Chappell vs. Border vs. Waugh

[Days of Grace]

Both batsmen were the premier middle-order players of their time. I am restricting this to test performances. Who was the greatest batsmen out of these three?

Please take into account the opposition they faced and how they did against the best bowling attacks of their time.

Not taking into account bowling, either, unless in absolute tiebreaks.

 

[Burgey]

Thread title has it in the right order, IMO.

 

[analyst]

Both batsmen were the premier middle-order players of their time. I am restricting this to test performances. Who was the greatest batsmen out of these three?

Please take into account the opposition they faced and how they did against the best bowling attacks of their time.

Not taking into account bowling, either, unless in absolute tiebreaks.

I presume you mean all three were premier middle order players of their time?

IMO, Greg Chappell would be head and shoulders above everyone of the rest, presuming you are talking about him and not Ian.

 

[Days of Grace]

It is interesting to note, however, that Steve Waugh averaged over 56 after 1992, still about the same number of tests as Chappell.

Waugh certainly had the greater peak, say, over 20 tests, of the three.

The question is if the great bowling attacks that Waugh faced was comparable to the attacks that Chappell and Border faced?

 

[Burgey]

Waugh as great vs some quality bowling, but so was Border. Chappell was imperious, though I have heard it said it may not have been a coincidence he retired on the verge of 7 straight tests v the WI, home and away. Personally, I don't believe that but who knows?

Border was the closest to Tendulkar in terms of having the world on his shoulders when he batted, at least in the 80s - if he failed we were almost guaranteed to lose. Sometimes he didn't fail and we still lost .

Waugh played with some quality middle order companions for a large part of his career, including AB himself.

 

[analyst]

Waugh as great vs some quality bowling, but so was Border. Chappell was imperious, though I have heard it said it may not have been a coincidence he retired on the verge of 7 straight tests v the WI, home and away. Personally, I don't believe that but who knows?

Border was the closest to Tendulkar in terms of having the world on his shoulders when he batted, at least in the 80s - if he failed we were almost guaranteed to lose. Sometimes he didn't fail and we still lost .

Waugh played with some quality middle order companions for a large part of his career, including AB himself.

That reminds me of Shiv Chanderpaul and the West Indies presently.

 

[Days of Grace]

One could say that both Waugh and possibly Border got the absolute most out of their ability and talent.

Chappell, I get the impression, made it all look easy, but would often get himself out.

Could be wrong, though.

 

[NUFAN]

Did the poll say Clive Rice as the 4th option originally and then changed to Greg Ritchie?

I went for the poll order Chappell, Border, SWaugh, Ritchie.

 

[Sanz]

Will never vote for the Chappell guy.

 

[Jono]

Will never vote for the Chappell guy.

Should be able to separate his batsmanship for your dislike for him now though, surely?

Anyway, Greg Chappell here.

I find it almost impossible to separate Border and Waugh though.

 

[bagapath]

g. chappell ahead of border and waugh, but not by much. wish you had included ponting in the poll. that would have made the choice even more difficult.

 

[The Sean]

As batsmen, AB and Waugh are almost impossible to split in my books - but Greg Chappell is a cut above them both. You could argue that both Border and Waugh are more iconic figures in Australian cricket history due to their leadership/legacy/circumstances etc, but for pure batsmanship Chappell ranks above any Australian since Bradman.

Punter may well rank above them all by time he hangs up the willow, if he doesn't already.

 

[Matt79]

As batsmen, AB and Waugh are almost impossible to split in my books - but Greg Chappell is a cut above them both. You could argue that both Border and Waugh are more iconic figures in Australian cricket history due to their leadership/legacy/circumstances etc, but for pure batsmanship Chappell ranks above any Australian since Bradman.

Punter may well rank above them all by time he hangs up the willow, if he doesn't already.

This - although I don't think Punter can realistically go past Chappell.

 

[Matt79]

This - although I don't think Punter can realistically go past Chappell.

These guys, plus Bradman and Miller, is why picking the middle order for the alltime Australian team is damn near impossible. Bradman has to be 3, and most always have Miller at 6. Leaves you two slots - I'm usually very comfortable in having Chappell at 4, but then always stymied as to whether to go for Harvey, Border, Waugh, or now I guess Ponting at 5.

 

[Perm]

Chappell, then Waugh, then Border. Ponting is about level with Border IMO.

 

[Days of Grace]

After carefully analysing their careers, I'm putting Steve Waugh just ahead of Chappell here.

Waugh had a great away average and I think may have faced and did his best against a better Windies attack then Chappell did.

How good really was the Windies attack that Chappell faced in 1975/76? The next time he faced them was in 1979/80, where he averaged 45. Good, but not outstanding. But by this time the Windies attack was one of the best ever. He failed outright against them in 1981/82.

Shame he retired when he did. If he had of done well in the home and away series in the mid-1980s, that would have sealed his place over Waugh.

As it was, Waugh faced a greater variety of attacks, and averaged more than Chappell over 80 or more tests.

 

[Days of Grace]

And I will add that for the record I'm ranking Ponting above all of them. Not by much, but by now Ponting has done enough imo.

However, if you are picking an alltime Australian side, can you really put Ponting in the middle order when he is essentially a number three?

 

[The Sean]

Waugh had a great away average and I think may have faced and did his best against a better Windies attack then Chappell did.

How good really was the Windies attack that Chappell faced in 1975/76? The next time he faced them was in 1979/80, where he averaged 45. Good, but not outstanding. But by this time the Windies attack was one of the best ever. He failed outright against them in 1981/82.

I know many people don't count it, but he faced them frequently during WSC 1977-79 and was often outstanding. In the West Indies in 1979 he scored 621 at 69 - more than 300 runs ahead of any other batsman from either team - against an attack that ranks with any they've ever put on the field.

 

[funnygirl]

Tough choice .But i was/will be a huge fan Chappel the batsman .He was also a model and icon for many aspiring batsmen at that time .Azharudin for example.

 

[Ikki]

I gave all 3 a vote as it's pretty hard to split them. On a push I'd say Chappell.

If Ponting we're included he'd be #1.