Border had a similar longevity over a similar period to Gooch, so he'd be up there.If the answer to that is anyone other than Graham Gooch I will be very surprised
That is really impressive. Gooch is lucky(in fact a bit unlucky) to face such a huge list of great bowlers.Gooch: Lillee-Thomson-Warne-McGrath, Holding-Roberts-Garner-Marshall-Croft-Ambrose-Walsh, Akram-Younis-Qadir, Donald, Hadlee, Dev-Kumble-Bedi-Chandrasekhar. Plus Alderman, McDermott etc.
Well they certainly did have all time greats, hell Maurice Tate was a great player, if what you say is true then it is an injustice. Bradman was simply god with a bat in his hand (don't get me wrong, I am not religious but he wasn't normal). The man was just too good and it's silly to say there were not good bowlers, what if he was at his prime in the 70's and 80's... would that make Holding and Roberts etc into just run of the mill test bowlers ?. Bradman was just Bradman.... I doubt anyone will come up with the right answer to this thread but I suspect whoever it is he played for a very long time and spans eras.... With Jack Hobbs long career perhaps he faced the most all time greats, all those Aussie legends and all the English ones who played for a different county. Oh yeah that's right, he was a massive run machine so maybe all those Golden Age and 1920's bowlers can't be called great.... I say that tongue in cheek. Border probably takes the prize for our own time,One who wasn't that good and had a relatively long career.
If a batsman is too successful against ATG bowlers, they're no longer ATG bowlers. Case-in-point, the English bowling attack in the Bradman era tend not to be considered ATGs.
Because for the most part and especially after Larwood and the possible exception of verity. Remember too that just after Larwood's best series vs Bradman he never played again. It's also constructive to remember that it was impossible to get a LBW decision if the ball pitched outside the off stump for the first half of his career and the England attack was most weaker in the second half especially for the fast bowlers and let's not forget that the pitches everywhere between the wars were simply roads. Voce himself only played 11 tests vs the Aussies and his average vs them was basically the same as against every other team he played. And let's be clear there were no ATG bowlers playing for S.A. and India in that era and Bradman averaged I believe 178 and 201 against them.One who wasn't that good and had a relatively long career.
If a batsman is too successful against ATG bowlers, they're no longer ATG bowlers. Case-in-point, the English bowling attack in the Bradman era tend not to be considered ATGs.
So awesome.Gooch: Lillee-Thomson-Warne-McGrath, Holding-Roberts-Garner-Marshall-Croft-Ambrose-Walsh, Akram-Younis-Qadir, Donald, Hadlee, Dev-Kumble-Bedi-Chandrasekhar. Plus Alderman, McDermott etc.
Bar the Indian bowlers, he would have faced most of the guys that Gooch did plus Snow, Willis, Botham and UnderwoodWould have to say Sunil Gavaskar
How did he manage to face his own bowlers?Cowdrey faced a fair collection of quite decent bowlers. Lindwall, Miller, Davidson, Benaud, Bedser, Statham, Trueman, Laker, Wardle, Tayfield, Ramadhin, Valentine, Gupte, Hall, Griffith, Gibbs, Chandrasekhar, Procter, Bedi, Lillee, Thomson. You know, those sorts.
In fact, to have faced Lindwall & Miller, Statham & Trueman AND Lillee & Thomson is fairly remarkable.
Shouldn't count imo... I'll begin adding Marshall and co to Tendulkar's list then... Faced him in a few odisFirst class Cricket ?