Poll: Current best Batting Line-up?

[Prince EWS]

Needs more Taylor # 10 in the ICC rankings. Yeah thats right a Kiwi is getting up there.

You don't pick ten specialist batsmen very often tbf..

 

[Athlai]

You don't pick ten specialist batsmen very often tbf..

-Watch this space-
(Though Taylor will be knocked out of the ten by Ponting and Kallis when its next updated. )

 

[Zinzan]

If you want to go by ICC rankings (which as a statistical form guide is about as good as you're going to get unless you want to break it down on a case-by-case basic), you get this as a batting order:

1. Gambhir
2. Sehwag
3. Sangakkara
4. Kallis
5. Jayawardene
6. Clarke
7. Haddin

Haddin at 7

 

[Prince EWS]

-Watch this space-
(Though Taylor will be knocked out of the ten by Ponting and Kallis when its next updated. )

Unless you wanted either Younis, Taylor, Yousuf, Chanderpaul, Yousuf, Vettori or Dhoni to open the batting, or you wanted to go without an allrounder, Taylor wouldn't even make the world second XI based on the rankings at the moment.

 

[Zinzan]

Oh I see, you've gone by batting order ...was thinking Haddin was outright 7th for a moment there

 

[Prince EWS]

Haddin at 7

It's not actually in ranking order as such; I picked a batting order based on the rankings. Haddin's the highest ranked keeper at 29th so he makes the team. Kallis is actually 11th as well but he's the highest ranked allrounder.

 

[Athlai]

Unless you wanted either Younis, Taylor, Yousuf, Chanderpaul, Yousuf, Vettori or Dhoni to open the batting, or you wanted to go without an allrounder, Taylor wouldn't even make the world second XI based on the rankings at the moment.

Gagfc

 

[Prince EWS]

Gagfc

1. Smith
2. Prince
3. Younis
4. Yousuf
5. Chanderpaul
6. Dhoni
7. Vettori

 

[Athlai]

Taylor > Yousuf

You heard it here first.

 

[Prince EWS]

Taylor > Yousuf

You heard it here first.

ICC rankings disagree.

So do I tbh.

 

[Athlai]

ICC rankings disagree.

So do I tbh.

I might as well actually.

 

[Zinzan]

Taylor > Yousuf

You heard it here first.

Like your sense of humour

 

[Jono]

Ratings are irrelevant. Ponting is still the best batsman in the world.

Really? What's his record like in the last 2-3 years?

 

[honestbharani]

TBF Smith hasn't played a test since February so it's hard to say what his form's like on the back of his solitary duck today. Would have to be pretty special to be better than Gambhir's, but even so, I'd rather have Smith in my team than Gambhir. So, so good under pressure.

Having to bat for 2 days in an away game for a draw is massive pressure, I would think.. And having to face M & M at home when Mendis was juz a name... And batting out another draw at home against a decent SL spin attack on the 5th day...


I am not saying Gambhir is better than Smith but the pressure thing is a little far fetched. There is NOTHING that Gambhir has done so far in international test cricket (esp. in recent form) to suggest he is not good under pressure... He deserves the opportunity to fail.

 

[honestbharani]

Love is overated..

Says the man so much in love with the Australian side that he still thinks it is the best in the world and that every single loss of theirs was due to everything in the world except their own ineptitude...

 

[Uppercut]

And I think Haddin is on par with, if not ahead of Dhoni in test matches.

Haddin's batting isn't an awful lot of use for mine. He's only really scored runs when Australia were already completely on top.

As a WK-batsman, it depends how you rate the relative importance of keeping and batting, but when we're just talking about the best batting lineup, Dhoni's so, so far ahead of Haddin.

 

[aussie]

To this the answer is provided by another quote of urs:.

Ha switich this thign around. You are the one claming that it is clear in the past 2 years he is declining fast. I really dont know what cricket you have been watching if one can seriously say Ponting has been showing any signs of decline in the past 2-3 years of whatever. That is madness.

Really? What's his record like in the last 2-3 years?

His record is irrelevant during this period is irrelevant. Class is permanent form is temporary (well Ponting is not even been out of form in the last 2-3 years). What are the factors you look for in great batsman when he is in a decline?.

- Being exposed technically (i.e getting out one way all the time)
- Footwork slowing down
- Execution of trademark shots being reduced (eg Ponting not playing his pull shot well)

Punter has not being showing these signs. So what if Clarke may be statistically better than him ATM that just Pup's purple patch. If AUS need Ponting to step up againts a top-quality attack he still very much can & will, which is far more imporant that these FTBs smoking runs againts those joke attacks about the place today.

statistically he had in an indifferent year fuelled largely by terrible WI wickets.

So?. Like Ponting has KP suddenly being exposed technically anytime in 2009? no. His ability isn't gone nowhere, only thing probably affecting his batting is probably his recent injury woes.

Again form temporary, class permanent. KP has to be in a world XI ATM.

Haha sanga became batsman to keep balance? of what? If he had been keeper it would have improved SL's balance.

No thats no what i meant. Sangakkara when M Jayawardene was skipper was keeping in almost all the tests last i checked.

Now that he is skipper, his keeping although i might not affecting his batting (as we see when keeps in ODIs). But clearly given his importance to the SRI team it would be a bit too much for him to be the # 3, keep wicket & skipper the side. Thus P Jayawardene is keeping.

If you give him the gloves 2moro, he would keep to Murali/Mendis/Hearth just as excellently as P Jaywardene IMO.

Check out statsguru in cricinfo.com, he averages 40 as keeper and 70 as not keeper. Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | Cricinfo.com.

These stats dont tell the whole truth IMO. See above.

Indian side was none the better. Kumble was over the peak. Mishra was just coming to hold. Khan was the only bowler who looked threatening in that lineup. Harbjan was having off and on days.

Kumble was gone yes. Mishra was new but he was dangerous & bowled excellently thus was threat to AUS batsmen. Harbhajan was off & on yes but he was still good. Not sure why you left out Sharma, since he was equally as deadly with the reverse swing along with Khan.

The Indian attack was CLEARLY superior to AUS attack in Indian conditions during that series.

In 2008 series Gambhir outplayed Katich it s no joke.

As i said before Gambhir smoked a joke AUS attack ATT. Katich faced a more a difficult IND attack. So Katich's runs clearly worth more.

2004 does not apply because we are looking at current form.

It compares when talking about ability againts spin which Katich has never lost.

You are joking. Gambhir is the best player of spin in the team after Tendulkar. He has butchered spinners in domestic cricket and countless times commentators ha ve wondered how sucha good player of spin happens to open.

Where did i doubt this. All i said is that IMO seeing both Gambhir & Katich play spin they are even. Gambhir is just a bit more ***y with his footwork againts them...

Gambhir proved himself in NZ and that's enough. anyway under similar conditions, Gambhir outscored Katich that is enough.

Gambhir : played 6, scored 1100 runs, avg 100
Katich played 14, scored 1200 runs, avg 49.

You are delusional aussie to ignore that disparity in numbers.

HAAAAA. You are the one who is delusional if you are going to seriously compare the NZ attack (with no Bond) on some FLATTT decks that Gambhir smoked to the SA & ENG attacks Katich faced recently...

Quite a philosophical thought aussie.

Indeed.

 

[marc71178]

If form is so irrelevant for the current best batting line up then Ricky misses out in favour of Bradman IMO.

 

[aussie]

Says the man so much in love with the Australian side that he still thinks it is the best in the world and that every single loss of theirs was due to everything in the world except their own ineptitude...

Haaa...good job talking crap as usual. Have never said AUS are the best team in the world, said the have the best "potential team on paper" - AUS/SA/IND are clearly even ATS, rather its use guys who have been banging home that India are # 1 based on a faulty ranking system.

Secondly i have always blamed AUS indifferent form since McGrath/Warne retired due to there ineptitude. By constantly saying they have not played to potential & the selectorial faults.

Thirdly i dont love AUS cricket team. I dont love anything in my life including my women or family...

 

[Prince EWS]

I dont love anything in my life including my women or family...

I propose that we all call aussie Mr. Happypants from now on.