India ATG Team- Open Voting

[Teja.]

Gavaskar
Merchant

[NUFAN]

How the hell did Latif get the Pakistani keeping gig? Overrated.

Gavaskar, Sunil
Merchant, Vijay

[Cevno]

Originally Posted by Daemon

Agreed.

As much as I love the man, I find it hard to see him fare better than Merchant against an ATG attack. Merchant's record in England also helps.

Think it more depends on the conditions, rather than the attack. He's smacked Mcgrath, Steyn and almost every decent too good attack on non seaming wickets (and these weren't necessarily flat wickets.) And then also smacked all the spinners on helpful conditions.

People getting a bit carried away by his last 1 and a half years where he has been out of sorts.

But having said that Merchant was quality too, so it's a tough pick.

I'll go with Sunil Gavaskar and Virendra Sehwag because of the way in which Sehwag can hurt the opposition, almost force a result and also put psychological pressure in certain situations. Plus he'll have quality batting in and around him so a bit of leeway in certain situations can be taken.

[Hurricane]

Originally Posted by 8ankitj

Gavaskar, Merchant.

This for me as well.

However I want to comment on Virender

Sehwag should not have been an opener nor do I think he really wanted to be. Kept talking about preferring to bat number 4 and I think he could have been devastating in that position.

However an opener he was and he changed the game forever with impressionable young bats like Tamim trying and failing to emulate him.

There will always be a place now for run a ball openers - and having grown up in a different generation I think I appreciate openers with a SR of 40 more than those with a SR of 90. (personal preference).

[AndyZaltzHair]

Sunil Gavaskar
Vijay Merchant

[J_C]

Gavaskar
Sehwag

[smalishah84]

Originally Posted by 8ankitj

Gavaskar, Merchant.

this

[Daemon]

Originally Posted by Cevno

Think it more depends on the conditions, rather than the attack. He's smacked Mcgrath, Steyn and almost every decent too good attack on non seaming wickets (and these weren't necessarily flat wickets.) And then also smacked all the spinners on helpful conditions.

People getting a bit carried away by his last 1 and a half years where he has been out of sorts.

But having said that Merchant was quality too, so it's a tough pick.

I'll go with Sunil Gavaskar and Virendra Sehwag because of the way in which Sehwag can hurt the opposition, almost force a result and also put psychological pressure in certain situations. Plus he'll have quality batting in and around him so a bit of leeway in certain situations can be taken.

Yeah don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to suggest he'll fail, it's just that imo Merchant would be better.

[kyear2]

Originally Posted by watson

Been a hectic last 2 weeks but things are much quieter now. So I'm happy to take over from here kyear if you like. Up to you, just let me know.

You are free to take over, it is your game, I was was just helping out.

[watson]

Originally Posted by kyear2

You are free to take over, it is your game, I was was just helping out.

OK then.

I make the current score (after counting twice);

Gavaskar = 17
Sehwag = 8
Merchant = 9

Since it's very close we need to let the voting roll a bit longer......

[centurymaker]

gavaskar
merchant

[subshakerz]

Merchant only played 10 tests, I cant select him, so will go for Gavaskar and Sehwag. Though Sehwag is a sitting duck against some of the bowlers from the opposition.

[Coronis]

Originally Posted by subshakerz

Merchant only played 10 tests, I cant select him, so will go for Gavaskar and Sehwag. Though Sehwag is a sitting duck against some of the bowlers from the opposition.

Thats like not selecting Barry Richards for SA, because he only appeared in four tests, or Procter, who only appeared in 7.

[Agent Nationaux]

Gavaskar and Merchant

[watson]

Originally Posted by Coronis

Thats like not selecting Barry Richards for SA, because he only appeared in four tests, or Procter, who only appeared in 7.

The best attack that Merchant ever faced was perhaps the 1936 English attack that consisted of Allen, Gover, Verity, Robins and Hammond. Against those bowlers at Old Trafford he managed a score of 114. That's not bad.

2nd Test: England v India at Manchester, Jul 25-28, 1936 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

However, while Merchant averaged a very healthy 71.64 in domestic cricket I'm not sure what that means as I can't imagine that the overall quality of Indian bowlers during 1930s-50s would have been very good, especially the quality of fast bowling.

On the other hand Barry Richards scored plenty of runs against Lillee, Roberts, Snow etc in English domestic and WSC cricket, and was therefore able to prove himself against top notch quicks on a regular basis. I'm not sure that we can say the same for Merchant as I don't think that Gover or Allen, or the domestic Indian bowlers were in the same class as the tear-aways of the 1970s.

Here is a Barry Richard's innings where he scored 207 against Lillee, Walker, Gilmour, Bright and Greg Chappell;

HowSTAT! Match Scorecard