Harsh Thakor
First Class Star
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2012
- Runs
- 3,520
- Post of the Week
- 2
Few batsmen ever in the history of the game adorned or defined style as much as Gundappa Vishwanath or V.V.S.Laxman who carried a cricket bat like a wand.There were more technically proficient batsmen,batsmen with considerably better statistical records and more agressive batsmen but very few who could surpass VVS or Vishy for creativity and prowess.Both took batting artistry or wizardry to regions of divinity,bestowing the touches of a great sculptor or painter , the imagination of a musical composer and beauty. of a lotus blossoming.Their wrists were like plywood.On their day they would play innings which the best batsmen of their generation may not have surpassed if not equalled .I have rarely seen 2 batsmen so similar or close to each other.
Vishwanath in my view overshadowed VVS on fast,bouncy tracks,bad wickets in seaming conditions.Laxman on fast wicket did not equal Vishy's imperious unbeaten 97 at Madras v West Indies in 1974-75 or 124 v West Indies at Madras in 1978-79 which revealed batting domination and artistry in regions of the sublime .Nor did he equal Vishy's effort against the moving ball when scoring 78 and 79 at Dunedin in 1975-76.Overall I feel Vishy was more consistent in the seaming English conditions .However Vishy 's 4th innings batting did not equal Laxman's phenomenal consistency in run chases.In a 4th innings VVS was the best batsmen of his era and amongst the top 6 of all-time in run chases ,ressurecting his team from the grave to reach the pinnacle of glory three times.He also was the prime architect in India virtually performing a Houdini act to beat Australia in Kolkata when scoring 281 and when scoring a century at Adelaide in 2003-04.No batsmen of his time batted better with the tail or was more capable of taking a team to reach it's destination in a staggering fourth innings chase.,retreiving a sinking ship.Significant that VVS's batting at its best came up against the premier team of his day.Australia,who were bracketed with the greatest test teams ever.Somehow VVS was not so succesful against South Africa.
India never lost a test match when Vishy scored a century.India lost some games with VVS scoring a century but is was Laxman who was more the match-winner.Vishwanath faced better bowling tackling the greats like Holding,Roberts,Lillee ,Thomson,Botham,Hadlee and Imran while VVS had a greater opportunity to score against lesser bowlers not scoring so many runs against the express pace of Alan Donald ,Wasim Akram or Curtly Ambrose.Laxman also had much more support from the middle order which had a more fortified line up than the one Vishy played for in the 1970's at his best.Significant that Vishy often had to literally carry the burden of India' s middle order batting on his shoulders.Laxman ahead as much skill as Vishy in even punishing the good ball but still in my book not Vishy's equal in piercing the most impregnable gaps with his wrists.
Statistically Laxman is better than Vishwanath averaging 5 runs more and scoring 3 more centuries as well as a better record in games won but even if by a whisker I rate Vishy ahead as a pure stylist or craftsman and a technician and against great pace or spin bowling.Both played major roles in India's important triumphs against Australia but Vishy was more successful against the best of fast bowlers.Somehow if a gun was placed on my head I would choose Vishy over VVS by the margin of a whisker.
Vishwanath in my view overshadowed VVS on fast,bouncy tracks,bad wickets in seaming conditions.Laxman on fast wicket did not equal Vishy's imperious unbeaten 97 at Madras v West Indies in 1974-75 or 124 v West Indies at Madras in 1978-79 which revealed batting domination and artistry in regions of the sublime .Nor did he equal Vishy's effort against the moving ball when scoring 78 and 79 at Dunedin in 1975-76.Overall I feel Vishy was more consistent in the seaming English conditions .However Vishy 's 4th innings batting did not equal Laxman's phenomenal consistency in run chases.In a 4th innings VVS was the best batsmen of his era and amongst the top 6 of all-time in run chases ,ressurecting his team from the grave to reach the pinnacle of glory three times.He also was the prime architect in India virtually performing a Houdini act to beat Australia in Kolkata when scoring 281 and when scoring a century at Adelaide in 2003-04.No batsmen of his time batted better with the tail or was more capable of taking a team to reach it's destination in a staggering fourth innings chase.,retreiving a sinking ship.Significant that VVS's batting at its best came up against the premier team of his day.Australia,who were bracketed with the greatest test teams ever.Somehow VVS was not so succesful against South Africa.
India never lost a test match when Vishy scored a century.India lost some games with VVS scoring a century but is was Laxman who was more the match-winner.Vishwanath faced better bowling tackling the greats like Holding,Roberts,Lillee ,Thomson,Botham,Hadlee and Imran while VVS had a greater opportunity to score against lesser bowlers not scoring so many runs against the express pace of Alan Donald ,Wasim Akram or Curtly Ambrose.Laxman also had much more support from the middle order which had a more fortified line up than the one Vishy played for in the 1970's at his best.Significant that Vishy often had to literally carry the burden of India' s middle order batting on his shoulders.Laxman ahead as much skill as Vishy in even punishing the good ball but still in my book not Vishy's equal in piercing the most impregnable gaps with his wrists.
Statistically Laxman is better than Vishwanath averaging 5 runs more and scoring 3 more centuries as well as a better record in games won but even if by a whisker I rate Vishy ahead as a pure stylist or craftsman and a technician and against great pace or spin bowling.Both played major roles in India's important triumphs against Australia but Vishy was more successful against the best of fast bowlers.Somehow if a gun was placed on my head I would choose Vishy over VVS by the margin of a whisker.
