Which batsmen today or in 1990's you would expect to play the 1980's bowling easily?

[Spark]

Ponting at his best didn't have an LBW problem.

Bowlers just thought he did. And then got hammered when he kept putting it through mid-on for four.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Ponting at his best didn't have an LBW problem.

Bowlers just thought he did. And then got hammered when he kept putting it through mid-on for four.

Really? I've always known him to fall across, even during his peak in the mid 00s.

 

[TNT]

Really? I've always known him to fall across, even during his peak in the mid 00s.

Did you know that Lara and Tendulkar both got out LBW early on more often than Ponting.

 

[Spark]

Really? I've always known him to fall across, even during his peak in the mid 00s.

Which is what made bowlers think he had an LBW problem... soon followed by them scratching their heads in bemusement when suddenly he was 30* and ticking on the way to yet another hundred. Ponting at his best was absurdly strong off his pads.

His primary flaw has always been the off-stump channel.

 

[Briony]

Ponting at his best didn't have an LBW problem.

Bowlers just thought he did. And then got hammered when he kept putting it through mid-on for four.

Not so sure about that, during his first incarnation when the great Windies quicks were still good but a fading force, he struggled mightily and was promptly moved down the order because of this. Have always thought that more bowlers like that during his golden period in the early noughties might have sorted him out. He's a great but goes hard early and has had technical issues but for a long time there seemed to be a dearth of great bowlers allied with a plethora of flat tracks.

Kallis and Tendulkar would be technically equipped to deal with them pretty well you'd think.

 

[Spark]

Perhaps so but I doubt it would have been by getting him out LBW.

 

[Migara]

Better question would be how batting greats of 70s and 80s would have done against bowling of 90s. Bowling of 90s had everything, from terrifying pace, swing (reverse or conventional), wrist spin or finger spin, doosras and carom balls, it had everything. IMO the golden age of bowling.

 

[Prince EWS]

Which bowlers of the 1962-1974 period would you expect to be good wicket keepers on the uncovered English wickets of the pre-Test era in the mid 1800s?

 

[smash84]

 

[Spark]

Which bowlers of the 1962-1974 period would you expect to be good wicket keepers on the uncovered English wickets of the pre-Test era in the mid 1800s?

Knew as soon as I opened the thread that this was what your post would be like.

Agree with you FTR, but it's a fun hypothetical nonetheless.

 

[Arachnodouche]

i think that *may* have been in response to the poster immediately above him

 

[Spark]

Not necessarily, it's a classic PEWSism and very relevant to the OP.

 

[TNT]

Not so sure about that, during his first incarnation when the great Windies quicks were still good but a fading force, he struggled mightily and was promptly moved down the order because of this. Have always thought that more bowlers like that during his golden period in the early noughties might have sorted him out. He's a great but goes hard early and has had technical issues but for a long time there seemed to be a dearth of great bowlers allied with a plethora of flat tracks.

Kallis and Tendulkar would be technically equipped to deal with them pretty well you'd think.

Tendulkar never faced the WI in his first 5 years of test cricket and when he did in 1994 the bowlers were Walsh, Cuffy and Benjiman in India. The first test Tendulkar faced Ambrose was in 1997 in the twighlght of ambroses career.

Ponting was younger than Tendulkar when he first faced the WI.

 

[Black_Warrior]

I'm wondering, whether who among today would have played Marshall/Lillee/Imran Khan at their prime with ease?

Tendulkar, Inzamam, De Silva, Steve Waugh.

 

[weldone]

Which bowlers of the 1962-1974 period would you expect to be good wicket keepers on the uncovered English wickets of the pre-Test era in the mid 1800s?

Alan Davidson is definitely one

Sobers would do well too IMO

 

[Briony]

Tendulkar never faced the WI in his first 5 years of test cricket and when he did in 1994 the bowlers were Walsh, Cuffy and Benjiman in India. The first test Tendulkar faced Ambrose was in 1997 in the twighlght of ambroses career.

Ponting was younger than Tendulkar when he first faced the WI.

It's true, but Tendulkar's technique seems sound enough to counter most.

Punter was young when he first faced the Windies bowlers but equally they were certainly past their peak. Most critics actually say the peak of their greatest bowlers was the 1978-84 period. After that they unearthed some good quicks but had never bowled so fiercely again with such a quartet, sometimes a quintet. And to make matters worse, umpires were very lax on the short ball and over-rates were slow and not enforced during that period.

Just finished reading a book which suggested that reverse swing was certainly around in the early 70s, though obviously the great Pakistani bowlers perfected it later.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Just finished reading a book which suggested that reverse swing was certainly around in the early 70s, though obviously the great Pakistani bowlers perfected it later.

What was the book if I may ask? Always interested in cricket books

 

[Briony]

What was the book if I may ask? Always interested in cricket books

Fierce Focus (Greg Chappell). The chapters on his experiences in India were eye-opening.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Thanks buddy...will check it out..

 

[Ikki]

Comfortably the best? Won't argue that he's the best as I reckon he probably is the best player of pace bowling I've seen, but just not sure he's comfortably better than Sachin or Lara against pace. I know I'm being pedantic but hey.

In response to the question, no batsman of the last 20 years would face Marshall and Lillee and play them "easily". Some will succeed, but they won't play them easily.

I think it's a shame that the likes of Waqar, Ambrose, Donald et al retired for the period where Ponting was in his absolute peak. Because even when he was green he played them exceptionally well. There would have been fantastic battles. Lara definitely had trouble against the best pace bowlers of his time, Tendulkar was a bit of a mixed bag; but I hold Ponting above them. They had him on spin though.

I just think he made the margins for fast bowlers so small. Depending on the length he'd get forward and drive you or quickly get on the back foot and pull you. He made it look ridiculously easy and simple. From what I remember from FC cricket he even made McGrath his bitch.

Punter was young when he first faced the Windies bowlers but equally they were certainly past their peak.

No, I am fairly sure he played them when they were at their peak or still very very good. Averaged 40. Was also very good against the other two great pace sides in Pak and SA.