Player in the opponent teams that you feared most

[Cruxdude]

While watching this IPL and supporting CSK, I couldn't help but remember the days when I used to fear about Hayden destroying the Indian bowling attack.

I thought it would be interesting to get the perspective of different people on the player in the opponent they feared most.

Mine are:

Australia: Hayden, Mcgrath
Pakistan: Inzamam, Wasim
Srilanka: Murali, Jayasuriya (He was a big time villain. Whenever India played Srilanka he used to score a century.)
England: Pietersen (Here I am pretty confident he would get out after some lusty hits)
New Zealand: Never played them often enough to fear anyone.
Zimbabwe: Andy Flower, Olonga (He somehow used to do pretty well against India)
West Indies: Chanderpaul
South Africa: Gary Kirsten, Donald

 

[archie mac]

Going back a few years, as I was much more worried when I was a kid, in fact now I hate it when say KP is dismissed

England=Botham (after 1981 especially)

WI=Viv (I loved watching it, but if Aust was a chance we had to get him out, very quickly)

India=Srinath (spelling) was a great hitter when in the zone

 

[Xuhaib]

Aus-Mcgrath,Gilly,Hayden,Warne etc etc

Ind-Sehwag, Kumble

SA- Kallis, Donald

SL- Sanga, Murali

Ireland- Boyd Rankin

 

[BoyBrumby]

If we're talking ever (or since I've been watching) I reckon SK Warne & CEL Ambrose must rank right up there. Warne always but always brought his A-game to Ashes tests and, with his usual mix of bluster, bravado, bull**** and brilliance subtly spun his way through our top order. He believed he was going to get them out and he made them believe it too.

Big Curtly was a very different player, glacially cool, but when his dander was up he was as close to unplayable as I've ever seen. Could say more with one stare than most quicks conveyed in a paragraph of sledging.

 

[Beleg]

Australia - Adam Gilchrist
South Africa - Hansie Cronje
West Indies - Brian Lara and Carl Hooper
New Zealand - Chris Harris
England - Robin Smith
Sri Lanka - De Silva AND Muralitharan
India - Jadeja, Sidhu, Tendulkar
Zimbabwe - Streak, Flower(s)

 

[zaremba]

India=Srinath (spelling) was a great hitter when in the zone

Srikkanth?

 

[_Ed_]

New Zealand - Chris Harris

Really? That's interesting. I always thought he did well because no one feared him.

 

[TT Boy]

Present

Australia - Warner, Johnson
India - Sehwag
Pakistan - Younis Khan, Afridi
West Indies - Gayle, Taylor
New Zealand - McCullum
Sri Lanka - Jaya, Murali, Mendis

 

[Jono]

As an Indian fan:

Aust: McGrath and Hayden.
England: Flintoff (bowling)
Pakistan: Younis and Yousuf (obvious reasons)
South Africa: Shaun Pollock
WI: Chanders
NZ: McCullum
SL: Murali, Sangakkara, Jayasuriya (ODIs especially)

 

[rivera213]

Warne and to a lesser extent McGrath.

Used to pwn our batsmen in every friggin Ashes!

Even when we won in 05, those 2 weren't to blame.

 

[silentstriker]

Australia: McGrath
Pakistan: Wasim
West Indies: Ambrose
South Africa: Donald

Fast bowlers win matches, and as an Indian fan, that'd be our downfall virtually every time, especially overseas.

 

[Slifer]

Aust: Mcgrath, Waugh S.
India: Kumble, SRT
RSA: Donald
Pak: Wasim, Waqar
Nzl: no one
SL: Murali
Zim: Streak??
England: No one tbh

 

[BoyBrumby]

Aust: Mcgrath, Waugh S.
India: Kumble, SRT
RSA: Donald
Pak: Wasim, Waqar
Nzl: no one
SL: Murali
Zim: Streak??
England: No one tbh

Firm, but fair.

 

[Slifer]

Firm, but fair.

Maybe thats a but harsh. We did respect the steel of men like Artherton and Stewart but feared nar.

 

[Matt79]

Being an Aussie fan over the last 20 years, very few plays have held anything like fear. Even Sachin and Lara, you respected them but you backed McGrath against them.

Funnily enough probably a couple of lesser lights in terms of the Indian team have been who have worried us: after Kolkota, Laxman - always rises up against us. And when youre hoping for Ponting to do well, Harbhajan.

 

[silentstriker]

Being an Aussie fan over the last 20 years, very few plays have held anything like fear. Even Sachin and Lara, you respected them but you backed McGrath against them.

Funnily enough probably a couple of lesser lights in terms of the Indian team have been who have worried us: after Kolkota, Laxman - always rises up against us. And when youre hoping for Ponting to do well, Harbhajan.

It's weird the hold Harbhajan has over Ponting. He has been dismissed an inordinate amount of times first ball to Harbhajan. 3-4 times, first ball and he's gone. As a player, Harbhajan is not in Ponting's class.

 

[Top_Cat]

It's weird the hold Harbhajan has over Ponting. He has been dismissed an inordinate amount of times first ball to Harbhajan. 3-4 times, first ball and he's gone. As a player, Harbhajan is not in Ponting's class.

Myself, it's like the Lara/Zoe Goss thing. After dominating for ages, once Goss got Lara in that tribute match, apparently in county cricket the way to get under Lara's skin was to mention it.

Uber-talented Ponting was probably wanting to get on top of Harbhajan early in 2001 (the angst with the Aussies started in 1998, really) and, when he got out a few times to him, tried even harder to dominate and, well, we've seen the results. Ponting does have a fixation with some players when he tries to dominate them. Shane Bond too, although Bond was a top bowler. You get the feeling Ponting rates Murali so is able to pull back on the macho-ness enough to do well against him.

 

[Jono]

Being an Aussie fan over the last 20 years, very few plays have held anything like fear. Even Sachin and Lara, you respected them but you backed McGrath against them.

Funnily enough probably a couple of lesser lights in terms of the Indian team have been who have worried us: after Kolkota, Laxman - always rises up against us. And when youre hoping for Ponting to do well, Harbhajan.

Sehwag?

 

[Matt79]

Don't fear him. Maybe cause when he's batting you always feel like he'll be out soon, and by the time that doesn't happen, the damage is done. Fear is an emotional thing, not logical.

In this new post McGrath world, probably a bit different, but prior to the last series, felt confident our bowling was more than a match for him.

 

[Uppercut]

Ah i like the thread idea. It's a certain type of player who instills fear in a team- it's the sense of utter inevitability of them scoring runs or taking wickets that they convey. Warne against England was almost the definition of it.

Gonna throw Gilchrist's name out there. When you saw the scoreboard read "Australia not many/5" you'd initially think the other side were in with a shout until that doomed moment when you remembered he was the next man in.