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Is Ricky Ponting a better batsman than Brian Lara?

Ricky Ponting vs Lara


  • Total voters
    113
We've had a lot of Tendulkar vs Ponting and Lara vs Tendulkar debates, but somehow I've never seen a Lara vs Ponting debate. Who do you think is better? I think Ponting is better, anyone challenge that? :happy:
 

Matt79

Global Moderator
In before stat trench warfare begins. :ph34r:

They're close enough that there is no definitive answer, it will be a matter for subjective personal opinion and taste. I'd probably go for Lara most of the time.
 
In before stat trench warfare begins. :ph34r:

They're close enough that there is no definitive answer, it will be a matter for subjective personal opinion and taste. I'd probably go for Lara most of the time.
Definitely Matt, it is subjective. But there are a number of people who think that Ponting is not in Lara's league, and that is something I disagree with. The stat war should be great 8-)
 

Matt79

Global Moderator
I'd say that Lara's CV of different achievements is more complete, but that Ponting has been somewhat more consistent in performing near his best. It's in my mind largely an issue of which characteristic is more important to you.

EDIT: A poll would have been traditional...
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Definitely Ponting for me. I don't tend to rate Lara quite as highly as most, mainly for the reason Matt pointed out. No doubt he was a great batsman, obviously, but I have him slightly behind the Pontings and Tendulkars of the world.
 
I'd say that Lara's CV of different achievements is more complete, but that Ponting has been somewhat more consistent in performing near his best. It's in my mind largely an issue of which characteristic is more important to you.

EDIT: A poll would have been traditional...
Good idea. Put up a poll...
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Did you add the poll PEWS?
I can't without creating a new thread with a poll and then merging them (none of the mods appointed after a certain date can for some reason). I suppose I could do that.

EDIT: Wait, there's already a poll here. I guess Jack or James did it.
 

tooextracool

International Coach
Lara in his sleep IMO. Ponting, as has been pointed out some 10000000 times on this forum, was a very ordinary player of spin, whilst Lara is arguably one of the best ever. I dont think the difference in their ability against pace is enough to make up for it.
 
Definitely Ponting for me. I don't tend to rate Lara quite as highly as most, mainly for the reason Matt pointed out. No doubt he was a great batsman, obviously, but I have him slightly behind the Pontings and Tendulkars of the world.
I agree with that. IMO playing for a weak team alone doesn't make a batsman great or Andy Flower would be the world's best batsman. And I know it isn't Lara's fault, but a lot of his runs came in dead rubbers. Lara is rated very highly for his 153*. Great innings though it was, what people forget is that he was dropped (twice I think) in that innings. That isn't to say that he hasn't played other great innings, but it is the one innings that people point to all the time. Ponting for me.
 

Matt79

Global Moderator
What about his double ton in Aus when he was run out in the end. People rave about that to, and a run-out was the only way he was ever going to get out.
 
Lara in his sleep IMO. Ponting, as has been pointed out some 10000000 times on this forum, was a very ordinary player of spin, whilst Lara is arguably one of the best ever. I dont think the difference in their ability against pace is enough to make up for it.
Ponting's problems against spin are overstated. He has been terrific against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, clearly he can play spin. Btw Lara's record in India isn't all that great....And Ponting is undoubtedly the better player of pace.
 

tooextracool

International Coach
Ponting's problems against spin are overstated. He has been terrific against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, clearly he can play spin. Btw Lara's record in India isn't all that great....And Ponting is undoubtedly the better player of pace.
Ponting has played something like 6 series in India and SL and has failed in all but one of them, the one of them being back when Murali wasn't even in his prime. I've watched Ponting against spin and if the word mediocre doesn't come to mind, I cant think of anything else. Just doesnt have the technique or a clue how to handle the turning ball IMO.

And yes Lara doesnt have a great record in India, but the problem with that claim is that it doesn't mean anything when hes only played one series there at the very start of his career.

On a side note, Michael Atherton has pointed out that Lara was one of the worst batsmen to set a field to because on his day he would just hit the ball exactly where he would take his fielder out from. For me Lara was genius, Ponting quite possibly just a superlative scorer.
 
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Ponting has played something like 6 series in India and SL and has failed in all but one of them, the one of them being back when Murali wasn't even in his prime. I've watched Ponting against spin and if the word mediocre doesn't come to mind, I cant think of anything else. Just doesnt have the technique or a clue how to handle the turning ball IMO.

And yes Lara doesnt have a great record in India, but the problem with that claim is that it doesn't mean anything when hes only played one series there at the very start of his career.

On a side note, Michael Atherton has pointed out that Lara was one of the worst batsmen to set a field to because on his day he would just hit the ball exactly where he would take his fielder out from. For me Lara was genius, Ponting quite possibly just a superlative scorer.
And Lara, other than that one brilliant series in 2001 against Murali, didn't exactly demolish Murali either. And another thing is Lara's away record - it's funny but somehow most his great innings have come at home. His away average is in the mid 40s if I am not much mistaken.

And when it comes to pace, Ponting is far superior. Ponting has played guys like Donald and Wasim in a way Lara never managed to.
 

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