Ponting

[silentstriker]

Ponting is a God who walks amongst mere mortals. With yet another century (29th), I think he will soon surpass Tendulkar with the most centuries in Test cricket. I have never seen such a purple patch for a batsman, with the exception of Tendulkar in his halcyon years.


To me, he is undoubtedly the best batsman in the game right now....and I'd seriously think about picking him over Flintoff as the best player in the game. Say what you want about his captaincy, but the guy's just a century machine.

 

[luckyeddie]

He's on the way to becoming an all-time great, not just a 'man of the moment' (not words I bandy about readily).

I must confess to having a giggle regarding his uninspiring captaincy, but as a batsman, he's certainly at the top of the pile.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

Still think he's susceptible to the LBW early doors if the bowler is good enough, but show me a batsman that doesn't have a fault.

Wonderful, wonderful batsman.

 

[greg]

Ponting is a God who walks amongst mere mortals. With yet another century (29th), I think he will soon surpass Tendulkar with the most centuries in Test cricket. I have never seen such a purple patch for a batsman, with the exception of Tendulkar in his halcyon years.


To me, he is undoubtedly the best batsman in the game right now....and I'd seriously think about picking him over Flintoff as the best player in the game. Say what you want about his captaincy, but the guy's just a century machine.

Inzamam might have a claim on both the purple patch and best batsman stakes.

 

[Swervy]

In his last 50 tests (including this one, ) Ponting averages 71....my word.
I wonder if anyone(bar Bradman of course) has ever had such a high average over such a large number of tests.???

Statsguru, here I come

 

[open365]

http://statserver.cricket.org/guru?...edhigh=;csearch=;submit=1;.cgifields=viewtype

Pontings record over his last 30 matches,averaging 67.

 

[Swervy]

In his last 50 tests (including this one, ) Ponting averages 71....my word.
I wonder if anyone(bar Bradman of course) has ever had such a high average over such a large number of tests.???

Statsguru, here I come

the best I can find for King Viv for a 50 tests stretch is an average of 58.7

Sachin averaged 62.9 between his 44th test and his 94th test

 

[greg]

In his last 50 tests (including this one, ) Ponting averages 71....my word.
I wonder if anyone(bar Bradman of course) has ever had such a high average over such a large number of tests.???

Statsguru, here I come

Jacques Kallis, obviously.

 

[Swervy]

Jacques Kallis, obviously.

hahaha..yeah...Kallis is averaging 71 over his last 50 tests as well....forgot about him!!!


but Pontings streak is better IMO coz Kallis has scored shed loads of runs vs Zimb and B'desh in that time!!!

 

[Richard]

Ponting is IMO playing nowhere near as well at present as he was 2001-2004.
Of course, most recent is best remembered so I might be well be widely disagreed with here - but Ponting in his last 5 or so Tests has had more let-offs than anyone since Adam Gilchrist.

 

[Swervy]

Ponting is IMO playing nowhere near as well at present as he was 2001-2004.

wow...thhat is a very purple 'purple patch'

 

[Blaze]

Credit where credit's due... Ponting is a freak.

 

[Neil Pickup]

wow...thhat is a very purple 'purple patch'

I'd go so far as saying it may even stretch to "mauve".

 

[Pedro Delgado]

The Mauve Freak. Egad, that's the best nickname ever.

 

[andyc]

Ponting is IMO playing nowhere near as well at present as he was 2001-2004.
Of course, most recent is best remembered so I might be well be widely disagreed with here - but Ponting in his last 5 or so Tests has had more let-offs than anyone since Adam Gilchrist.

Wow. 13 centuries and 9 fifties in twenty nine matches, not a bad record.

 

[Swervy]

The Mauve Freak. Egad, that's the best nickname ever.

It may stick!!! (or maybe not)

 

[Richard]

wow...thhat is a very purple 'purple patch'

What's more, I can only remember 2 innings where he definately got a let-off (clearly there will have been more than that, I just only remember 2) - Headingley where Ramps was standing a bit too deep - indeed that started it all off - and either Adelaide or MCG where Patel dropped him.
Even Laxman didn't make batting look so absurdly easy as Ponting did in this period.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Ponting is IMO playing nowhere near as well at present as he was 2001-2004.

I disagree.I watched both of Ponting's form streaks, and the most recent one (basically his last 8 tests, in which he has made 6 centuries) has been the best he has ever played. The bowling he has faced and the conditions he has batted in have been much more challenging in recent times, and his performances have been much more convincing.

Of course, he played wonderfully in the 2003/04 summer as well, but not as well as now. Yesterday's innings was quite fantastic given how difficult he found it to score. Credit must be given to a compulsively aggressive batsman who can curb his instincts in such a fashion and still make plenty of runs. I think the catalyst for his current form streak was the Old Trafford test, where he played the best innings of his career. Since then, he's been solid as a rock when thing were difficult and absolutely devastating when they were easy.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I disagree.I watched both of Ponting's form streaks, and the most recent one (basically his last 8 tests, in which he has made 6 centuries) has been the best he has ever played. The bowling he has faced and the conditions he has batted in have been much more challenging in recent times, and his performances have been much more convincing.

Of course, he played wonderfully in the 2003/04 summer as well, but not as well as now. Yesterday's innings was quite fantastic given how difficult he found it to score. Credit must be given to a compulsively aggressive batsman who can curb his instincts in such a fashion and still make plenty of runs. I think the catalyst for his current form streak was the Old Trafford test, where he played the best innings of his career. Since then, he's been solid as a rock when thing were difficult and absolutely devastating when they were easy.

But he had a let-off yesterday!!!!11

 

[oz_fan]

Ponting's form in tests has been magnificent.
6 centuries and 5 half centuries since the ashes