Viv or Sachin because of pure statistics who may have all overshadowed the Don on bad pitches.
13.Sunil Gavaskar
Brilliant judge of length on any surface tackling the bouncing ball and delivery keeping low with equally meticuluos skill.Innings of 96 against Pakistan at Bangalore in 1987 was batting's ultimate showpiece on broken wicket.Also brilliant against the Calypsos at Ahmedabad when scoring 90 in 1983-84.
14.Brian Lara
As he could execute strokes that were sureal he could master the most lethal wickets.
15.Sachin Tendulkar
Being arguably the most complete or perfect of all batsmen he would survive and dominate bowling in the hardest conditions.His 136 v Pakistan at Chennai in 1999 and his unbeaten century in the 1st test in South Africa in 2010-11 proved his mettle on bad surfaces.
16.Viv Richards/Gary Sobers
Both great strokeplayers on any surface.Viv's phenomenal eye or reflexes and Sober's extraordinary repertoire and power pulled them through in the worst of conditions.Viv's hundreds in Multan in 1980 or Delhi in 1988 and Sober's 113 v England at Kingston in 1968-69 proved this.
18.Graeme Pollock
Would have ranked much higher but for a curtailed international career.Not tested enough on really bad wickets but his 125 out of 160 at Trent Bridge in 1965 was a true classic.
19.Aravinda de 'Silva
A master craftsman who could save a sinking ship in the most precarious of batting conditions.
20.Rahul Dravid
Often would outscore even Tendulkar on bad surfaces.Kingston in 2006 and Leeds in 2002 testify this.
21.Barry Richards
Close to the greatest batsmen of all time but hardly played test cricket.In WSC cricket mastered difficult conditions as well as in 1st class games .
22.Salim Malik
Played his finest knocks in a crisis in difficult conditions.Ledds 82 and 84 are an example of this and his 68 out of 191 at Trinidad in 1988 .
23=Younis Khan and Greg Chappell
Both very different players but masters in their on wright.Greg was a supreme technician while Younus ws master craftsman.Not at their best on the fastest of wickets like Inzamam Ul Haq or Viv Richards.
25.Gordon Greenidge
His 134 out of 211 in 1976 in England proved his mettle on bad wicket.Superbly blended technical skill and power like a bulldozer and technician merged into one.
