Harsh Thakor
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In this list I am ranking in order of merit my best ever left-handed batsmen batsmen against great pace bowling or genuinely fast bowling.
1.Garfield Sobers
Blended power and technical skill in perfect proportion like a boxer and surgeon moulded into one.Treated the likes of Fred Trueman and John Snow with contempt when making his best scores against England of 226 at Georgetown in 1959-60,163 at Lords in 1966 and 113 at Kingston in 1967-68.His 254 at Melbourne facing the likes of Lillee is arguably the best innings ever played on the international era.Sobers relentlessly drove,cut and hooked the best of paceman with the aura of an aristocrat.
2.Alan Border
Generally defensive but the ultimate man to bat for your life when the ship was sinking against great pace attacks.At his best in West Indies in 1984 when he averaged over 74 including a 98 and 100 not out at Trinidad when he pulled of a houdini act from the doldrums.Also brilliant in ahome series v the Calypsos in 1981-82 when he virtually single-handedly carried the mantle of his team in the 3rd test at Adelaide .Reminiscent of a boulder withstanding a thunderstorm at his best.Malcolm Marshall rated him the hardest batsmen ever to dislodge.
3.David Gower
This ranking may sound controversial but I have never seen a batsmen play great pace with the ridiculuos ease of Gower who reminded you of a doctor easing his patient .Gower's deft touches would send express pace deliveries to the fence,penetrating the most impregnable fields.In 1981 he scored an unbeaten 154 against the great West Indian quartet hooking and driving with grace rarely seen, like the touches of a painter's brush.In 1982-83 in Australia played Lillee,Thomon and Lawson with ease no oversseas left-handed batsmen ever displayed in Australia ,with his 72 at Perth and1 14 at Adelaide 2 of test cricket's batting gems.In 1985 in a home series aggregated 732 runs aginst the likes of Mcdermottt and Lawson.The best Lillee bouncer or yorker could be put to the fence by Gower ,with the delicate hands of a baker .putting the final icing on the cake.
4.Clive Lloyd
Few batsmen ever played genuine pace bowling with such conviction and courage.His 102 in the 1975 world cup final is close to the best O.D.I.innings of all time ,which has never been surpassed for mere audacity.In 1975-76 overshadowed every other West Indian batsmen when scoring 469 runs at an average of 46.90 ,facing Lillee and Thomson at their quickest.No batsmen was more prolific against the greatest pace bowling pair ever at their fastest.Clive was never intimidated by the short ball and counter-attacked in the manner of an army batallion.I have never seen a left-hander execute a hook shot with such power and conviction,bar Sobers.
5.Brian Lara
Controversially not at the top or thereabouts but the chief reason wa sthat he performed at his best against great fast-medium or spin and did not score a single test century facing Alan Donald,Wasim Akram or Waqar Younus.He could also be found hopping against short-pitched deliveries or bouncers at express pace unlike Sobers and Lloyd who were never rattled by them.Neverthless Lara at his best played some great innings against genuine pace like when scoring 277 at Sydney in 1992-93 facing Mcdermott and Merv Hughes and 223 at Melbourne in 2005 facing Bret Lee.Brian did score centuries against Donald ,Waqar and Wasim in O.D.I's like his 111 in the 1996 world cup,120 in the 2003 world cup,153 at Sharjah in 1993 and 111 in South Africa in 1992-93.On his day he could have been the best player of the quickest bowlers but was not as tseted aginst genuine quickies like Sobers,Border,Gower and Lloyd.Arguably only if Lara played in the 1970's or 80's could he be accurately rated.
6.Alvin Kalicharan
Technically,arguably the best and most organized of all left-handed batsmen who on his day could make the likes of Lillee and Thomson look like sheep.His cameo of 78 v Australia in the 1975 world cup resembled batting at it's superlative zenith of domination,like the command of an emperor.It was close to the best O.D.I.if not cricketing innings ever .Scored centuries in Australia at Brisbane in 1975-76 and Adelaide in 1979-80.Blended the grace and skill of a surgeon with the power of a bulldozer when batting at his best.
7.Wasim Raja
No overseas batsmen played the great pace attack in West Indies better than this diminutive figure apart in the 1970's.In 1977 he averaged 57.71,aggregating 440 runs.He almost single-handedly carried the mantle of Pakistan's fortunes in the 1st test at Barbados where he retrieved a sinking ship to bring his team within touching distance of a glorious victory.An epitome of consistency on that tour as well as in a home series against the Calypsos in 1980 when he averaged over 56.Statistically better than Gavaskar or Miandad against great West Indies pace bowling.
8.Graeme Pollock
Could be the best left-hander ever but not enough evidence of his excellence against express pace.Like Sobers did prove himself against stalwarts like Lillee,Trueman and Snow or face as great fast bowlers like Holding,Marshall or Roberts like Border and Gower.In a proper career with his potential he may have overshadowed everyone but we have not seen him against the likes of Lillee,Marshall or Holding.
9.Adam Gilchrist
Could turn the complexion of a game 180 degrees on his day against the fastest of bowling creating the effect of a total reversal of plot in an epic.Few batsmen ever could take the game more by the scruff of the neck.
10.Kumar Sangakaara
Not tested enough against the best of all time but still an epitome of consistency and artistry on his day.Rated low as pace bolwing was not at it's best in recent years like in times of Sobers,Border or Lara.
11Saed Anwar
A class act on his day who could wear down great paceman.Great talent but not so prolific in Australia or South Africa.
12.Mark Taylor
On his day reminiscent of a boulder.Wasim Akram found him open of the hardest batsmen to ever dismiss.Not so elegant but as efficient as anybody who could take the ball onto his body.
13.Roy Fredericks
Played the best ever innings against genuine quick bowling at Perth in 1969.On his day could attack even express pace like a bomber raiding an enemy airbase.
14=Arthur Morris and Neil Harvey
Lost where to place these 2 greats as they belonged to different era.Subjectively I feel pace bolwing was not the same standard in that time ,bar Lindwall and Miller.Both graest on bad wickets with phenomenal stroke-making skill or flair .
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1.Garfield Sobers
Blended power and technical skill in perfect proportion like a boxer and surgeon moulded into one.Treated the likes of Fred Trueman and John Snow with contempt when making his best scores against England of 226 at Georgetown in 1959-60,163 at Lords in 1966 and 113 at Kingston in 1967-68.His 254 at Melbourne facing the likes of Lillee is arguably the best innings ever played on the international era.Sobers relentlessly drove,cut and hooked the best of paceman with the aura of an aristocrat.
2.Alan Border
Generally defensive but the ultimate man to bat for your life when the ship was sinking against great pace attacks.At his best in West Indies in 1984 when he averaged over 74 including a 98 and 100 not out at Trinidad when he pulled of a houdini act from the doldrums.Also brilliant in ahome series v the Calypsos in 1981-82 when he virtually single-handedly carried the mantle of his team in the 3rd test at Adelaide .Reminiscent of a boulder withstanding a thunderstorm at his best.Malcolm Marshall rated him the hardest batsmen ever to dislodge.
3.David Gower
This ranking may sound controversial but I have never seen a batsmen play great pace with the ridiculuos ease of Gower who reminded you of a doctor easing his patient .Gower's deft touches would send express pace deliveries to the fence,penetrating the most impregnable fields.In 1981 he scored an unbeaten 154 against the great West Indian quartet hooking and driving with grace rarely seen, like the touches of a painter's brush.In 1982-83 in Australia played Lillee,Thomon and Lawson with ease no oversseas left-handed batsmen ever displayed in Australia ,with his 72 at Perth and1 14 at Adelaide 2 of test cricket's batting gems.In 1985 in a home series aggregated 732 runs aginst the likes of Mcdermottt and Lawson.The best Lillee bouncer or yorker could be put to the fence by Gower ,with the delicate hands of a baker .putting the final icing on the cake.
4.Clive Lloyd
Few batsmen ever played genuine pace bowling with such conviction and courage.His 102 in the 1975 world cup final is close to the best O.D.I.innings of all time ,which has never been surpassed for mere audacity.In 1975-76 overshadowed every other West Indian batsmen when scoring 469 runs at an average of 46.90 ,facing Lillee and Thomson at their quickest.No batsmen was more prolific against the greatest pace bowling pair ever at their fastest.Clive was never intimidated by the short ball and counter-attacked in the manner of an army batallion.I have never seen a left-hander execute a hook shot with such power and conviction,bar Sobers.
5.Brian Lara
Controversially not at the top or thereabouts but the chief reason wa sthat he performed at his best against great fast-medium or spin and did not score a single test century facing Alan Donald,Wasim Akram or Waqar Younus.He could also be found hopping against short-pitched deliveries or bouncers at express pace unlike Sobers and Lloyd who were never rattled by them.Neverthless Lara at his best played some great innings against genuine pace like when scoring 277 at Sydney in 1992-93 facing Mcdermott and Merv Hughes and 223 at Melbourne in 2005 facing Bret Lee.Brian did score centuries against Donald ,Waqar and Wasim in O.D.I's like his 111 in the 1996 world cup,120 in the 2003 world cup,153 at Sharjah in 1993 and 111 in South Africa in 1992-93.On his day he could have been the best player of the quickest bowlers but was not as tseted aginst genuine quickies like Sobers,Border,Gower and Lloyd.Arguably only if Lara played in the 1970's or 80's could he be accurately rated.
6.Alvin Kalicharan
Technically,arguably the best and most organized of all left-handed batsmen who on his day could make the likes of Lillee and Thomson look like sheep.His cameo of 78 v Australia in the 1975 world cup resembled batting at it's superlative zenith of domination,like the command of an emperor.It was close to the best O.D.I.if not cricketing innings ever .Scored centuries in Australia at Brisbane in 1975-76 and Adelaide in 1979-80.Blended the grace and skill of a surgeon with the power of a bulldozer when batting at his best.
7.Wasim Raja
No overseas batsmen played the great pace attack in West Indies better than this diminutive figure apart in the 1970's.In 1977 he averaged 57.71,aggregating 440 runs.He almost single-handedly carried the mantle of Pakistan's fortunes in the 1st test at Barbados where he retrieved a sinking ship to bring his team within touching distance of a glorious victory.An epitome of consistency on that tour as well as in a home series against the Calypsos in 1980 when he averaged over 56.Statistically better than Gavaskar or Miandad against great West Indies pace bowling.
8.Graeme Pollock
Could be the best left-hander ever but not enough evidence of his excellence against express pace.Like Sobers did prove himself against stalwarts like Lillee,Trueman and Snow or face as great fast bowlers like Holding,Marshall or Roberts like Border and Gower.In a proper career with his potential he may have overshadowed everyone but we have not seen him against the likes of Lillee,Marshall or Holding.
9.Adam Gilchrist
Could turn the complexion of a game 180 degrees on his day against the fastest of bowling creating the effect of a total reversal of plot in an epic.Few batsmen ever could take the game more by the scruff of the neck.
10.Kumar Sangakaara
Not tested enough against the best of all time but still an epitome of consistency and artistry on his day.Rated low as pace bolwing was not at it's best in recent years like in times of Sobers,Border or Lara.
11Saed Anwar
A class act on his day who could wear down great paceman.Great talent but not so prolific in Australia or South Africa.
12.Mark Taylor
On his day reminiscent of a boulder.Wasim Akram found him open of the hardest batsmen to ever dismiss.Not so elegant but as efficient as anybody who could take the ball onto his body.
13.Roy Fredericks
Played the best ever innings against genuine quick bowling at Perth in 1969.On his day could attack even express pace like a bomber raiding an enemy airbase.
14=Arthur Morris and Neil Harvey
Lost where to place these 2 greats as they belonged to different era.Subjectively I feel pace bolwing was not the same standard in that time ,bar Lindwall and Miller.Both graest on bad wickets with phenomenal stroke-making skill or flair .
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