Geoffboycott
School Boy/Girl Cricketer
Dravid or Ponting both number 3s and are the 2nd and 3rd highest test run scorers ever. also both played in the same era so i thought it would be a close one.
Last edited:
Ponting to me was also the better slipper in particular to pace. Dravid had the edge vs spin as Ponting rarely fielded the the slips to Warne. Overall fielder, Ponting hands down.I think if the wicket is doing a bit and your against a top quality attack of pace and spin and you lose an early wicket you want dravid coming in all day long. I have massive respect for ponting and his game but the only way I see he has the edge over dravid is he gets his runs a lot quicker. Dravid was a better slipper aswell but not as good else where in the field. Pontings the best fielder I've ever seen and in the top 10 batsman in the last 40 odd years. But I rate Rahul higher
Nah there was a period from 2008-2010 where Dravid was seriously below par. I reckon there were people who thought Dravid was shot at the end of the Australian tour to India in 2008 actually.Apart from his last crap series in Oz, Dravid was a formidable batsmen pretty much his whole career.
The following stats come courtesy of 'Days of Grace' from the 'Best After The Don' thread: http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/cricket-chat/59341-best-after-don-12.htmlI'm such a massive fan of both players.
Dravid was a magnificent batsman. One of my favourites. I find it staggering that Tendulkar gets so much attention from everyone while Dravid (who batted in a tougher position) gets much less.
Ponting, in his pomp and prime, was unbelieveable.
So you are right Monk in saying that in his prime Ponting was 'unbelievable' - 'unbelievable' meaning an average of 73.91 sustained over 50 Test matches. The second best of all time if we discount the adjustment made by 'Days of Grace'.Here are the top 12 batting peaks over 50 matches, along with the time periods (I have adjusted their averages based on strength of opposition and pitch conditions)
1. Bradman 104.13 (97.56) (1928-1948)
2. Sobers 72.57 (69.67) (1958-1968)
3. Ponting 73.91 (65.34) (2002-2006)
4. Waugh 63.13 (64.15) (1993-1998)
5. Kallis 69.61 (62.65) (2002-2007)
6. Dravid 68.11 (62.24) (2000-2005)
7. Hobbs 61.28 (62.22) (1908-1928)
8. Tendulkar 66.16 (62.22) (1997-2002)
9. Chanderpaul 67.13 (62.18) (2006-2012)
10. Hammond 65.80 (61.45) (1928-1936)
11. Sangakkara 68.49 (61.39) (2006-2012)
12. Richards 61.96 (60.94) (1976-1984)
I think if the wicket is doing a bit and your against a top quality attack of pace and spin and you lose an early wicket you want dravid coming in all day long. I have massive respect for ponting and his game but the only way I see he has the edge over dravid is he gets his runs a lot quicker. Dravid was a better slipper aswell but not as good else where in the field. Pontings the best fielder I've ever seen and in the top 10 batsman in the last 40 odd years. But I rate Rahul higher
I think I may have included it in my magnificent piece on Ponting's retirement actually.I remember reading an article that examined every batsman's peak consecutive 52 tests. 52 was used because that's what Bradman played.
From memory Ponting was clearly second best under those criteria. But I can't find the article. I think it was a cricinfo article.
Still the truth. Maintain he's surviving by sheer force of gut these days.Similar to how you thought Kallis' eyes were gone in 2007.
#willneverletyoulivethatdown